New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-09-02
.c1lllnG 4 rRAIr0R 1 TRlIToR.

ctILING 4 TRAITOR TRAH"R.
his If course. not pleasant for man 10 near
hin,snlf called traitor. Ncithcr does '"'''
Il,o to sit before a preacher ana have ms opeI"
,fors collod by their right name. II he wears
,,.ol.loth and has several fellow thieves oI
outward respoctabilty i'm the congregations VII"
,boir helm he is likely 10 make life unromior'a-
blo for the preacher and secure another ono VINO
,,.rl ro.o,.yr hi, dcnunciatons for the sins com
,,itted Inv the Jews two thousand years or more
400 So Mr. Murat Halstoad discovered dlS
nositlon 10 make life ncomforab" for him
whom IN Cincinnati. me- failed TO conhno his re-
marks an treason 10 the case of Benedict Arnold
II he had read 10 his hearers "'Ihc Man WIN
ont n Country no doubt they would have zap.
nlondcd unanimously and concentrated them
selves that the day Of inchoate National feeling
when ANY American could say damn '"'
United Statosm was long past II he had told
how "Od Hickory threatened 10 hang 'alh'u"
a. no tried 10 Interfere with the United States
Government and fits laws nobody would nave
fclt burt lie might have denounced as traitors
the men Of 1851 who i'm the name OF state rights
and with high sounding phrases about liberty
pravcd that death and destruction might ran
mon the soldiers Of the United States, ana moi
voice would have been raised in protest. But INC
idea that g was just az much a crime Tor an
American 10 wish or work for the defeat OF
American soldiers I'm 1899 rs IT was IN 1861 or IN
1880 was somewhat startling 10 the persons VINO
hone that Otis and his whole army may n'
driven into the sea or captured No wonder
they dd not like it when Mr.. IGalsicad answered
such an expression by saying "A man with
those sentiments IS a traitor TO his country
But. after all. even if Mr.. IIalsteads remarks
were somewhat disagrecbly personal 10 those
whom they fitted. were they not true: What
name but traitor shall we give to q man who
wishes that the armies Of his country may bee
driven into the sea, that their enemies may over
come them. that their generals may miSlead
them? There is room among honest and pairI-
otlc men for vast difference Of opinion on the
Philippine question So was there ms 10 the
wisdom Of the American Revolution SO was
there as To the tariff question Of 1882. So was
there as 10 tho issues preceding the War Of the
Rebellion But where American soldiers stand
I'm obedience 10 the American Government, there
they are entitled to the support of every Amer
can citizen. however much he may wish their
orders might have been different however much
ne may criticise the policy that placed them
there We may not be- able In the least To agree
with the man who says. Dewey should have
sailed away after destroying the Spanish feet,
or who urges that an alliance ought 10 have
been made with Agulnado and the Philippines
turned over 10 him. But We can recognize both
Of those views as legitimate matters Of opinion
which We may controvert but which We do not
denounce But. wisely or unwisely and we
believe wisely other policies were adopted by
the lawful authorities TO whom we are all bound
I'M obedience We may say they made mis-
take We may try 20 Suppant them at the next
election by officers who will pursue another
course That Is the legitimate activity OF poll
Tics I'm n republic BUT no one of MS has any
right to attempt to thwart the actions Of those
lawful authorities, whether his preteXt he Rene
dict Arnolds. that his countrymen did not ap-
preciate his services, or Charles Eliot Nortons,
that he is a defender Of abstract human rights.
A citizen may properly seek to induce his
country 70 change rs policy. hut when ne calls
down destruction upon IT. armies instead Of
working 10 get their orders changed no Is I'm his
heart a traitor. and Mr. GIalstcad was right TO
call him so. We notice that some opponents Of the
Administration report the traitors grumblngs
M such courageous plain speaking as II they
were an anti-oxpansion victory II is for them
IN choose their own tactics But certainly Mr..
Halstoai and all who agree with him i'm support
Of the EXPANSION policy will have no cause m
complain II tho anti-cvpansionists wish 10 adopt
the cry. MAY Otis and his army be driven into
tho sea- and 60 before the American people on
the question whether or not such a prayer IS
treason.
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