The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1863-01-13

is death, and any punishment short o
that due traitor gives so much cleai
gain to him from the clemency OF the
Government. Upon this thesis have
, administered the authority of the United
States, because of which am not uncon
scious of complaint. l do not feel that
have erred in too much harshness, for
that harshness has ever been exhibited
to disloyal enemies of my country and
not to loyal friends. To be sure, | might
have regaled you with the amenities OF
British civilization, and yet been within
the supposed rules of civilized warfare.
You might have been smoked to death
in caverns, as were the Covenanters OF
Scotland by the command of General
of the Royal House Of England ; or roas-
ted like the inhabitants of Algiers dur
ing the French campaign 4; your wives
and daughters might have been given
over to the ravisher as were the unfor
tunate DANES of Spain in the Peninsular
war or you might have been seal ped
and tomahawked as our mothers were at
Wyoming by the savage allies of Great
Britain in our own revolution your
property could have been turned over TO
indiscriminate "loot" like the palace Of
tue Emperor Of China; works Of art
which adorned your buildings might
have been sent away like the paintings OF
the Vatican; your sons might have been
blown from the mouths OF cannon like
the Sepoys at Delhi and yet all this
would have been within the rules OF civ
ilized warfare as practiced by the most
polished and the most hypocritical ma
tions of Europe. For such acts the rec
ords of the doings of some of the inhabi-
tants of your city toward The friends Of
the Union, before my coming, were a
sufficient provocative and justification.
But have not so conducted. On the
contrary, the worst punishment inflicted,
except for criminal acts punishable by
every law, has been banishment with la
| Dor TO barren island, where encamp.
ed my own soldiers before marching
| here.
1t is true l have levied upon the
wealthy rebels and paid out nearly half a
million of dollars to feed 10000 Of the
starving poor of all nations assembled
here, made so by this war.
| saw that this Rebellion was war of
the aristocrats against the middling men;
of the rich againt the poor; a war OF the
landowner against the laborer that 1t
was a struggle for the retention Of power
I in the hands Of the few against the
many and | found no conclusion TO il
save in the subiuSation Of the few and
the disenthrallment of the many. |
therefore felt no hesitation in taking the
substance of the wealthy, who had eaus-
ed the war, 10 feed the innocent poor who
had suffered by tie war And | shall
now leave you with the proud conscious
ness that carry with me the blessings
Of the humble and loyal under the roof
Of the cottage and in the cabin of the
slave, and SO am quite content to incur
the sneers of the salon or the curses OF
! the rich.
found you trembling at the terrors
Of servile insurrection. All danger of
this have prevented by 50 treating the
slave thai he had no cause TO rebel,
l found the dungeon, the chain, and
the lash, Your only means of enforcing
obedience in your servants. | leave
them peaceful, laborious, controlled by
the laws Of kindness and justice.
l have demonstrated that the pest-
lence can be kept from your borders.
i have added million of dollars 10
your wealth u the form Of new land
from the batture of the Mississippi.
i have cleansed and improved your
streets, canals, and public squares, and
opened new avenues to unoceupied land
have given you freedom OF elections,
greater than you have ever enjoyed
| have caused justice to be admins.
tered SO imparually that your own advo.
; Gates have unanimously complimen,ed
the judges of my appointment.
You have seen, therefore. the beneti
of the laws and justice of the Govern.
meut against which you have rebelled
Why, then. will you not all return &c
your allegiance TO that Government-no
: with lip service, but with the heart?
; conjure you. if YOU desire ever tc
, see renewed prosperity giving business
10 your streets and wharyes--if you hop,
10 see your city become again the mar
of the Western World. fed by its river:
for more than three thousand miles
draining the commerce of country
greater than the mind Of man hath eyel
conceived-relurn 10 your allegiance.
Ii You desire TO leave TO your childre,
the inheritance You received Of your IA
!, thers-a stable constitutional Govern
ment-if YOU desire that they should il
the future be portion of the creates
; empire the sun ever shono upon-returl
to your allegiance.
There is but one thing that stands II
y the way.
There is bet one thing that al this hou
\ stands bet,reen you and Ms Government
!, and that is Slapery
u The institution, cursed OF God, whlel
o has taken It's last refuge here, in Iii
} providence will be rooted out rs th
: lares from the wheat. although the whea
be torn up with 1t.
;, . | have given much thought to thi
: subject.
:. came among you, by teachings, b
habit of mind by noluical position, b