The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1865-04-12
Treatment of the South.
CONCILIATORY COUNSELS FROM THE
RIGHT QUARTER.
A Leading Republican Paper Adve-
Gates a Proclamation Of General
Amnesty to the Southern
People.
The Policy Of Magnanimity.

From the New York Times, April Z.
While the military strength of the rebel
lion remained unbroken, we opposed, as I'M
wise and unnecessary, any proffers OF peace
to the rebel leaders, or any ostentatlous tend
ar of "terms" to the rebel army. So long as
the rebel government held its seat in the ca
pital, and was backed up by the compact aud
powerful army of Gen. Lee, the great mass of
the rebels lad something at once to lean upon
and to fear. They were, willingly or unwil-
hngly, subjects of that government, and any
step they might take toward breaking away
from their allegiance to it would subject
them to such punishment as absolute and
irresponsible power, driven to desperation or
necessity inflicts. The one indispensable
condition for their return to the Union was
the destruction of the rebel army; until that
was accomplished, all proffers of peace from
US seemed to them like mockery, and all
tenders Of mercy were far more likely to
sting and exaspsrate than to win over to the
Union cause.
But now the case is very different. All
the circumstances of it are changed. The
rebel army has bsen substantially destroyed
1t may still be formidable for local mischief,
but as bulwark of the rebel government
it has ceased to exist. 1t no longer affords
eu6lt6T Iur tue EeD5l dutuOrlEleS. lQOSe duC0-
critics themselves are fugitives. The rebel
president and cabinet have fed before our
troops. They have no longer a capital
they have no practical power or authority
The rebel government de- tacto is extinct
Our army is now in condition, practically, to
release the great mass of their people from
the abject allegiance in which they haue hith.
erto been held. And, therefore, we think
the time has come for doing il. Unless we
are mistaken in overrating the magnitude of
Grants recent victory, and the Importance
of the rebel fight from Richmond, our auth.
GRITTY is SO far restored over all the rebel ter
ritory as to justify its assertion and it's prac
teal exercise. We can no longer be tainted
with issuing proclamations which we have no
power to enforce, -with making promises
which we have no power to keep. We are
no longer Offering mercy to men who neither
ask nor need 1t, and to whom, therefore, such
offers are insults. We can, moreover, now
justly and properly draw line of distinction
between the ermy and the people-between
the leaders of the rebellion and those whom
they have betrayed. And the sooner we
draw that line, and make it the basis of our
policy in dealing with this question, the soon
er shall we make a beginning in that great
work of social and political reconstruction
which lies before US.
elamation from the president to the southern
people as earnestly as we should have depre
Gated 1t q month ago. If issued then il could
only have reached the southern leaders now
1t can reach every town and every neighbor-
hood in the southern states. We do not think
the time has yet come, nor are we certain
that it will come hereafter, when a complete
amnesty, including restoration TO all the
rights OF citizenship, may wisely be promised
60 the leaders of the rebellion. But to the
great mass of the southern people, to the
rank and file of the rebel army, to all except
those who have made themselves directly and
personally responsible for the gigantic crimes
and sufferings of this war, no assurances oil
pardon and of protection can be too earnest
and too broad. What we want OF the south
ern people is not simply obedience, acquies-
cence, and submission to the power of our
national government we want their conf
dence IN Its justice, their pride in its flag,
their faith and devotion to the republican
principles ON which it rests We have con
WINGED them of its strength we want now TO
convince them of its benefcence. We have
proved that 1t is useless for them to resist it's
auth0rIty-we want now to snow them that
it is for their best and highest interests TO
stand by and sustain it to the end of their
days. The only way to bring this about is
to relieve their hearts from the feelings OF
fear and apprehension which the penalties
they have incurred may we'll engender, and
then to open promptly and broadly for their
use the channels of trade and industry by
which their old prosperity may be restored
For after all it is by deeds rather than
words that we are to dc the:needful work of
reconstruction in the southern states, and the
sooner we can lift the heavy hand of military
power from southern towns and southern
trade the better for all concerned The gov
eminent especially should lose no time in
waving all those rigid regulations which fall
with crushing weight on the helpless families
of those hitherto engaged in the rebel serv
ice, while they fail to touch the offenders
themselves. 1t is unwise as well as iuhuman
to wage war upon women and children, whom
armies have left behind, after these armies
have 6sen routed and destroyed Magma
nimity is always the best policy for nations
and great communities, even more than for
individuals. Nothing so degrades the char
acter and dims the glory of any government
as needless cruelties inflicted upon the help
less and unresisting. And while even now
nothing should be done by our government
inconsistent with its dignity and permanent
security, the time has certainly come when
1t can consult other necessities than those
which are purely military, and aim at other
objects than those which war alone can &C
complish.
The Wisconsin house of representatives, in
which the abolitionists have large majority, has
passed the following:
Whereas, II is an acknowledged fact that a,