The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1862-04-22
NO. 800.

hned 10 your penitentiary, are venial, com
pared with the atrocious ofebses Of these
wicked rebels. The former are wrongs against
individuals, the latter are crimes against bu-
manity itself. The authors Of these atroci-
ties are within our jurisdiction, and must be
taken care OF. They arc to numerous for the
gallows, too many for close confinement. They
must have government; but in what manner
shall 1t be provdedi Would you deem il
safe to trust such men TO reorganize society
and reconstruct government, the very corner
stone OF which would inevitably be treason2
Would you allow such a constituency TO send
Representatives to this temple of liberty, to
/ Gil this Hall with tho pestilential odors Of
| treachery and rebellion? Is it thus that you
would honor the grave of Ellsworth, of Lyon,
and of Bakerl Is it thus that you would re-.
ward the loyal North for its vast expense Of
treasure and Of bloodi Is this the kind of
consolation you would offer to the lone widow
whose only son found his final resting place
at Manassas or Balls Bluff far away from the
tomb of his ancestors, and the wonted scenoa
Of his childhood and youthl Do you pro-
pose, without probation, to renstate these
guilty men with all the privileges and immu-
mites OF freemen and good citizens? Is there
W no uO IWIISHIUtHt IOT IHlJOls} Is COIn-
merce to be prostrated, trade annhilated, tho
wealthy beggared, the nation baukrupted and
brought to the very verge of dissolution, by
treason and groundless civil war, and is there
no punishment for the authors Of such terri
ble and spread calalnities? Sir, before
you attempt this experiment., let me advise
you to accompany the tax.gathers on bis tour
Of collection, TO visit the military hospitals
overilowirg with the sick and the dying, to
stand over the amputation table and listen to
the irrepressible groans of anguish, to search
out tho widows and orphans and witness their
proverty anil sorrow, and wherever you GO to
proclaim that there is no punishment for trea-
son, but that disarmed traitors are good citi.
zcns, capable Of self government and worthy
to sit in the councils of the nation
Sir, tho worry suggestion Of such PROPOSE
ton fills mo with CONSERVATION and amaze
mont. II seems to me to be fraught with
danger and ultimate disaster. Nor can SEQ
the necessity, the justice, or the policy Of such
a measure. What plausible argument can
DO advanced in It's support! Are you afraid
of Illuminating or exasperating these men o.
Afraid Of humiiiating traitors! Afraid Of OK.
asperating thieves, rebels, and murderers, al
ready holding daggcrs in their hands. pointed
at your throa's! Are you afraid Of dibcoura.
S'ng and dIsbanding your armies If you at
tempt TO control or punish their enemies -
/ Are you moved by spirit Of love and friend
ship for these despers docs' Surely your love
is more than sufficient for a reasonable com.
pliancs with the requsiton of the Christian
faith. David, with all his doep affection for
Jonathan, had no conception of the height,
depth, and brea lth Of love. II was not per-
nittod to the "sweet singer Of Israeli TO COM
prehend its intensity. 1t was reserved to the
American Congress OF the nineteenth century
to demonstrate the virtue of loving not their
neigLbors rs themselves, but their enemies
even more than themselves!
1t is said that many loyal citizens still re-
side in the secede districts whose hearts con-
tinue to throb with affection for the Govern
mcnt Of their fathers. DO not deny the fact,
and yet the assumption must rest on assertion
and belief, rather than on proof The evi.
dence is against it particularly in the cotton
States. The hasty and apparently spontane
ous action of the masses, the obvious unanim.
ity with. which the people flew to arms, and
toe relentless bate which has marked their
cond duct, do not Indicate high degree o.
patriotism in the infected territory Never
lHSi'hS, COuCcdlUg, IN 40, lbe e&leteuCe VI
loyal men, | admit and insist that they must
be shielded aud protected by and under the
Constitution. So much thev NAV demand
on the plainest principles Of right, justice, aud
humanity. But the very necessities Of their
condition furnish tho strongest arguments in,
support of the policy that advocate. They
could not maintain order and the supremacy
of the laws; they could not keep down insui-
rcction in their own State; they could not
prevent it from joining hostile confederacy;
they could not sustain and preserve their Gov
ornment; they cannot protect themselves;
they are IN minority in most of the districts,
a very iuconsiderable minority, and il the
peop'e generolly are left TO provide heir own
government it is obvious that the result must
be the progeny Of traitors; and, without tho
aid Of Government, established and controlled
by Federal authority, and oflicered by loyal
and responsible mon, such a result caL hardly
be avoided.
Nor can You escape the threatened danger
10y any general legislation by Congress that
stops short Of the actual es establishment and
differing of Government. You may by stat
ute declare the outawry and disqualification
Of rebels; but practically that will avail you
nothing. Law that cannot be executed is IA
no law; and it is only through the instrument
atty Of territorial or provisional governments,
established by congres, that you can discrim-
mate and ferret out the culpable. IL left to
themselves, the people will meet in primary
conventions; and rs four fifths Of them, moro
or less, are disaffectcd, il invitaby follows that
traitors must reconstruct the Government and
rcorganze society; and the entire policy Of
the State must be tainted with the virus Of
treason. State officers and tue msmbers Of
Congress must Of course be representative
men. The majority are not apt to select their
rulers from the minority. Recent chastise-
mcnt may induce policy Of dissimulstiop.
and a show ofrepentance aud obedience. But
who OF experience, Of enlarged craftsmanship,
can be deceived by such specious preteusess
The same reasoning would, with an equal ap-
pearance Of wisdom, open the prison doors Of
every jail and penitentiary on the face Of the
earth. The convicted horse thief deplores
his oiEense, not on account Of its criminslity,
but because Of his detection. Perhaps there