New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-06-09
CERRIT SMITH ON TREASON

n Lnrgo Audience Prcsen'-Shc PARDON
of all Rebels Advocated, 40 far as
Treason is Coucerncd-cirntions from
yauei, IsaIiarr, Weiiscr, Nc.-A gentle
Flint 10 Maxiniliaa-Thc Southern
nh, 10 be Repudiaied" by the North
-Coua.cnsion Of Rebel Property Advo-
.~,od-The Lands 20 be Given 10 inc
Poor whites md BLACKS, &c.
4 very large and appreciative audience as
rh,ea last evening at Cooper Institute to listen 10
~, Hon. Gerrit Smith, upon the subject: Nei'hei
To-, NOR Moral Right to Try the Rebels for treason
erho Way 70 a SIRE and Enduring Peace not through
p-eay and yepgeancc but through Justice ana Love-
rh. ..a;snce were evidently also thoroughly IN snpa
,h Tho ,scnrers views and greeted their eloquent
~ ,,r,ea annexation with frequent and hearty hp
Ulalse or,-pv
The pswers Of ny voice are SUCH said MI Sn"n'
s,Aat gar shall not be able TO make nyse" auuioe
,.yer al this spacious hal but shall do the pest c"n'
>rbe q nth in pungng the nation into this poiiu "'
mu tilted the great crime Of the agc; the NORTH uuei
,ong influence from the press and the pupts 10 punU
xhe South is in danger of committing the mean eri"c
ssfthe age iAppauso.l Lips and pens no more intu
o,sia than nse can do but little TO avert this thnt
Srt wha, little they can do shall DC done; for II TINS
crime shall be cOmfpittcu, sntH Nuut wv
iaton OF knowing that l. at least have no responsiny
Xnnlanse All over tho North, There Is clanior Tor
rshe blood Of the Leading Rebels whom we have cap
tured and Of those whom we hope se' 70
cantnre I have no sympathy with this class. AP
plarsel The South By Lees surrender, let 0oousnet
cease, and all punishment shoud Geese; %fe" W
aination Of beloved President nor 10 inc s'rN,e
81 prisoners; let all meri,ed punishment aii On Ins
snthors of these infamous and niernsl crimes Chees
Nv basis simply that the Sefh shall not De punshea
for the Bebelten or 10 ne anos s;sr sop
Treason Now 1 do not say this because see has
suffered IN nv Judgment, enough or because uS prop
srty of her peoplo wastes ana enc Is feuceu =,
iation; 40 say this becarse the South mas not
been guilty of treason; bet say that She is rot 10 DC
punsheh for treason because We have agreed hat she
shall not be. We into the agreement--ye,y re
Inctantv admit-to conduct this war according to tie
rules Of war b. which mean the rules of inf enationa
law Now. hold that our coming mo tins agreement
was v aver entire surrender OF our rght 10 poi
ish tho south Tor Applause That we cane
into this agreement To conduct the war according 70
nations ane accorded &c the South beiigereh
nghte. The Supreme Court OF our aation
unanimously acknowledged those rights tf tho South
Moreover. we have acted upon this agreeme NJ.
Instssd Of furnishing of killing of trying conyietng
and punirtng prisoners for treason. we have treae'
them as pri 3oners war epemy's at war with us
and then from time to tine we have Exchanged pms
opers for those the enemy has taken from us; Their
Seye been innumcrs BILE truces she enemy an,
ourselves for parole and other purposs ana there nav
between the North and South Why en- one occasion
We recognized her de Jdeto nationality and all It's ou
coming dignites and rights by choosing Tor our Con
rissioners of Peace the President himself and Ia
Secretary Of State; and these gentlemen did not wa
10 have the Southern Commissioner come to them SUE
Spgly and pleadnefy, but they hoaored the Commi
sioners of the South by going more than half way
meet them. (Applause] Now. all this; and niue
more than this including especially blockadDg
Che Southern ports gees to show beyond controversy
that agreed with the enemy TO conduct this va
according TO the laws Of war, and such agreement
virtually ageemeut ~ neat prisoners as enemies
var. Now, how cane we to consent to conduct th
war according to the laws Of war; in the first place
came do so because the laws Of war require i
Let read authorities on this point Vattel
but when nsSn a sysS ntc two ps
dissolved aud the between the ~
w .snd enc ~ they ds
tbeir quarrel by armies two different nations would
s oss .s.ress sboa.sy binding
q al nsen. in tran.scons between State and Stale
Now. this 10 precisely case is 1t not Applause
ho cord have done he bad had it, and it only in hi
eye For. bear in mind when the Southern half of Til
nation broke off from the Northern half it became
AatOn de faoto just clearly part Of the cOunr
became nation de factO. and each had all the ma
ohinery Of National Government. Then. had not "
fast the same rights in conducting this in
Quoting war with Mexico--no more. 10 less lGrea
SseIns :0I yss VIII ss say 3. M mer ss MOI,
We in this Of greater intelligence, cannot rise
sp the appreciation and generous enlargement Of th,
principles winch he nobly advocated. Now. hold
that we ought to be prepared for policies altogether
more liberal and humane than these We ought
70 be prepared to take the high ground
that Halam. the unsurpassed publicst OF oul
evn age who takes the ground that the instruction OF
the war in England in the middle Of the seventeenth
century which ended in the execution OF Charles L.
should have been conducted from the beginning to the
end. according to the law Of war. and that the King
life should been spared. viii read what Hallan
said You must remember that he died in 1859, only
six years ago. The speaker than read from Hallam
follows
Though Cbaess adheren,s did form, think they
ad the majority of the people they at ess,
beyond comparison than those who demanded
believed IN his DEATH The stesy Deliberate perseverance
Of considerable body In takes the rgh
the beyond what their WI
safety required. They TO be judged BY rules Of La
tiopal. not municipal, war" IAptlause.
And then see how enphatica'ly Hallam lie Endorsed
BY another Of the largest minds Of our day. hacauay
who died in the year that Hallam died-in 80
Ascaklay says:
decidedly condemns the execution
end In all that be on that subject we heartily agree We
the civil war" How faint resemblance that ci1l
bears 10 civil between two nations 1--WE
fully with him in thinking that great socialism such
the civil not TO be COMPOUNDED with rebellion
q tubunt element. composed Of diuutve minority OF
Che people. Fnmness great virtue In pubic life:
but It has its proper sphere ConpiTsces aud insureo
tn which small ninOres engaged the outbreaklsg 81
popular violence best suppressed BY vigor de-
si,on; but no vie ruler VIII c.ni.upS peIvadins r..
slion will slight local irritation The neglect Of this
Now, my next authority Is Karl Welker, q nabe
patriot and eminent pnbiIcst OF Germany. Weker
born as late the year 1890 We viii read what
he says:
Dunhed long their party has DO, lsrge that
belief In it, right and iiswith the
consent the nation with division of the nation tsker
place into two hostile In the latter che Rebellion
Becomes civil war"
When the Nation 10 divided into two hostile camps
IN our country the Rebellion then becomes civil
fApplaQse Under sucn circumstances. according to
Weker every citizen Is bound to declare himself for