Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1863-06-06
The Leniency of the Government towards
Rebels.

No Government that ever existed has trea.
ted rebels with the same leniency and elem
ency as that exhibited by ours in its conduct
towards those who are directly, with arms in
hand, or covertly but just as reasonably, seek.
ing,its overthrow. During all the stages OF
this fierce war our Government has held to-
wards these mad fanatics the most tolerant
and kindly demeanor. The pure and just
citizen who sits in the executive chair of the
nation, has, during his term Of Office, let no
word of harshness Or severity fall from his
lips. All the time he has Treated the unfortn-
nate rebels as a class Of men more to be pitied
and forgiven than as persons worthy to be de-
nounced and severely punished. Before is
suing the proclamation of freedom, which we
hope and believe will set every slave free
whose shackled feet sully the continent, he
gave notice of his intentions so to do one hun
dred days in advance. He said that if the
insurgents would return to their duty and al
legiance that this proclamation, now destined
to drive many lilly handed aristocrat to the
plough or plane. should not be issued. We
point to that fact as the most extraordinary
one, in its kindness and forbearance, that has
ever been recorded in history. While on
thu subject we cannot forbear alluding to the
contrast offorded by comparing the deport-
ment, in all things, of our Chief Magistrate,
with that of Davis the rebel While the con-
duct of Mr.. Lincoln has always been charac-
terized by that calm dignity that always
marks the gentleman who knows he is right,
the department of this fellow Davis has been
a conservative mixture of the manners of tho
backyard and buffoon. See tho speeches
L l.: -. l..
the starving victims of his ambitious lusts.
He says that the slave owners are born to be
the masters Of the people of the loyal States;
that they are only fitted for slaves that they
are debased, worthless race of people whose
polluted blood would contaminate the pure
fluid that courses through the veins Of the
slave holder. This marked difference between
the department of Mr.. Lincoln. and the bar
room style of etiquette favored by Davis, has
long ago attracted the attention of decently
bred people throughout the world, and has
resulted in the conviction that Davis is really
but poor pretence-a shrewd and daring
vagabond who safe in the belief that his soul
is damned any how, cares not how much mis-
cry he nilicts upon the human race.
Our Government, though justified by law,
by right, by justice and precedent has never
attempted to punish any rebel found polluting
by his presence the soil of the loyal States.
Treason, undisguiscd, palpable treason, is
openly talked and concocted in these States,
and the Government has never gone farther
than to arrest the persons engaged in it, and
hold them, not rs punishment, but rs pre-
ventive. Any other Government than ours
would have swung them at once to the near
-, TIL: So,
49, Great Britain blew insurgents, caught in
reasonable acts, from the mouths Of cannon ;
others We're marched out and shot down by
battalions. During the Irish rebellion of '9S
OR, rather after it was quelled, John Sheares,
Henry Colclough, Edward Ryan, Robert En-
met, Lord Edward Fitzgerald and a great
number Of others were executed by the British
Government. The Lord Lieutenant issued
his proclamation, during the prevalence ofthat
rebellion, declaring martial law all over Ire
land, and gave authority to all general officers
to punish. according to martial law or other
wise, all persons acting or in any manner as
sisting in the rebellion. We are far from
justifying the morality Or the propriety of
these precedents, and we only adducc them
to show how far the laws Of war waged
against rebels authorizes an assaile1 govern
ment to go, and to cite the other fact that this
government, in its dealing with this accursed
slave rebellion, has made no pretence Of fol-
lowing the example set by England above
set forth. Suppose that during these or nny
other Of the wars Of England party had
been organized in that country, or a newspa-
per established, for the purpose Of atfording
aid and comfort to the enemies. Such a sup
position is hardly conceivable, but let us force
it, and imagine. if we can, what would have
been the effect of such movement Who
does not know that the whole island would
have rose to suppress such manifest outrage
1t would not have been tolerated sixty seconds
by that nation or any other that now exists,
or ever did exist. Yet these things are done
with scarcely pretence of concsalment, all
over the loyal States, and our Government
mercifully permits it to 60 on. The whole
ground in the loyal sections is mined down
to the Ohio river by secret societies having
for their object the overthrow of the Govern.
ment, but no one interferes because it is be-
lieved that they can do no harm. 1t was but
the other day, that reverend scoundrel in
Maryland was caught acting as spy and
mail carrier for the rebels The same dispatch
that brought the information informed us that
he had been punished by-sending him be-
yond our lines!
- An Irishman, placed at the bar COM
planned very bitterly that he should be in such
an awkward position. 30 far from friends and
home. The Judge felt compassion for him
and said BE calm, young man; you may
rms hot