The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1862-05-01
GREEN MOUNTAIN FRIEDMAN, MAY L. I>62

is to declare any punishment for treason, they
should fix upon one that is fitting for so beinous
an offence. Treason is no less Il terrible crime
because hundreds of thousands commit it, and
no traitor should, because be has many asso-
cateS, escape the penalty of his otfense. But, as
we have alread said, as it is quite idle to sup
pose that the extreme penalty of the law will
ever be visited upon the rebels, this punishment
may perhaps be made the more severe by giving
the Courts discretionary power to make the pun
ishment heavy or light, as each case deserves !;
and ia this way the hope of mitigation and
mercy will be left, which is certainly all tho
consolation that the law, or the Government
that is not helplessly weak, ought ever to hold
out to its rebellious subjects. And, unless we
punish the criminals who have now disturbed
our peace, how can we expect to escape similar
outbreaks in future? Such an expectation would
be as idle as would be the hope to do away en- =
tirely with the crime of murder by giving i'm
munity to murderers.
But it is possible, in Furnishing the traitors
that have disturbed our peace this time, to
strike nearer the source of the treason than in
ordinary cases of crime. Slavery is very gcner-
ally conceded to be one Of the main eau ses Of
the present rebellion. If it could be entirely
put away from the country, the nation could
we'll afford to forego any other punishment of
treason. But that cannot be done, -certainly
not by Congress. Congress, however, can en-
act that those criminals convicted of treason
shall lose their title to their slaves. This
step is not unconstitutional, whatever 9TH
er anti-slavery movements may be. And we
think Congress not only ought 60 thus far, but
the nation ought to stand by the Govern
mont in enforcing such law to the letter.
We hear every day on all sides of US, and from
all sorts of politicians, the statement-evidently
regarded as a " clincher against the need of
doing anything more against slavery-that sla-
very has had its day in our Government and IS
now, and will be henceforth, powerless for evil
We hope it is SO, but are not so entirely satisf-
ed of it, that we are disposed to remit any ef-
forts against the monster. We are therefore de-
cidedly in favor not only of law liberatipg
the slaves OF rebels, like the bill offered by Sen
ator Collamer-which we publish elsewhere
but in favor of the execution of such law, SO
far as it affects slaves Let such law be rig
idly enforced, and not only would crime now be
punished, but the tree which has borne all this
bitter fruit of treason, would in reality receive
its death blow-not only this generation might
live in peace, but the Republic be prospered
not for one generation only, but for ages. In
devsing a punishment for treason, let our leg
islators he inspired by the wisdom, not only suGi-
Gent Cor to-day, but for lhc future Of the Re-
public, and let US not be deluded by our desire
for speedy peace into policy that shall leave
such roots Of crime, as we may eradicate, to
spring up, and bud and blossom, and bear, bit
ter fruit Tor our po.terlty to gather.