The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1864-01-28

the beginning that the rehaltion should b
put down, become q party to the wari an
after long hearing and full understandin
Of the case, they have returned verdic,
magnificent and Overwhelming in its pro
portions, that the Administration was no
guilty ofthe charges preferred against it,
The people Of the insurgent States have o
right to oorpphini for having renounce,
their allegiance to the Constitution, levie,
war against it, adopted Constitution ant
government of their own, and claiming rec
ognition as separate and independent SOY
ereignty, they have assumed the attitude .
heligerenss IA the Federal Government. an
thereby acknowledged themselves entities
only to helligerent rights, Every right
which as citizens Of tho United States they
possessed under the Constitution. has bee,
funtarily. abandoned and forfeited by IN
rebellion. These rights cannot and shout,
not be restored to them, until they shall Ia,
down their arms, submit to the jurisdi ctior
Of the Federal Government s1d obtain par
don for their treason. nsf'a =
In every sense Of the term they are enc
mics to the Constitution, 10 our republicar
government, to liberty and humanity, hav
ing but single constitutional right left, tina,
Of being dealt with according to tho laws O
the land, for the attrocious crimes theyihave
committed. No other people upon the fac.
Of the earth could have committed such q
crime against this government and its flag
And now, while standing IS tho Hagrans
deadly enemies Of the Oonstitutioa, with
their hands uplfted at the nations throat
We are told that their constitutional rights
are unimpaired and IS substantial a. when
they wore law abiding and peaceful subjects
Of the Government Thus we are asked to
give immunity to crime by exculpating the
criminal. 'sts
As enemies and boiligerents, to what
rights are the insurgent States entitled p
The Constitution being entirely silent upon
this subject, We must resort for information
to the laws Of war ~ established and recog-
nised among the nations Of tho world. The
eminent writer's upon this subject agree in
saying that in war We may do any act not
forbidden BY humanity or the laws Of ma
ture, which may harrsss or weaken our en-
smy. We may contiscate bis property Of
every kind, and appropriate it to our own
use for the purpose Of diminishing his
strength and augmenting our own. We
may capture and detsin his sold isrs, and
take ttsir lives II we can, in Legitimate com.
bat. All this we are SLOWED to do, because
is is . right which belongs to every nation
1t war. Is derived from ard attaches TO q
state Of war. These we'll established and
principles have been recognized
By our Government in its intercourse with
other nstions, sustained by repeated decis-
IONS Of tho Federal courts, and never denied
or doubted, sIoept during the present war
BY csrtain Northern politicians, who have
manifssted more interest in the
rebellion than love for the Union Of these
States. As tits proper here to remark that
the character Of these hslligerents has been
given to tho insurgent States BY the legis.
ativs snu executlYe departments or the
9overnmsnt; that W. hare so treated them
during tho entire war. snd that this action
has been sustained by late we'll considered
opinion Of the Supreme Court OF the United
States, in . case fully and fairly presented
This question may. therefore. be regarded
IS settled. 30 far as the action Of this Gov.
srnment and people can settle any qnes.
tion.
During the first months Of this war, In
common with what believe to have been
decided majority Of the people, both in and
out Of the army, I iniulged the hope, aad
expressed the belief that il could be success.
fully terminated without direct attack up
on the local institutions Of the South. The
Government itself seems to have entertained
the same view, for remarkable tenderness
characterized its dealings with traitors, and
the war was prosecuted during the first year
with eminent success, upon the theory Of
doing the rebellion as little damage as possi-
BILE. Bitter experience and observation how
ever 6nally CONVINCED me, ss il did others,
that slavery was not only "the corner stone
Of the Coufederscy," but was the Powsr
which sustained and the motive which i'm
PEELED tho rebellion. Every negro that
worked with hoe, or drovea mule on .
southern plantation, was IS much enlisted
against tho Union - the soldier who served
with his gun in the sanka Of the rebel army
and moro effectively so because the grain
upon which our enemy subsists, renders
him more formidable than his shells or his
bullets.
2lavery stood like mountain before the
advance Of our armies, and could neither DO
avoided nor defed. It enabled the insur-
gents to place their entire militia force in
the 6eld against us. and added more than
half to their available strength. While Sla.
very existed, treason had power and object,
aud 20 long would the rebellion continue,
and tho war DO protracted. 81. et
At the commencement Of this rebellion,
the four millions Of slaves iuhabltiqg the
Southern States were peaceful and loyal sub.
jects of this Government owing allegiance
to it, and amenable to its laws. And al
though they bscaae tho unwilling instru.
ments Of treason, yet their allegiance has
not been aud could not be dissolved. Up.