Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1863-09-09
Future Policy Toward the Rebels.

the 18th in regard to the future policy of the
| Government toward tie Rebel States | do
not, however, quite agree with your suggest
ion that while the rebels are still in arms it
may be premature or impolitic to discuss
questions connected with that policy. l do
not propose TO enter upon such discussion at
this time except in very general way, and
| Tor the purpose OF calling attention To the
| Importance of the subject.
l have never, for a moment, since the Pres
| ident's first call for volunteers doubted the
final triumph of the Federal arms and the
utter overthrow of the rebel power; but l
| confess | have had from the first the most
painful forebodings as TO the policy TO be
pursued after armed rebellion shall have ceas-
ed, and as that day draws near, my apprehen-
slons are in no wise allayed. | believe the
crisis IN arms is past and that a more mo-
| mentous crisis, by far is at hand.
That the military power of the nation is
| adequate to crush the most formidable rebel
| lion, Is TO be demonstrated to the satisfac-
/ ton of all, at home and abroad but the
| great problem of the rebellion Will yet re-
main TO be solved; namely, whether there is
| sufficient moral power in the nation and in
republican government to lay upon traitors
the COOL firm, unfinching hand of civil jus
tice and make such examples of them as shall
| tngle in the ears ofgenerationst to come and fix
deep in the souls of American citizens that
| treason against the Government Is a fearful
| crime The privations, the suferings, the
| devastations of war, terrible as they have
| been and may still be, can never produce
| this conviction.
| On the battlefield, the rebel and traitor
| and the loyal citizen meet upon equal terms,
and we are Obliged to deal with the former
as with an honorable foreign enemy, and, in
| the theory of war, the rebel has as good
| right TO shoot a loyal man a loyal man has
| to shoot rebel. Both are liable to the
| same casualties and the same sutferings. But
| is there no difference? Yes verify, there is.
| Every LOYAL man slain in this rebellion is
murdered man, and every armed rebel is
| murderer. Walk over the fresh battlefield
| and look upon the CHASTITY countenances OF
| YOUR countrymen, slaughtered in the effort to
maintain government, law and liberty, and
| say if it is enough that like number of trail
| tors have fallen in a wicked attempt to des-
| troy all these? There IS q difference, and
when the traitor is arraigned before q civil
tribunal, stripped of his brute force, and
called upon to answer to the insulted majesty
of gOyernment-when he Is tried by his peers,
sentenced by a court and led away, bound
hand and foot, TO the place of execution,
then this difference Will be Approximation II
viii be seen and felt that treason is a crime,
and not till then, in any adequate degree. Of
course, we do not expect that all who have
committed this crime shall suffer the penalty
of death. The ends of justice do not de-
mand it. But examples must be made of the
leaders in the foul conspiracy, to such an
extent as shall prove fearful warning to
those who mediate the ike in future, or ali
the blood, and suffering, and treasure eXpend-
ed in the war will have been thrown away
Hundreds of these leaders must be brought
to the scaffold, or compelled to take refuge III
perpetual self-banishment, and thousands
more must to their dying day, be held firmly
to the forfeiture Of their civil and political
rights and privileges, as living monuments Of
righteous retribution. There Is no lnalign
vengeance about this. 1t may be done with
pain and sorrow, as a wise parent Furnishes Il
rebelliOus child, but it must be done, firmly
and resolutely. The honor of the nation, the
insuIted majesty of government, the future
peace of the country, our duty to foreign
nations, the laws of God and man, all de-
mand it the manned limbs of tens Of thou
sands of loyal citizens plead eloquently for
it and the blood of tens of thousands of our
murdered coantrymen cry TO Heaven for it
from hundred battle-felds, and | repeat,
mast be DONE or woe betide US The civil
government is charged with a commission
from the great white throne to execute
wrath upon them that do evil and that gov
ernment which viii not punish crime, must
one day perish by crime.
Every friend of good government ought,
in my judgment, to insist that this shall be a
part of the future policy, in regard to the re-
beIlion, and it seems to me that it is high
time for those whose duty it Is to guide and
instruct public sentiment, to be strengthen
ing the hands of our rulers and bracing them
up to the performance of this painful but i'm
perative duty, and preparing Ill the people to
say amen. We want giants in these days and
faith : we have not got them; and hence the
great need that we should bring all the NOR
al power we can to prop up such as we have,
and pray Heaven to give them back bone.
Rebel sympathiZers in the North, fOrcseeing
the result of the contest Of arms, are busy in
preparing public sentiment for a peace poll
cy, and that policy IS foIshadowed in unmis-
taxable terms. If traitors cannot overthrow
the republic and erect monarchy on its ru-
ms they insist, at least, that no penalties
shall follow the attempt They insist that,
if the government viii carry the sword in one
hand, it shall carry the olive branch in the
other, and the moment the rebels are dis
armed they shall be admitted back to the
full enjoyment of all their civil and political
rights. They would not have them forfeit
one hair of their heads for the stupendous
crime ! They are continually harping upon
the constitutional rights of the conspirators,
and vchemently curSinE the government for
not respecting them. Push them to the wall,
and they may, possibly, admit that rebels
have forfeited their rights and privileges;
but they persistently add that this does not
Justify US in taking them away The muir
derer and robber have forfeited life and lib
erty, but public authority is bound to respect
both, Notwithstanding Their having viola
ted the law does not justify the magistrate in
doing the same thing There is no differ
ence between committing a crime and
Furnishing it There is 10 differ
cuce between those who make war upon the
constitution and government with the sworn
purpose of destroying both, and Withdrawing
the protection of that constitution and govern
mcnt from those who make the mad attempt
You must be careful what you do to the as
saSsin who Is breaking up your house at mid
night and numbering your family. His life Is
as sacred rs yours. He has his rights secured
by the constitution and laws. Go. arouse the
magistrate and get a warrant, hunt up the
sheriff and have him arrested, indicted and
tried according 70 Tar, but lay no lawless hand
upon him yourself.
This is the logic of the Vallandigham and
Ryan Democracy, seconded by the Knights of
a thousand Golden Circles and backed up by
host of deceived and deluded followers 1t
i l. ], : I, -