The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1863-06-24

a0alrS. lney SnOulO De tauSue W ISmeW
Der that scandalun, mognatun, was for
merly high crime-it is most heinous
offense now-and nothing saves such cop
r.colored wretches but the Christian
charity of our most pious President.
At your proposed meeting you should
so arrange matters as to secure a list OF
all who fail to attend or omit to render
suitable apology, aud you should adopt
resolutions of the most "loyal" " kind.
Allow me to suggest that the committee
on resolutions be selected from contrac-
tors and office holders. particularly
suggest one Cooper, who has been recent
ly appointed assessor for the large, rich,
and populous district of West Tennessee.
He was originally from New York. True,
he was never in West Tennessee until sent
from this city on his official errand, but
he no doubt knows by intuition the true
value of the goods and chattels, lands
and. tenements, ETC., of people he never
knew, and q country in which he never
lived. But he is so loyal-so much SO
that I doubt not he is better fitted for the
Office than any one of the native born sons,
brothers. or fathers of the thousands of
soldiers, which, before the 22d of last
September, West Tennessee had furnish
ed the Federal army. Let the committee
initiate the "Loyal Leagues OF Balti-
more and resolve that you not only ap-
prove all the present wise and patriotic
have done, but that you
will sustain and uphold it in everything
it NAV hereafter do. Let the committee
make an elaborate report, accompanied
with resolutions denouncing all who hnd
fault with our most excellent President.
For instance, the last Congress Gin July
1862. passed law to con6scate the prop
erty Of certain rebels. That Congress,
though very wise body, and not possess
as much aggregate wisdom as our great
and good President In proof Of this we
need but refer to the fact that the Con-
gress aforesaid provided that under this
law, trial should precede conviction and
forfeiture, and that guilt should be proven,
not presumed. Worse still, it offered an
amnesty to repentant rebels; it mercifuliy
gave them sixty days in which to accept 1t,
and provided further that eur most noble
President might suspend for period the
operations of this law as our armies ad-
vanced southwark, so as to afford all an
opportunity to accept pardon. Worse still
this law actually applied to no one but the
rebels. And it is astonishing that 1t ap-
plied to them everywhere, North and
South; in Springfield, Illinois, as we'll as
Springfield, Tennessee. But worse still;
it did not wantonly effect the rights or
property Of Union men, women, and cml-
dren, or lunatics, in any section OF the
country.
That Congress, strange as it may seem,
did not perceive that the way to end tue
rebellion and restore affectionate relations
between the sections was to plaeethe Union
men, women, children, and the einsane upon
aperfect footing of equality with hevilest
traitors in the land That Congress be-
lievcd that the crime of refusing obedl-
ence to the usurpation of JET. Davis d
Co., in Mississippi, Arkansas, North Car,
olina. and elsewhere, amid the terrors OF
a military dcspotism, did not merit the
same or worse punishment than that they
had denounced against titled and official
traitors That Congress spared the women
and children; also shielded from harm the
Union men who still adhered to the ma
tional symbol of protection What weak.
ness! But Congress had adjourned
What was to be done? Thank heaven
our sagacious President was found equa
to the occasion.
You will perceive that on the hrst O
January last, under this so-called con
fiseation law, the slaves of every rebel II
the United States who had not accepted
the amnesty therein provided were de jnr'
free. But how were we to end this rebel
lion if the Union men, women and children
in the so-called Confederate States, were
left in undisturbed possession of all theil
legal constitutional rights? If this policy
were adopted, the rebels might become
angry with these monuments of Fedora
mercy, and in that event the spared mon
uments aforesaid might cling more closely
to the Federal flag. This division among
the people might cause still more un
happy state Of affairs down in Dixie, ou
friends there might have to bear additiona
Iindignities. As before remarked, ou
merciful and considerate. President wa'
found equal to the crisis. In long con
versation with some inspired apostles from
the sanity city of Chicago-aplaee wher
Onderdonking and other worldly amuse
ments are unknewn-the President can
didly confessed that he was endeavorins
Che did not state the means) to ascertain
the will of the Lord upon this Difficult
question; that so soon as he learned tn
Divine pleasure he verify would do th
will Of the Master who sent him. Th
revelation came, doubtless, "by due cours
Of mail" Judging from that (which
written" it amounted to this: that in por
tions Of Virginia and Louisiana, in Della
ware, in Maryland, in Kentucky, in Ten
nessee and Missouri, it was lawful 70
traitors who had accepted the amnest.
provided by the coniscation law, and al
other persons, to hold slaves; but that il
the tide-water regions of Virginia, and il
that part Of Louisiana which had not bee
consecrated to slavery by the military occa
patton of Gen. Butler, as also in Nortl
Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Geor
gia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, an
Texas, it should no longer be lawful 70
the Union men, women and children +
hold our African fellow citizens to servic
I~.I.h.. Andsvax there q ro those of th