The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1865-06-14
Speech Of Hon. GsrrIt Smith.


Thursday evening, 10 very large and intel
ligeut audience, upon the subject of "THE
way TO ASSURE AN ENDURING PEACE LIES NOT
THROUGH PEREIDY AND VENGEANCE, BUT THRo'
JUSTICE AND LovE.n In the ouis:art of his
remarks he took considerable pains in quot
ing different authorities to snstain and prove
his position 10 be the right and proper ore
The authorities presented show clearly that
this war with the South is one similar 10
other waEs, and should be ended, az il has
been continued, according 10 the laws of
war. 1t will be generally conceded that
civil war comes under the international
dlcted and all sensible people expect it so
10 end.
DIR Smiths speech is entirely too lengthy,
for our columns, but We shall publish few
extracts from it, as follows:
"All over The North there is cIamor for
the blood of the leading rebels whom we
have captured, and those whom we hope
yet 10 capture | have no sympathy with
this clamor. The South fully surrendering,
lei bloodshed cease, ard all punishment.
TApplause. Ie, ali
merIted pun ishment fall upon those who
are guilty of these infamous and internal
crimes [APplause.l My position is simply.
that the South shall not be punished for
treason. Now | do moi say this because
she has suffered in mY judgmsn, enough
already because her properly is wasted,
and she is reduced 10 destitution do not
say this because the safety of The North re-
quires no more suffering because there is
no; an interest of the North TO be made any
more secure by any more suffering of The
South Go not say it because the South
has not been guilty of treason.
But say she is not 10 be punished for lrea-
son, because we have agreed that she shall
not be. lApplause. We came into the
agreement very reluctantly, | admit, to con-
duct this war according 10 The rules Of war,
by which | mean lhe rules OF International
warfare.
Now ! hold that our coming into tha,
agreement was waver and entire surrender
OF our right TO punish The South for seced-
ing. CApplause That we came into this
agreement 10 conGuc: the war according TO
the rules OF war is manifest is indisputable
thai we followed other nations and accord
ed the South belligerent rights. The Su-
preme Court of our nation unanimously ac-
knowedged these rights of the South We
have acted upon this agreement, and IN
stead of Furnishing the prisoners, trying,
condemning and conVIcting Them for treason
we have treated them as prisoners for those
The enemy has taken from US and there have
been truces between the enemy Snd our
selves for burial of The dead and other pur-
poses. There have been form al as we'll as
informal negotiations for peace between the
North and the South.
w
why; on one occasion, we recognized her
de fdcfo nationality and all its outgrowing
rights by choosing for our Commissioners
OF peace The President himself. and the
Secretary of Stale himself; aud these gen.
llemen did not wait TO have the Southern
Commissioners come TO them humbIy and
suingly, but they honored the commission
ers of the South by going more than half
way.to meet them. Applsuse. Now,
all this, and much more than this, including
especially our blockading of the Southern
ports, goes TO show beyond all controversy
that we agreed with the enemy to conduct
this war according 10 the laws of war But
such an agreement is virtually an agree
ment 10 treat prisoners enemies. Now
how came we 10 consent 10 conduct this |
war according 10 the laws of warl In the |
first place, we came 10 do so because tie |
laws of wa: required it.".
"Ano:her reason why such war. civil |
war, and especially such an one as ours,
should be carried on under the law of war
is this Where grsa: masses of men take
very momsnous and res fonsibIe steps it is |
not only charitable, bnt Just 10 conclude |
that they bad very sincere ard deep belief |
IN The wisdom aud the righifulness of such |
steps, Applause And il is proper also
10 believe that they had in fact no lille rea ]
son 'or taking such steps A third reason !
for conducting a civil war according to the !
law of war is this. Vast numbers of the !
best citizens who refused and would persist !
IN refusing to into war which is a mere |
savage strife are willing 10 embark in a war |
conducted according to the liberal and hu- |
name provisions of the law of war. Now, /
do not know how it is with you, bot feel |
confident that had our government persisted |
in retusing 10 lei this war go on by the law I
Of war, we should have lost our cause and /
our country, for The people of the Northern
States are too civilized TO go into a black
Hag war, war whose motto is 'fno quar-.
ter" % the other hand, the lower degree !
OF civilization among the masses of the !
South, would have made them far less re
luctant 10 embark in such war, and tbev
would have been trium phant in time. Here,
hen, we see in the second place, we had 10
carry this war on according 10 tbs laws OF
war, in order 10 save our cause and our
country. CApplause1 The defeated have
suffered enough, and .he reason why
civil war should be conducted according 10
Ihe rules of war is this i: Where such great
numbers o! men carry on a war; we NAV
well believe there has been suffering enough
in it, especially to the defeated party, with
out adding punishment at the close OF the
war for treason. Loud Applause A hiss,
drowned with cheers At the close of such
A war the voice of compassion exclaims
Shall The sword devour forever? Pat M
by sword: At the close of such a war God
'peaks 10 the destroying angel as he spoke
o him in behalf of the dsmayed and ITEM
bling Jews: Il: is enough, stay now thine
land.' GLoud cheering ]n
"a word here, my friends, though II may