The Richmond palladium., 1865-08-03
The Need Of Restraining Treasonous
Conduct,

The insubordinate spirit that was
manifested by the Richmond Whig and
that led to the necessity for its suppress
sion is matter for sincere regret on the
part of all who had hoped that disaffec-
ton was gradually passing away, even
from the bosoms of the leading traitors.
To the people of the South whose re
turning loyalty Is beyond question, and
who are striving to promote peace and
good will, such exhibitions of malevo-
lence and animosity 10 the Government
must be quite as discoura ging As they
are to the North. Were this hostility to
the new regime confined to the conduc
tors Of one or more leading papers in
Virginia and other Southern States. it
would be serious enough in view of their
wide spread influence. But, unfortu-
nately, other means of controlling pub
lie sentiment are insidiouslv at work
Opposition 70 the re establishment of
the Union without slavery, and to those
measures which the Government has
adopted for promoting the restoration
of the States, is growing bolder and
more impudent. While thousands of
those whose affiliations were bound up
with the SLAVE interest are seeking par
don at the hands of the President, sin
cerelv anxious to facilitate by personal
effort and example the good work of re
union and reconciliation, these perturbed
instruments of rebellion continue to 70
ment mischief and to foster the spirit of
revolt.
That such resistance to the restoration
of tranquility should survive the wrecks
of a war which, it might be thought,
had been sufficiently humbling to the de
feated section, is passing strange. Yet
1t is quite as strange that there should
be such misapprehension of the feeling
and purpose and resolute will of the
Administration and of the loyal people
who sustain it. To those who act in
good faith and in a commendable spirit
of Cancellation towards them both, the
hand of welcome, forgiveness. kindness,
fraternity and assistance is freely open.
To restore friendly intercourse, to re
open trade, to revive the pleasant asso-
Citations of old, to renew intimacies, is
the anxious wish of the North. And to
promote this restoration of kindly feel
ing and this cordial reciprocity of inter
est, the North is willing to let by cones
take their place with the past and be for
gotten But the loyal people of the land
are certainly not in temper to bear
patiently the insolent rejection of their
overtures of peace.
Though the conquering party in the
strife, they cannot forget what the victo-
ry has cost them. For that uncounted
outlay of blood and treasure they want
something more nearly approaching an
equivalent than has yet been Afforded
They have a right to require that these
incessant sources of irritation be remov-
ed, that these elements of disturbance
discountenanced, that these repeated po-
litical otfenses and aggressons be sup,
pressed. They have a right to enjoy the
tranquility they have earned, and what
ever interferes with their claims to its
enjoyment must be banished or destroy
ed The repose of the country cannot
be permitted to be thus interrupted ; the
ends Of jnstice, the cause Of humanity,
the progress of freedom cannot thus be
thwarted.
The arrest Of Emmerson Etheridge
for making reasonable and incendiarv
speeches in Tennessee, the suppression
os the Richmond Whig, the suspension
of the municipal government in Norfolk
and other acts of the military authori-
ties on behalf of the preservation of the
oItei anu respect IOT law. snOllIt SulI!ce
to convince the Rebel element which is
STRIVING to einbarrass the process OF res
toration, of the futiIity of its efforts
The malcontents might as well learn
sooner or later that the President has it
III his power to repress these disloyai
manifestations. that the military force is
adequate to preserve the peace aud to in
sure the safety of society, and that the
npoDip will NOT sul,yrit To ;,fr
ments of order and their disregard of
the wholesome lessons of the war
Loyalty must and will have the upper
hand, and the fire eaters and disorpaniz-
ers who yet strive to obstrUct the chan
nels of peaceful and beneficial legislation
and to oppose or subvert those measures
which the Administration has seen fit to
adopt, must be disarmed of their power
for mischief in whatever mode NAV be
deemed most effective. 1t is matter Of
the simplest justice to the Southern peo-
pie themselves that these belligerents
should be removed from their midst
We have determined Chief Magistrate
and we shall have the most radical Con-
gress next winter that ever assembled,
and hence we have really little 10 fear
from the desperate efforts of traitors
The most they can do will be to roughen
the road OF progress. they cannot ar
rest the wheels. But even to that ex-
tent they may become excessively troub
lesome, unless they are restrained in their
treasonous conduct by the strong arm,
and. If necessary, forced to the last rem
edy Involuntary expatriation- Balh
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