The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1862-06-06

lOoS VI CINi1tubuIpf NHo tiRnt VI
holding property, and the disability Of &C.
outing or enforcing any rights under
any law, State or national. Obviously
these must all be provided and defined by
statutes yet 10 be enacted, that can only
take effect IN the future, or from their
passage thus allowing immunity for the
past and present from all save such pen.
al:ies as existing laws provide.
The proposed enactment should, in my
judgment, necessarily provide for its own
execution by judicial process, frding and
judgment, subject to the smelioratiDg
cemency Of the Executive in proper cases.
cannot at present consent 10 a mere mil !
itary court, save To enforce mere martial
law.
What atonement shall be deemed sufh-
cient by the injured party, who is to fix its
measure. ascertain it's guilt, pronounce SOL
omu judgment, and execute tho sentence I:
Obviously and clearly We are not 70 follow
tho savage examplos Of old barbarous ex-
tirpations recorded in the pages Of classic
history. No utter destruction OF removal
of entire communities no TaLiug Of cities,
driving the plowsbare over their founda.
iions, and strewiog thoi- empty places with
salt, and thus reduce them to eternal sterili-
ty and solitude Nor will there be any
blowing Of Sepoys from the muzzles of hsge
guns, amid tho gibes of brutal so!diery,
according TO tho latest Christian example
but the whole will be conducted pursuant
to enlightened law, by its appointed minis
tors, according to its forms and nsages, with
delberation aud decent, solemn dignity
| There will be at least six or seven millions
of criminals to be in some way dealt with or
passed over great States Of abject, OF dos
perate. sullen, sulky. or subGued, penitent
cuprits, awaiting trial and judgment. The
mind. not to name :he heart, soul and hu-
man instincts. the cold, impassive, indexi-
Bile judgment, that no emotion can shake or
disturb, rovolts at the idea of holding these
masses individually responsible, or attempt
ing 20 tako u eial cognizauce OF their
doings. That, not only impracticable
but impossible. We are rather to regard
\ them as the fanatics of great popular de-
lusion, the victims of q mental disease and
brain. plague that has swept whole nations,
than the responsible doers of punishable
crime. We may doubtless miss from
among them, without an inq .ry, the whole
female sex, and thus dispose Of one hal
numerically. 1t is very possible that, with
|. few exceptions, all persons under age MAJ
be sent to Join their mothers and sisters
To these we shall doubtless add the un
distinguished and undistinguisbable herd
the mass, the commonalty, that go to make
up the rumerical total of the rebels anc
, malcon tents. All those, with the exception
, of one particular to which reference will b
made. may we'll. after taking the solemn
oath of perpetual allegiance, which shonl'
> be administered TO men, women and chill
= dren, gray. boards and infants, grand dame
n and tender maidens, in some public, i'm
= pressive manner, be dismissed to their rt
= pentant reflections, and the admonishin
miseres that their crimes and follies bav
q pluckod upon their own heads. This woul
reduce the number to some thousands, an
. enable the mind to deal readily with tho
y mere number, and TO classify aud adjui
u them in the scale and ranks of infamy.-
o They would constitute in q bad way th
e elite, the aristocracy of treason. made up c
n its unkilled and unescaped leaders.
d With reference to the infection Of the 81
4 verer penalties, doubtless O further dil
= elimination might be made in favor of man.
y IL is doubtless true that some who occupie
- places somewhat prominent, we're in mes'
ure coerced to il, while many more, undt
e y false apprehension of their duty to the
d seeding States, felt constrained to folio
l their fortunes respectively, as matter
III absolute duty. The mass of those 40 r
of naming we doubtless might judicially p
"A TO death, though probably no advocate
such gross slaughter would come forwar
By what principles shall we be governed
49, What rules shall we apply in the admin
~ tratiOn of the extreme penalty Shall
Id measure and estimate the blood and tea
at shed for the nation, and demand compens
I'd ton ia kind Shal. we count the slain
n, battle, and take life Cor life : Shall we 81
:, ten thousand, one thousand, Eve hundre
VI or one hundred lives shall measure the ]
'g dicial atonement in blood Clearly,
l rule founded on such considerations W
u govern us. Obviously the degree Of pu
r. ishment to be awarded should 10 some met
Ii. ure correspond with the dignity and impc
n. tance or the turpitude of the criminals,
ar spcctively, in the treason. The so-call
"A president, vice. president and cabinet OF t
Nv traitor government should die, l wou
Gu unhesitstingly award the same fate to eve
10 man who held commission in the Anne
ng can Army and Navy, who abandoned
,ht God, bis country and bis fac for the cat
es Of treason. l would as unhesitatingly Z
lie under the same condemnation every meml
,re of the XXXVIth or the present Congress "
"a Joined the rebels, or gave them aid and co
~ fort. Clearly, those who held judicial pa
rss' tions and other high places under the G'
In ernment, foreign ministers, &C., and "
Ter abandoned them for rebellion, should be
Try able to the same penalty. / know no n
,ry son why traitor governors, the members
zen the traitor congress. and generals, shou
On, not fall within the same category. Trait
S. who have ever holden high places under
neS Government, members of the rebel ST
in- Governments, and any and all who had Y
he bad emineuce, should bs forever banist
ind at least. Tho residuum would punish
I Of imprisonment and fines, loss OF cifzenst
see inability to cue in the courts, &c. Above
ate snd over all, no man of those who have
,o;. Ken leading part in this rebellion, sho
ever be eligible to q seat in Congress, OF
n0e any other place of trust or profit under
us' Government would forever preclude
IN wholo plotting, ,treasonable, ,rebellious. bio,
re- brood from again pOiluting with their sli
er presence the national sanctuary, And
inst disability should be affixed by simple fc
,oI. of law, SO that no weak or wickod EKecu
ha could ever remove itj the Congress oil
80: should have that power.
'nis / venture these crude reflections upon
personal punishment of the traitors, m
way for the pufpoee of calling the attention