The Portland daily press., 1865-09-18
{. o.Irs,n1on AND MHRoxx. y

,cNk-s JUSTICE AND MERCY.
Those who have opposed the war from the
beginning, as well as those at the South. who
made it, are constantly insisting that the Gov
eminent can afford to and should be merciful
in its treatment Of the Southern people. By
mercy, however, they mean that general
amnesty should be proclaimed, and that the
men whose hands are crimsonad with the best
blood of the nation, and who rested from
their treason only when further effort was. en-
tirely hopeless, shall be restored to all the
rights and privileges which by rebellion they
have forfeited, and be treated in all respects as
though they had been guilty Of no, disloyal
Against such an idea Of hdefey'we protest,
and against it, we believe, a large majority Of
the American people will protest in way
that shall make itself felt in the highest places
of power and authority. = SsIM
The mercy to which we have referred would
be the rankest cruelty to those who have prov
ed their claims to- both justice and smefcy.-
There are three millions or more of innocent
people in the late rebel States, who havenever
been guilty of the first disloyal act; who,
though having no rights that were5 respected
under our common flag, when that flag was
assaled, rallied to its support, and have never
been guilty of one act of treachery toward
those who barred their breasts to- the storm of
rebel bullets. -
Have these people no claims upon the mer-
scy Of the GovermentP Did not :theS Gbr-
eminent, in its great trial, after two years of
war, call upon these people to come up TO its
aid against The traitors ?. And did they not
respond with an alacrity and courage and a
yalpr which have challenged the admiration
OF all loyal men q Rms xAE .ow somo
These things are patent to every intelligent
mind, not on this side Of the Atlantic only,
but in Britain as we'll And now we find
class Of people clamoring for measures which
shall remand these three millions to the ten
der mercies Of those. against whom they have
fought, which would leave them ina land
they have bfed to save without the slightest
protection, which would deny them all voice
in, the government to which they are to yield
obedience, while the men whose hands arered
with crime would be reinvested with all pow
er, and treatedas though their acts had been
all loyal and innocent T., This is. Copperhead
raefc9i Good Lord Deliver the nation 81 from n
the reign of sucA fnercy;s We have been ac-
customed to think mercy sbopvd first he
secured to those whose acts have pro proved them
worthy of it, while sinple Justice demands
that those who have fought and bled for their
country should not be abandoned to the dom ~
nation Of men who nave taxed their energies
to the,uttnost to DESTROY the priceless heritahe
of the Fathers. and to make this fair land q
bve-woord and 4 renroach am among the nations
Of the earth .Ss az hs.f~ fGA y
We Low c,o;n, 70 No s,,,,o,;,. ;,,a,,,,..,.
saqacitv II matters io,f STAT. concern hnt r.
seams chat while the lcoiore,l naonIIe If tlb he
South have vindieated their riobt to exercise all
the functions Of free men and ct,,ans f,a ,,.h
els have. forfeited every right they ever ennjoy-
ed Viewed from any reasonable standpoint,
the negro, whohas borne, arms IN defence of
the flag and whose loyalty has never wavered,
isentitled to all the protection of the Govern
ment, and that Government win be- guilty of