Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1865-06-12
Moderation and Magnanimity.
The way to win back the South
views OF GerrII1 Smith and
Horace Greeley.

an address from Gerrltt Smith, the famous Adolf
ZIONIST who had been invited, by leading politi-
clans of the moAt antagonistic party Affiliations
10 give his views on the proper course OF policy
70 be pursued towards the people Of the South
with reference to their course in the late war.
His address, as published IN full In the Daily
News Of the 9th, is not remarkable for eohtrSnce'
and does not seize the really strong points In the
| case: but it gives utterance to sentiments ana
reaches conclusions honorable to him as man
and Illustrative of q sagacity, the lack OF which
IN some other public men of the North, in this
matter, is sufficiently astonishing. We make
few extracts from the address, that our readers
may understand its positions.
After saying that while the South had commit
tod " the greatest crime of the age" in plunging
the country into war, and that the North was " in
danger of committing the mean crime Of the age"
under the demand that tee South should be pun
ished for treason, he proceeds:
All over the Moth there is clamor for the
/ blood of the leading rebes whom We have cap
/ tured, and these whom we nope YET 70 capture
/ have no sympathy with tn clamOr. The south
| nIly surrenc led, let bloodshsd cease, and all
/ nunishment lappiause. or Course, 1 have no
reference eIe 10 the assassination OF our beloved
President nor 10 the starving and mt derlnS OF
The iris jners let all merit punshments fall on
those who are guilty Of these infamous and infer.
| mai crimes. lUheeis.l IMPOSITION IS simply that
the South shall not be punished fOr he rebellion,
| ar i'm other cords that the south shall not be
l punisked fer treason. Nov, do not say this be-
1 cause she has suil5 red, IN my Judgment enough
| already, lecause her prvpery or her peOpe are
| wastei and Lhe is re luced " one desOlat,on, i
do not say II beclus5 the safety Of the North ie-
0ulres any more suffering than the South, because
4 the-e Il not on3 valuable Interest NJ the North
that could lie made more secure by any more SUI
ferlng at the South. | do not say It because the
| south has not been guilty Of treason; she has
been guilty of treason but Say that she shall
mot be punished for treason because we have said
| she shall not be. LChesrsl
lie then argues at leagth, and quotes Vattel,
| Haliam, Macauiay and other authorities, to
move that the North having extended to the
South belligerent rights, and having agreed to
conduct hoItilitiss according TO the recognized
laws of war, and havirg, in innuuerable cases,
nv parleys, truees, cartels, negotiations, &C.,
treated the Conlederates as belllgerents, waived
and forfeited the right now TO treat them as trail
I. "a. He is unwilling tina. such a culpabiity
| shall bs assn Ted as existing, AMI be wiped out
By pardon
II
1 for such u cnme lapplausel and when the stigma
/ of sucn a plrdO4 falls ON great mass Of men,
the ieCt upon them is sad and the effect is sad
Il upon all MANKIND, for IL is blot on the human
family, ana u disgrace To human nature. For
L one am entirely unwilling that il shall 20 down
K though all the ages and over all the EARTH that
/ millions of ms cOunirymel were pardOn9d trai.
4 tors. yuntibued applause Another reason why
! such n war as ciYil war, aud especially such
oue as our shoald be carried Oh under the laws
of war - this: Where great Masses OF men Ia ke
very momentous and SeIy responsible steps, il ia
not only charitable, but Just, to conclude that
they al very sincere and deep belief in the
/ Wisd. m and rghtiulness OF such steps, lCheGr-
Incl One thing more: II IS proper also to be.
leye that they mad, IN f.ct, 10 little reason for
taking such sleis app aase.J
Aoother reason for Lo: holding the South res.
ponsihle for treason is
Where such great numbers fInen carry on war;
/ We NAV we'll leiiev5 there las been suffering
enough in it, especially TO the damaged party ,
| without adding punishment at the cicse of it,
| Tor treason. Applause and hisse5-cries Of put
| him OUT AT the close OF such q war the voice
| of compassion exclaims: Shall the sSord de-
| your foreyeIl Put up tIy sword" At the c.ose
| of such war God speaks 10 tue destroying an.
| gel, as he spoke ~ him in behalf OF tho decima
! ted and trembling Jews; 1t is enough: stay
now thIue hand" LHisseS and applause
He denies that in great war, as this has been,
amzesties and pardOni a.e to be employed as in
the Gaze Of me.e conipirSe local revolts, &c.
"A proclamation Of amnesty" he says, ain
Evil war or international war, is IN unwaranta.
be, offensive assumption" He goes on:
The prisoners in q revolt, 10 a rebellion may be
tted as traitors, bat remember the rising Of the
L South came in,o the dimensions ard dignity of
/ a civil war; Now, in the case OF the rebellion in
Ireland some sixte, o. eIeltesn years ago that
rebellion, no reaching the dimensions or charuc-
| Ter Of q eivil war, The British Government had
| tie legal right Il d. not cay one word about the
moral right TO pa ash the insurgents. Il Is grat
fylne to me - Know thai that Government had 10
defer 90 fac 10 the profsssod civilization OF the
age as 20 punish only seven OF all the insurgents
| aud not one Of them with death. Loud chAOrs.1
1 Had g considerable p TT Of the 70 pie OF tbs
British Isios rlSsu up aglinet tie governmental
| psrty-say one-third' one'half or one fourth
| then if the government par y had come out the
mai victors, IL would have had no hight to puG'
| ish any OF the finally varquished accord nR 10
The Interpretation Of The laws OF war, by hsr own
puolicists she would have had 70 let them all 60
free. IUhsersl BuS surely Il does not become
freedom.luving Amerioa-it does no. bee me her
| 10 say the finally vatqu SHED in civil war NAV
be held amenabe to the law OF truaso1. Would
you have had our Washington aid our Franklla,
and their noble associates, punished for treason
II Gaze the Amsri an Rev jlutIon had failed p
Woall you [Cr.es Of so, neser!l Moreover,
there may be yet, probably many civil wars over
the earth aud nineteen. tWentic:Ls OF them, very
likely str gses in the interests OF freedom. Now,
is 1t for americans to set a Precedeat or even -
follow the prccedent Of having tire vanquished
m those wars tried and executed as traitors =
VIII that dol
l say the day may come when op.
pressed Ireland will rise up with as great unan-
unity against England as the Southern parts of
our country did against u.s. And suppose the
English Government to be able again TO defeat
her, will you allow the Government Of Anne. lea
TO be an example in, behalf of blood ? Will yoal
| [Cries Of no. and c1eers.l am satisfied that my
country does not see upon what blink she
| s ands. She has no idea that she is urged by
| those blood thirsty men, in the pulpit and 10 the
press and n political life to become the great be-
rayer of the of fIeed0 for all the nations.
| Prolonged applause.l One thing more before
| leave this part OF my subject. Why my hearers
let me be settled that civil war is to end in tho
right of the victor to punish the vanqushed
ant then never more on the wide earth will
civil war be conducted according TO the humane
provisions OF intern ltOoal war. Then civil war
becoTesfrOm the very outset, an intefnecine war;
| the black flag is unfurled, and mo quarter its
| motto. [Appause Ia it for Americans in the
/ name of God, 10 contribute 10 that changel
| America, yOu do not know 10 what an infamy
these men are urging you Well, need say no
moe to justify myself that civil war comes
under the international code of war. Why, then,
| does our Cow rnment propose to hold the van
ouished in this war amenable to the law Of trea-
soma Why does it propose in Because it has
the mower to do so Beca lso might tegets
rght2 Oh! | cannot believe that any upright
| Government, with that brave and strong patriot,
Andrew JohOson [applaustl-I cannot believe
that such Government would consciously fail
under 90 unworthy sway. | caunot believe
that my Government would consciously permit
breach of faith And yet cannot conceive of
any breach of faith more gross and glaring, aud
guilty, than this would be Of taking this war,
which we had agreed to conduct according to
International law, in its last stages, from under
| hrsn inn fhn