, 1863-12-22
THE PARnQM!N6 POWER,


S-NNANAHS0
LETTER FROM ROBERT DALE
OWEN.
Editors New York Tribune: -
Now TINT the President Inns resorted, "a a
measure OF reconstruction, to tho pardonino
power on conditions, and has issued to the
inhabitants of the insurgent States Procla-
nation Of Amnesty, few historical flcts In
connection with the employment Of Tint
your readers.
The her da of nations have been wont. In
contingencies similar to that before us, TO
exercise the power Of pardon, with tte eppro-
baton Of mankind. So Charles =, about to
well, in 1860. So: George Il, at TIC close Of
tho Jacobitc rebellion Of 1745. = 49,
In both these noted examples, pardon was
granted on conditions to be formally accent-
ed; and 1t was granted, Of course, without
reference to sentences of condemnation OBJ.
talncd against individuals for the otfense par-
In the case Of Charles u, 1t was issued, .un-
der datc April 49, 1900, from Beraa, and was
entitled: IAN act of free ind general par
den, Indemnity and oblivion" Of which Tie
essential portion is In these Worls: ;,
We do grant free aud general pardon, which
great seal Of Engfand, to ai onr subjects, Of WIZ
degree Or qnali1y soeyer, who within forty dsYs
af!er the publishing thereof shall lay hold upon
act dcclafc their doing So and that they return to
The loyalty q obedience Of good subjects, except
tng only such persons eha1l hereafter Be- EXCEPT
land, vol ~, p. Is. ~~e
h. Here the acceptance of the pardon waa IN
be sfgnihed, on the part Of each Individual
by "publfc aet," declaring his return to
loyalty and obedience; and the pardon was
granted on condition Of the execution of eneh
public act within forty days, and extended to
those only who complied with this condition.
The pardon Of George II in favor Of the
sScottlsh S:o lnsurgents who had fought for Tue
ntt8elenaer, was Issued In LIT, under the title.
nj Ia and aff lee ,or nafnn 1ne most eious
a; A. D; l7A7, "statutcs at Large" London,
ls66, Vol. VI, p. S02.] It was cloeged with
about c'ghty exceptions, recitcd 6y name,
some Of whom were condemned to death, but
ne grcater part were pardoned on condition
Cap. 90, 20 Geo. II, 4. D. 1747, is entitled:
"An act to prevent the return Of such rebeIs
and traitors concerned in the 1ato rebclion
as hive been, or shall be, pardoned on condI-.
ton Of transportation, and also to hinder
Them going into the enenfcs' country
L Nt0LAtEe al I<s4IEEs VOL. VI
P. 40 @'
In ourow history but single insnrrection
or rebellion deserving the name las occuryed.
previously to that which is now in prorress'
namely, The insurrcction Of 1194, in cSrtatn
western counties comprising the Fourth Sur
ttey ty o. Peansylyania, caused BY au attempt
10 obstruct the execution of the acts Tor rats-
Ing revenue on distilled spirits and stills.
Although this outbreak, lastins about four
months, created IN the minds Of the timitl
fears as to the stability Of the Government.
yet it 1s doubtful If the rebels had. at onv
time, at their disposal over Il, 600 men; and
it docs not appear that tho Union was erer
seriously Threatened.
On the 10th Of July, 1795, the President,
George Washington, issued d Proclamation
"grnnting pardon to the Western Ipsur.
genis;" IN which, after reciting that certain |
f2 th e apP9nted IL S ~ lin
Of Pennsylvania -" had promised In his name |
limit # assurances Of submission to the laws |
should DC subscribed by the citizens CONCERN
ed IN the insurrcction, general pardon
should be granted for ali offences against the
on1ed states committed BY these persons
eeeds: ~
"TheEeforc DO It known, that I. George WASH
ington, President OF the United ststes hsyc grant
e. and BY these presents do grant fall, ires and
inajlef e1cepted) Of iii tresaonsa miS1isons IL nf
treason, and other IndictaLe offences acainst the
Omitted States, cotnmitted within tie Fourth Sur
Sey Of PcnnsylYania before the said cd day or
August last past, exeeos;us aal excluding there.
itoHa, nevertheless. every person who refused or
negiscted to give and subscribe the snid
hath violated the same) and now staadeth indictei
or convicted OF any treason, misprision or treason
remitfng all penalties Incurred, o: euppossi to s..
incurred, for or on account Of the premises"
This lnsurrection broke out in tile summer
Of ia IL II JMly Of that year, 500 armed men
INSPECTOR louse. By the 1st of August The
numbsr Of insurgents under arms had swol-
len to from 5,000 to 1000 men, who Assem-
bled, On that day, at Braddock's Field, on the
Monongahela. At later period they are said
to have had the control OF II, ,0N men.
The President issued Proclamation warn.
Ing the insurgents Of the pains aud penalties
OF treason, and commanding them to ,d;s-
perse. Aflerwazd he appointed three Com
1nissioners to confer with the leading rebels,
VINO y % At hrst esaded III satisfactory terms, but
finally, after the President Ind called out 15.-
c00 militia to suppress the insurrection, gave
way and agreed to the slgnature BY the in
habitants Of tho in6urgcnt district Of articles
Of submission to the laws of the United
States, the Commissioners covenantinc that
I 9n such conditions they should be pardoned.
This restorcd tranquility; but 2,56o troops
Femuined. throughout the winter Of 179f5,
encamped in the insurrcctionary districE
|. History Of the United States" by George
Tucker, Vol l., Pr. 551 10 SIS. Also, His
I9ry e OF the h. United States of America, y by
!, The final pardon by President Washington.
t will be observed, Is granted conlitioaallr'
nc condition being the signing of certain ar.
'icles of submission. Eli indicted or con.
'IAcd rebels VINO refused or neglected to
subscribe, orharing subscribed aud afierwari
'iolated the conditions, are excepted.
:Not"!thstanding such precede1ts, there
'vill be found many objections to this pro..
3osed exercise Of clcmency, and to thc pru-
lent and necessary conditions attending it,
s IS an aroltfary exercise Of the one.man pow :
=: These objections will come from men
sfo are in the habit Of landing, as the only
1ulwark Of liberty, the Constitution Of thn
1nlteu states, as often rs it suits their pur-
'osc oi the hour, and condemning the yery ,
'ar1ging o7t Of its clearest provisions, When !
iordid intrigucs.
These 1aen seem to take pleasure In for
,ettmg what many Of Us thoughtle3sly fail to /
'ear IN mind-that when d. Government t
ounded On the popular will has shown itself
Q be inst, 1orbearing, free from tyr,any or )
ast moment, and up to the time 1t Was u.s.
sfled productive to millions OF freemcn Of
ecurity and prosperity scarcely matched | :
az history, treason against it Is one of the | I
'lackest Of human crimes: Can any man es-
innate, can the Imagination adequately pic
ure, the misery In countless shapes that has 4
!teady been the result Of that stupendous i
1imc: Far more than this, can aay man r
ven imagine what might haye been tie dire
n consequences for generations to come,
I'D treason succeeded in Its parricidal at.
empt-had Gettysburg and half a dozen
,ors such fields each Witnessed the over
;helmlng dc1cat Of the Union armss Who
an tell, ~ such contingency, into how e
lany petty sovercisnties this American {
nioa would have dwarfed down +? whit end | -
.ss 1ealousies, what countless waEs, might Il
ave sprung up between these riYul fflr- q
never more, it NAV be, In I II
ur day, or in the days perhaps OF onr child 81
m chlidfen, again to be united into one
reat nation commanding and deserving the :,
,spect Of mankind?
Docs such crime as that need no pardon I
Is Authors once supdued. do tAer becon,e | p'
lpoccnt in virtue Of that subiusation9 Is
o pu1gat1on required? The pfo1igal son | Q
az received again to his paternai home, Bat "
OF until he had abfurcd his riotous llfc: not
nth his humility aud repentance had foand =,
'ords: aFather, fhaye sinned against Uea- Sj
en, and before thee, and am no more worthy
} he called thy son: make me IS one Of thy ei
ired servants Uurepented crime cannot. Fl
onsistcntly with public order, be passed bv y
nnoticed and unpunished. WHY. else. o1r !e
rimiual courts and our pcnitentiaries y
It Is q solemn thing to admit once more q
'ithin the peaceful precincts Of the Union, =,
;surgents Who for years have been aiming +
eadly blows at it's existence. We forgive 81
lucll, If We receive again to full fe]low5hip
u who exhibit contrition, and If we respect p