Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-06-13

ple1 aEupE mi FlTmueSS IS great virtue III
public life; but 1t has It's proper sphere.
Consplracies and instructions, I'M which
smalfminorities are engaged, the outbreak
ing of popular violence n, oSe1are, best
suppressed by vig0r and decision
but no wise ruler will confound apervading
rebellion with slight local Irritation. N a"
The neglect oftbis distinction has been fatal
even to Governments o,,t,, gr..-.,;t,,.
Now, my next authority is Carl Welker,
noble patriot and eminent publicist Of
Germany Welker was born as late as the
year l790ay We will read what he says: .a,
'"sAs the leaders, the, followers are also the
more or less punished, as long as their party
has not grown so large that a sincere be-
lief exists in its cause as right and just
with the consent Of the nation, or with
division of the nation taken place into two
hostile camps. In the latter case, the Re-
bellion becomes civil war;" .iA Hi"' tl'"N
When the nation is divided into two hos-l
tile camps, in our country, the rebellion
then becomes civil war. Applause.l
Under such circumstances, according to
Welker, every citizen is bound to declare
himself for the one or the other--to 90
eitherright or left; and then neither blame
nor punishment can reach him. Then there
are only victors and vanquished-not 10y
alists and rebels; and, though tits difficult
ceases and civilewar commences, neyerthe-
less, it exists, and then the moment OF mer-.
cy arrives, the time TO extend the ainplest
clemency. and to- not punish at all. lGreat
applause iJf .'.I , -tIaas.g dfiH y,'' ~,
Now the last authority that will cite is
the new American Encyclopaedia, from the
article in it entitled Treason" which is
said-I know not with what truth--to be
from the pen of our distinguished fellow
citizen, Dr. Lieber. That article sums up
the subject in a few words. .''' ~
The speaker here read from the article in
question: indorsing the authorities already
cited, and then continued: II M otpsaI @.
And now it may, be we'll having read
these authorities, to, give some reasons on
which we may conceive these authorities
are based. The first reason is this: When a
nation breaks into two parts, and each a
very considerable part, the belligerents on
each side are too numerous to be treated as
traitors. "Iconfess,' said Edmund Burke,
81 know not how to frame an indictment
against o whole people" They are too nu-
merous to be treated as anything else but as
prisoners of war, and the objection to treat
ing them as anything else is by no means
relieved by saying: ."The final victor need
not punish the final vanquished; he can,
punish few of them and pardon the re-
mainder." This does notlrelieve the case
with me. ni .u ,.g. d
(Here the appearance of Horace Greeley
upon the platform caused an Interruption,
the crowd greeting him with hearty and
continued applause) MIR. Smith then re-
sumed: 9a.-- ..r, yg5t -r.- f.,...,o,l... ..-
like this proof of an intelligent audi
ence, whose thoughts run ahead Of my
words. Laughter and further cheering. i.
The next thing'is the pardon of the guilt
of treason, and when the stigma OF such a
pardon falls upon great mass of men, the
effect upon them is sad, sad upon the COM
mon family, and disgrace to human ma
ture. [Applause.l For one, 1 am entirely
unwilling that it shall go down through all
the ages and over all the, earth, that mill
lions of my countrymen were pardoned
traitors. [Great applause Another rea-
son is, why such war, civil war, espe-
cially such one as ours, should be carried
on under the law of war. Where great
masses OF men take very momentous and
very responsible steps, it is not only char
table, but just, to conclude that they had a
very sincere and deep conviction in the
wisdom and rightfnlness of such steps,
[Applause.l Another reason why civil
war should beconducted according to the
rules ofwar is this: where such great num-
bers of men carry on war, we may well
believe there has been suffering enough
At the close of such a war the voice of
compassion exclaims: "Shall, the sword
devour forever" "Put up thy sword" AS
it was said in behalf of the troubled Jews,
1T is enough--stay now thine hand" In
the case of the rebellion in Ireland some
sixteen or seventeenyears ago, the British
Government had the legal right to punish
the insurgents, but it is gratifying to
me to know that that Government did not
go so far as to punish one of those with
death. II Applause.l Would you have had
our Washington, and Franklin, and their
noble associates punished for treason? No,
no. Moreover, there may yet be many civ-
II wars over the earth, and many of them
may'likely start in the interestof freedom.
Now, is it for America to set the precedent
of furnishing vanquished foe? [Cries OF
"yesp and mol Now and then crowned
heads will succeed in suppressing the hopes
of freemen. Is it for America to put it in
the power of these crowned heads to follow
her example in treating the yanquished aS
traitors? -.
"a voice in the audience-Mr. Smith, let
me ask you one question. Do you mean to
compare Washington and Franklin to jeff.
Davis?l fCries of put him ont, &C.. e-s
,, Mr.. Smith-Let me reply to- this gentle
man. He virtually says the cause of WASH
ington and franklin" was just, and there
fore Washington and Franklin should not
be punished as traitors, but in the event OF
the failure OF, their purpose, then this OBJ
jector will go on tosay, the cause of Davis
and Lee is unjust, and therefore they should
be punished for that. iaJ 9dl" sra 3D.,
1 believe with the objector the cause of
Washington and Franklin to have been just
the cause of Lee and Davis to have been
unjust; now suppose one Of these crowned
heads that refer to should succeedin sup
pressing the hope of freemen; now my
objector meets all this and says my cause is
lust one aud theirs is an unjust one, and
therefore there iscause to hang. [Tfemen-
dous cheeringl The objector mistook me.
Itwas dealing with general principles, not
with general causes. Now the time may
come ere long when the Hungarians will
rise again to assert their right to indepen-
dence, and perhaps Austria shall be able to
suppress them. God forbid that Austria
should then have the noblest Of all exam
pies in her behalf. The day may come
when all Ireland will rise up [applauseL
when oppressed Ireland will rise up-I call
her oppressed, not because 1 fall in with
all clamor against England, but fall in
with all that are compelled to support a re-
ligion alien to their own. [Applause.]r
say it may come when oppressed Ireland
will rise up. with great unanimity against
England as the Southern part of yonr
country did; and suppose the English Gov
ernmentI will again beHable to defeat her,
will you allow this Government to give an
example in behalf of blood? Never, neyer.l
Oh, cannot believe that my upright Gov
ernment, with that brave and strong patriot
I'll col