Washington telegraph., 1865-11-08


which but few months before had met upon
the field of battle to test the strength of arms
borne under different standards. In that last
struggle we were defeated and quietly submit
ted to the strength snd power of the United
States Government.
acknowledge her supremacy and yielded
an obedience to her Cons. tuition and her laws.
Our situation was then u dependent one indeed,
and we looked to the government that cltinicd
Us as It's subjects to provide for our future
Whatever might have b;S bcSrl The tribute imposed
upon us by the direction of that government,
we would have borne, for we had appealed to
the arhitfancnt Of arms, and that umpire had
decided against US; and We were powerless to
throw of the yoke however severe it might
have been. But the niaguaninity Of President
Johnson prompted him to issue an amnesty
proclamation, wherein ali who came not under
its exceptions were pardoned for their transgres-
sion, and received again into the great family OF
loyal citizens OF the United States, aud restor-
cd to all the rights and privileges as members
OF that great brotherhood. Shall this priceless
boon of liberty and Seh-government extended
TO Us by the most potent authority on the Globe,
be taken from US by most ;mpotent onel :
But TO Governor Murphy. He issued his
proclama;ion il which he spoke,of Us having
been ied into the rebellion, by fraud, lalsehood,
force and cruelty, - aud kept there ''by the same
means )" that we had suffered much from the
tyranny OF their (onr) leaders" He wished US
to be treated with much clemency and forbesr-
apce. He wsntedall TO 40 to work earnestly
and endeayor SO heal the ghaStl wounds OF
this terrible war" L. says dov. Murphy,
''we wish to be forgiven, 1t Ms jorgire those whs
hage sianed agaiRSt as and Ours" He said
the iand was steeped in bleod-inrOesnt blood
and defled with crime. Let US wash it out
with tears of sorrow ami repuuiauce, works OF
love, kindness and charity. y But the most ian
portaut passage in the entire eclogue.l and the
one his subsequent action has so eoinpls;nls ig--
nored, is this: "Prisorers on complying 'oitt the
terms Of amnesty are ia t,o loyal citizens cf tire
United States, AND OF TRIS STATE, 0ad are es-
titled to fill protection until TIE right to Il is te
teited By crime"
The whole document thrcuehoutis is filed 1iih
love, peace, and kindness for those Of his f,l-
low-cresttares who were engaged in the rebel
lion. Christian mercy and forgiveness seem to
characterize every line, and give tone TO every
utterance W. 'tfare'say that many of Govern
or alurphys erribg c6t,ifryn,en, shed many
Silent tear over this tenier missile OF affection,
wherein lie displayed that generous nlagnaninn-
iig OF, soul charaeteristic of 4 Christian con-
queror. This pathetic address of Coy. Mur-
phys drew areu.i his. standard many of his
wayward fellow-citizens, who-wen by the ten
derness o! his eloquent appeal to the charity of
oar toes, his generous inte-cession in our be-
half, and luredby the warm-hearted benevolence
and compassionate sympathy he evinced for
would have yielded generous support to lis
administration, and upheld him with their dy
ing breath. But sad and fearful disappoint
ment followed in its wake. ...
Under the operations of such proclamation
as that issued by Gov. Murphy in May last, if
strictly adhered to and carried out by the Ex-
ecatiye, Arkansas would soou be restored to
her pristine glory and resume her place in the
great sistcrhsod of States, and in the folds OF
the Union and undsr the protecting aegis of
their OWE State Constitution, her citizens would
he in the full possession and enjoyment of all
their inherent rights and inviolshle liberties.
All would be harmony, prosperity and peace.
Bat Gov. Murphy has disguised his true In
tentions under the garb of henied words and
fancicd phrases. He comes TO US as "a wolf in
sleeps clothing" His subsequent acts have
proven him to be All unscruruluus hypocriic
and deiiled his administration with treachery
and deceit i t-
Thinking, perhaps, after deliberaiion, that he
had probably given publicity to too free An ez-
preston of the lcniency he contemplated show
ing to returned loyal citizens, to meet with the
approval of that hungry horde of rabid, radical,
raYenous and rapacious wolves that throng
around the sheep-told OF the public treasury, to
whom he was indebted for the distinguished
position he occupies, concludes TO sacrifice
honor to amhitio1,and Chsmelion-like suddenly
changes color and issues another pronuncia-
mento, in which he ignominously disavows the
position he assumed in his former proclamation,
and points his finger to an unconstitutional, in.
famous enactment Of that nefarious assembly,
and says that only those therein mentioned
shall be permitted 70 exercise the elective fran
chise. .t --.
But why did he issue that mild, forgiving.
n,erciful, compassionate, pardoning proclama-
tion7 Was it sent out as siren song to lull
the people to repose in fancied security, until
they were prepared to swallow at one gulp all
the ingredients of that abosainable "tcst oathi
Ii SO, God pity the impotency of his Judgment.
They kaew too well the rights they Were en-
titled to, to suecumb to the wishes Of the weak
lsneed despot. Was not this same constitutional
Q). enactment to which he refers in existence
when he promulgated his first proclamation!
Did he expec: ns to bow the knee to Baal and
surrender up our claims to the right of suffrage
aud permit him uninterrupted sway over the
lives and fortunes of cur people and the destiny
of our Statei If he had no ulterior objectin in
view, and was sincere in his declarations, the
kind hearted old man forgot, in the paroxysni