The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1863-12-19
An INSULT 70 rnAnrois.

universal howl against the Presidsnt's
Proclamation Of Amnesty, and they de-
nouncs it - unconstitutional and - an
insult TO the people Of the Scssh, but
they fail to state specific objsstiona Or to
suggest any definite plan Of paci6cstion.
And It would seem IS it they wefs insti-
gated BY malignant party spirit which
impels them to risk the utter destruction
Of their country rather than sanction any
mode suggested BY the party in power to
secure its salvation.
a Proclamation of Amnesty, which
includes all but the leaders Of the rebel
lion, they stigmatize A. an insult 70 the
people Of the South. And yet they pro-
fass to be earnest sticklers for the Consti-
tuition under which the people Of the
South are guilty of treason and liable 10
the penalty of death. II the profered
pardon of their crimes, on condition that
they return to their allegiance, Be re-
garded an insult simply, what would sat
isfy their Northern friends1 Who can
tell? Would anything short of the &C
acknowledgement that the traitors and sym
pathisers are in the right, and that our
Government has been in the wrong in the
attempt to resist them in the war against
its authority, inaugursted by the bonn
bardment of Fort Sumter? !? And then in
due course, giving them the choice Of
taking the reins of Government now held
BY the Acministration, or of exercising
all the rights and powers Of q separate
independent Government over all the
slave States of the Union, loyal as we'll As
disloyal, for that is their ultimatum
If the people of the South, who have
taken up arms and waged war against
this Government, are traitors. as our con-
stitution and laws declare, and have in
Cured the penalty of death for their
crimes, then the offer Of amnesty on con-
ditions subject to the sanction Of the
Supreme Court is not only not an insult
to them, but an act OF great ciemency on
the part of the Supreme Magistrate of
the nation.
Only those who regard the Southern
Rebels as right and their conduct justifi-
able and prsisewor.hy, can consistently
hold an offer Of amnesty BY the Presiden,
an insult to them. And only those who
in their hearts eympathise with traitors
and uphold slavery, and who hate the
Government and tbs loyal people and sae
gallant soldiers of the Union who sustain
it, would have ever thought of charging
that the Presidents proclamation Of >
general amnesty to traitors was an out
rage and insult to them. /. ia the friends
of traitors aud the advocates OF slavery
Who conceived and promulgated this idea,
and not the friends Of the country or the
upholders Of the constitution. "It is out
Of the abundance Of the heart that the
mouth speaketh," and in the present
case the speech reveals the treason of the
heart against the Government, and it.
fsllow-feeling with those who have sought
to overthrow it by force Of arms.
Had there been but few hundred OF
. few thousand traitors in arms acainss
the Government, We would have arrested
and hung them under the constitution and
laws, made and provided in the premises
But as there are millions OF traitors wag.
ing war against their country, it becomes
necessary to raise armies to subdue them
under practical subsection to the authority
Of the Government and within the opers.
ton of the constitution and laws. And
in the process, We have reached poin
where number Of these traitors recognize
the hopelessness of resistance, and arr
ready to avail themselves of the slemency
Of the Government, but their friends il
the North say the tender of pardon is u
insult to them. Is not every traito
Lamenable to the constitution and laws
and does not each one of them stand OF
his own demerits before the law? Ha
not each one of them, by his treason, for
fsitsd both life and property to the vio
lated laws Of his country, and woul'
not each one Of them. il separated an,
put simply upon his trial, gladly accsp
pardon and restoration Of all his right
tundsr the supervision OF the Suprem
: Court1
How, then, can it be an insult to offe
them pardon in advancei The truth is
that the sympathising Vallandiehammer
are in the habit Of regarding JEFF. Davi
4 Co. in the right, ard the Gonfe1crsc
as standing on an equal footing Of nation
: ality with the United States, rather tha
As Rebels liable to forfeiture Of propert
!. en1 1ifn undAr Ahn cnrs fstS, f;nu ~nd -