The weekly pioneer and Democrat., 1865-06-23

ing OF the example OF AIheiiC" - ,s.I.".Ssr
ages Suppose one of the crowned nea1s OF
Europe succeeds in subduing o reDeAiOn,
would it be any trouble for him to say that ms
cause was lust: and that of his enemy was un-
inst. and go to hanging again lLaughter
and applause Mr.. Smith said tnaa the oo-
iector mistook bis position. ne Spoke ON q
general principle, and not on q special case.
| Ga forbid that Austria should have it In her
mower to plead the most Influential OF all ex-
aamr.ies in her behalf in depressing Hungary.
The dav NAV come when ireland may rebel
onnressed Ireland. He said oppressed Ireland,
because any'people Is oppressed tnat mas to sup
ppecially one not their own. She may rise up,
and suppose England succeeds in subduing her.
wonld we allow England the example of Ameri.
ca to shed blood? The nation has no idea she
is urged by the press and the pulpit to become
the great betrayers of liberty Throughout the
world. Let it not be said that the rights Of
the laws of war have been disregarded by us.
and that we have unfurled the black flag. IL
it for America to contribute to that end You
don't know to what lnfamy men are LEADING
you. The speaker said that no breach of faith
could be so gross or guilty as that of taxing
the contest out of the laws of war at the Iasf
stages and bringing it under the local law.
Men say that 1t is not taking it out of the law
crafty revenge, but to serve the laws of ms
tice. The man must indeed be blind to Justice.
that cannot see that justice can never be served
by injustice. Applause. In order to save
life and property from piratical war. and for
the purpose of obtaining thousands of men for
the army to save the country, we ageeed with
the enemy TO carry on the war according to
the laws of war. We had reaped the adyan
tages of the bargain until we are strong enough
to do without it. If we now repudiate the
bargain, we commit the meanest crime of the
age, and If we had told the enemy that in the
day OF victory We would raise the black flag
and give no quarter, he would have raised that
flag himself. ''
A gentleman inquired of Mr.. Smith if he
meant to say that we agreed to terms of carry
ing on the war through fear? IN &, .f.
Mr.. Smith replied that he was ashamed that
an American citizen should suggest that the
Government ever made an engagement under
duress. Loud applause.l One reason why
the war should be carried on according to the
laws OF war, was that such where vast mum.
bers OF men carried on momentous and re.
sponsible war, they have strong show of
right. Loyal and disloyal millions have believ-
ed in the doctrine of State Sovereignty, and
we must admit that they have nobly reasoned.
They have seemed to have some measure of
right to believe in the doctrine of State Sover-
eighty. They had high authority for their
principles: The speaker reverted the position
of political parties at the beginning of the
government, and said that the South soon ac-
cepted the doctrine of State Sovereignty. 1t
is true that the rebellion of 1882 reached but
little outside of South Carolina, still the prin-
ciples were held throughout the South. The
election OF Mr.. Lincoln was considered proper
occasion for open advocacy of the doctrine.
thousands in the North sympathized with
them, but preferred that they should not resort
to violence. They had strong show of reason
In being led away, and Is it true that the
doctrine of State Sovereignty has been an
open question before the American people
Applause. Thank God, Mr. Smith continued,
it is no longer an open question. 1t has been
settled at last, and for ever, that secession and
its offspring must be given up. 1t has cost so
much treasure and blood that in future the
people will not bear with its advocates. Is it
not proper to mitigate and excuse the great
crime of the South in allowing herself to be
drawn into the rebellion. Davis, Lee and
Breckinridge were greatly to blame in choos-
ing for their models Calhoun and Jefferson,
instead of Washington, Clay and Webster. But
still he pitied as well as blamed them. If we
had been In their circumstances, would we
have been tempted to have chosen those men
for our leaders? The religion of Christ teaches
US to do as we would be done by. Applause. I
If we had the heart to apply the rule in this
case, then would we put the arm of forgiveness
and love around our Southern brethren, and
how soon would we reach beautiful and be-
iov0u PS"oo! l!Ouu uPpiausc Inc speaker
called them brethren, tor they were dear to his
heart lApplause.l He would hate himself If
he harbofed any revenge toward them. If he
had hated them when fighting, he could love
them now when they had fallen. Zap
plause. Mr.. Smith said that he had not
spoken words of kindness to turn the ewes
of the people from the crime of treason, if
they were guilty of treason. He had not
spoken of State sovereignty to justify treason,
but as an argument that we should conduct the
war according to the laws of war; The wide.
spread belief in State Sovereignty should make
us reluctant to persecute them, when, under
the laws of war there is no treason. Applause.
Surely, here in the North, where State Sover-
eighty obtained SO widely, we ought not to be
eager to punish the South for being carried
away by it. The speaker next referred to the
crime OF starving prisoners, for which, he said,
we were partly responsible. 1t proceeded from
the pro slavery spirit. for which the North is a
little less responsible than the South. We
should be reluctant to punish for that crime.
unless we can certainly pass upon the guilty.
He continued, and said that the North has
prOfited as much by slavery as the South, and
that If there was ever time on the earth when
men should be honest, it is now. 1t is not for
us to affect innocence. The only duty of the
North is to place herself by the side of the
South, In common repentance for common
sin. lApplause just as surely as we go TO
| ehSSOuth, VIC oldll iOSC SplTls VI
repentance. There is no way for man to feel
whole himself like Furnishing others for sins
OF which he is himself guilty. There was the
assassination of President Lincoln. The South
did not call for it. If vote of the Southern
| people had been taken on that question. it
would have been almost unanimous against it.
Mr. smith was asked how the vote would have
stood If mad been confined to the Southern leaders
but ne old not see fit to answer the question.
he speaker continued and said that the South
knew that 1t had not friend with more kindly fee.
ing for her than Mr.. Lincoln. That crime came
rom TIE p;o-sayery spirit which pompled .sassl-
nation MI s. repea ed his argument as to tie re.
sponsibhy cf the North on the fubject of slavery.
In speaking OF reconstruction he said that we must
not punish the South out Of revenge but to provide
for the future: For that pupose be would divide uo
the lands of the Sonth among the poor of the Sonth
and give to the blacks the right to vote Be Wonld
deprive some OF the rebels of the eleciue raehiss
for term Of years, and others forever. lie would
also rep5diate the rebel debt He believed the
PIesides: had the right to keep therebes under the
military power, and that before thevare reconstrnct
ed Congress should pass laws abOlisAiIg slavery in
thoEe States In closing Mr. Smith paid a. esoo1ent
euiogy on Mr.. lincoln.
At the close Of the lecture remarks were made Inv