Washington telegraph., 1865-10-11

| o1ense NAV De PdrdCEee aud still IL may be re
meie bered as an admonion or { uide for future
cenluct. bat when amnesty hss leen granted
it mounts to = total remission ana forg-tfulRes'
Of the ~asense Itself aud il equivalent TO . com
plete restoration to Ill ofmer rights, privileges
and fInnluniti-s, and. ia short, to the former
state of things the amnesty destroying and
swallowing up the ofsuse ss though it hal
never existed.
An amnesty, unless provided for by treaty
cannot be demanded legal righs and can
only be granted by the power against whom
! the olFcnse has been con mitted.
| At the close of the late warit was within the
power Of the government Of the United States
to hold the Southern people rs unforgiyen aad
unpardoHsble rebels, to commission a new JET
| fries 10 hold the grand assizcs, and to complete
with the judicial ass the work left unfinished
" the sword.
That such a course would have been grateful
to the pas ions of f,-w wild and fspatical men
to whcnl the sight OF human suffering is lir-
ing Injury, and 10 whom no prospect is fair un-
less sp,iAkled with human gore, is past eli
doubt; bat nc sane man would contend that il
would BE- for the honor, greatness, or security
Of the federal government thss to act.
President johnson, in accordance with the
dictates of common humanity, the policy of
good coverumcn; and that of his predecessor in
o.Ece, chose the grntlcr and the wiser course.
He recognized the Gfh,ulty mentioned by y
great statesman during he Am riySu revolution
in the British Parliament, when, in reply to =
suggrs ion that the rebels should be punished
for their treason, lie said that lie did moi know
how to draw an Indictment against awhole ma
ton Of people. H. therefore Offered amnes-
y in good iai.h which has been accepted il
good faith. ......
According 10 tie doctrines now promulgated,
however. ia certain quarters this amnesty is
wholly sbcrtive. After this forgiveness OF sins
the uardouei OF nder is TO be turned over 20
such governments > the Murphy goversfn-nt
to be deal; with as lis Jelinquiucies may seem
TO require, or S. the fancy of such a govern
ment may suggest.
Wha: the lsnc, sf that government would
suggest has been p&rtly made known to Us: be-
ing no less than TO GisfTamcbis- the great mass
of the people of the State, and even to deny
them access to the courts. The body Of the
people are hencetorth to have no part in making
the laws nor in selecting the officers 10y whom
they are 70 be governed. but are to br the slaves
ct nothing bat a small minority, for ii IS Eoto-
toriously true tha! the Murphy government at
the time Of its foundation did not pretend to be
based upon tle consent OF a majority Of the peo-
pie; nor has ii in the course which it has pur-
sued represented the feeling or the interest Of
the people at large.
Thus willie The United States, with her vast
power for good or for evil, her unlimited re
sourccs which command the respect of the
world, has spoken a message OF peace 10 the
land, diffusing couidesce in her justice AMI her
integrity, Gisarmiug Tie csptioUs and bani shing
discora, she. the one sinned against, sending
back the kind answer that turneth away wrath,
ana words Of coucilistion and good cheer, which
sound as IL they came from out the days long
gone by, when all the American people were
h.othcrs in peace and in war, even in such a
juncture as this, such government as that OF
Governor Murphy sees fit to treasure up that
mighty food OF ill-ieeIng which was about to
disappear from the land forever, and to pour it
forth upon her citizens by euieavoring to up
hold &cls OF the legislature which were passed
ia open defiance 10 her own constitution, and
which would consign the great body Of her
people to a state OF vassalsge.
Tie State Of Arkansas remains forever the
ame. Though she may change her govern
ueut and her rulers, yet she cannot change her
personal identity. so that she cannot punish to-
day that which she encouraged and command
! ed Yesterday. Otherwise the law were sL post
Jfgcis, and a shameful breach of fal'h. She can
only punish for the sins committed agoinst h.:r,
| AID not for those committed by her direction.
| Itwas the State, III her organized capacity,
that passed the ordinance of secession, and pat
| herself upon ''war fooIinc." aud called upon
her citizens to fly to arms So that whatever
| qusntum of sin may have been incurred h7 the
rebellio,, it was against the United States, and
not against the State. 1t was the State which
made the war, and hence she was during
| the WAT always characterized by the President
| Ct the United States as one of the States in re.
| beilion. and was considered by all men as one
of those whch had linked their fate with tina,
of the Confederate government. The idea
| then, of the sovereign State of Arkansas pun
/ ishng her citizens for that which she did her
! self and encouraged and forced them to do, is
tao menstrous to be entertained by any but e
| dis0rdered mind.
| The question arises whether the United States
| government W ii permit this preposterous abuse
/ OF its mercy, this Outrage on common sense to
| te perpetusted.
! DuIing the massacre Of the Sd of September
in the French revolution when the accused was
brought before the tribunal in the Abbaye, the
| court pronounced the sentence: Let him b,
set at liberty" The prisoner thanked the court
| for its mercy, and with bounding heart at the
! thought of returning to lis family advanced {
| the door, only to meet the executioner, who
| surrounded 10y vast heaps OF the nutisted dead
| demanded his life. .-...
/ surely it is not in such spirit of cruel mock
| cry as this that the United States government