Excerpt from Leaves of the Year 1863
Look again on that picture and on this. The rebels, bold as they are wicked, are marching on through fire and blood, to their destiny, a destiny of retribution, as we hope, but meaning to destroy our national life, and found a new and barbaric empire, upon the ruins of a free republic. A false glory bedizens the vision of their unprincipled leaders, and falsehoods, mistaken for truth, have poisoned the minds of their followers. Charity itself cannot present their rebellion in a more favorable view than this. Here, on the other hand, among us, are their allies - not men of war, but lead ers of a make-believe democracy, (with nothing truly demo cratic in them, ) pretenders, sneaking politicians, putting on airs of conservatism, and mousing around for selfish, personal advantage, which they hope to achieve under some coming man - some successful demagogue from the old plantations, by and bye. They have been toad-eaters to the slaveholders in former days, have bent the knee and held office under them, and they are longing to put their old masters into po sition again, that they may get the balance of wages for their own dirty services. This is the measure of their patriotism.
Well do they remember when they looked to the slave power for office, and gladly did their bidding - the days when they raised the mad dog cry of abolitionist, while their Southern brethren dealt out tar and feathers; and now the wretches are sighing for that same old time to come again with the Union as it was. See ‘how they adopt the rebel tactics in all but open war call our enemies not Yankees, says Beauregard, but call them abolitionists. And lo The sham newspapers re-echo the direful epithet, as if it were a stigma too dreadful to be borne. But there is good mean ing in the name, and when we shall fearlessly accept it, put it on and use it, we shall soon see an end of this most iafa mous rebellion. May God and good angels hasten on the day.
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