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What Is Treason?

What Is Treason? image
Parent Issue
Day
30
Month
August
Year
1861
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Just now, wlien men ure suspeeted o treasen lor confessing to be demoernts, and aio denwunéed ns trailore for caliing in qtiéa ion tho " original cansen'' of the p reeen 1 deplorable diffieultiee, and tb rea tened] wiih mobbing or an "ex ira gaimoni" for doubting tdo immaeuhtcyof a single goveruiieiii i fficer, c.r que tioning ll:o polioy of right of a singlo government meapure, a remitiiscênoe or two may not be out of place. 'i he war of 1812 was vigoróusly opposed frnm first to last by n large party, especiaUy in New Engiand, and politiuul Lisiory reporta Daniel Webster as saytng f rom his seat in Con trress, pending the passage of a war mensure, " I would not voto for the appropriation f the enomy wore battering dowü tliü walls (f the capítol.'' Ho might not have used this language, but it i ccitain tliat. he always condemned tlio declaralioa of war, attempted to fasten fraud upon tho government in tsnnbeotion witta it, eoDtiuually proel ai m ed ('irpcaee "upon any honorable terms," and sustainedjthe government not cliucr. fully, but only irom duty. And, yut, he waa i.ot deüouneed as a Iraitör nor arreeted for treason. Tho war with Mexico was denounced from first to hist by u largo party, and the voten in öoogrM8 upan administration or government measures showed no si:ch Unaniniity aswe are happy lo say i8 raanifeated at th lato extra session. And there aro mun now in high places who wero thü most bitter oí l'üu opposera, Thomas Corwln taid, n U-ingress, that "'i!' lie werea Mexioao ha would weluoine thc invaders wilh bloody bands to hospituble graves;" and no less a tnan tlian Abraham Lineoln, - to-day President uf tho Unit jd States, but then :i meinber ol Congress, - denouncod the war in unmeas ured teíma, and refused to vote for gome of the moasures the administralion, u'jtf (he guDerwnent, deemed irn portunt and nocessarv to tlie succestl'ul prosecuiion sf the war. And, vet, we lieard no murmura that Thomas Coi-win, Abraham Lincoln and theirooad j itors were not arrested on a charge of treason. And, may not remembra ncea of lliese faets acaount for 'he why the government does no; roadily y i oíd to parüsan demandí and arrest every cit zon who difiera from it as to tha chusos ot the present civil war, and unwisely expresses those difíerences, - for to es" press them can do no good, and is un wise. - or who in a proper and patrioticapirit dissents frora any particular rneasure, expresses a desiro for an early peace, or, even what to us at this jnnoture seems worse, declares íor a comproinise ? Tho government sbould not tolérate treason, it should not permit treasonnble correspondenoo with the robéis, it should prohibit tl. e giving of ' id and comfort" to the . enemy, but it chould beware how it attempta to goppress opinions !iot treasonablaor stiflo honest disapproval of its particular acts or agents. The conatitution has declared that " Gongress ehall make no law abridging ilie f'reedom of speech and of tho preaa," and has also dt-clared that "treason againet the United States shall consist only in levying war aguint thern, or in adhering to their euemiesj giving them aid and comfort." When any press does thif, we care not what it s, let it be "equelehed," in a legal way; when any man does it, we care not what his ñamo or position, let him (eel tho weight of tho law and the power of the governuient ; but let do man be 1 ened with puriishment for difiering with tliH government as to causes, for doubt ing tlie capacity or virtue of this or ihat government agent, or even for not deeiring the saine ultímate consequences as thoso fanátical supporters of tlie government - we do not hoM the government responsiblo for their fanática) ut cráneos - who proclaim on overy occasion that this war must not termínate until the last slave is einancivated. Wo have uaid these things not be. cause we havo any fault to find with the government in this particular ; but hocauso we see n partiaan end fanatical atteinpt to compel the government to crusii beneath an ron heel the liborty of both press and epeecb, and punitih men for thinking and spoaking difieren tly irom thu sulf censtitutud duíendeis oí the government. VTö utter no excuso íor tieason, wo put in no ple:t in f.ivor of tlm lioeotiouBnens of the press, but vo demand that in crushing oiil rebel - l'ion " thu freedom of speech and the press," guaranteed by the constitUtlOO, b i pot il.-o crushed "ut. S3S Norval E. Wbloii, Esq.,late 01 this City. has recived the uppointment of Major in tho indepen lont regiment of Col. SrockroN-, and has entered upon his duty. T. E. Mubbid, Esq., ] also lato oí this City, has been 1 dointed Adjutant of tlie saine regiment. Wo shall hope to mako " honorable men tion" of their deeds horeaiter. t We understand that Dr. Gonn, ' Professor of Surgery in tho University, has been nppointed Surgcon of the , Fifth Michigan Regiment, aud has accepted the position. Co!. Teküy is indeed fortúnate in lus $?leotion. '

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus