The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1865-04-26
Ew "whom the Gods would destroy

EE "Whom the Gods would destroy
they 6rst make msd.s To rave slavery
the South attempted to overthrow the
Government. and The insane end futile
attempt destroyed siheir institution and
more than consummated the fondest
dreams of the most visionary and radical
Abolitionist. Treason calls in the aid of
the assassin. The damning crime, con.
cocted 10 Canada, approved 10 Richmond
and carried out at Washington, robs us Of
our President in the hour Of the National
triumph; at the very moment when the
South is most powerless, her strength
most completely broken; At the time when
mercy holds contest with. just anger and
justice in the minds Of the loyal subjects
Of the Government, the South maddens
our people by striking down their idolized
ruler. She murders the most forgivipg
Of our officials, and be alone who could
conciIiate the North and lead our loyal
people to forgive the crimes of which the
rcbeis have been guilty.
Not only the assassins, but all tie
Southern traitors, might have soliloquized
with the guilty Macbeth, as he passed in
mental review a similar heinous offense:
eff the assassination
Could trammei up the consequence and catch
With fis saictsse uccees: that but this Llow
Mi xht be the be-au and tia: eao-sll here.'
But. in these cases:
We still have judgment here; that bot teach
Bloody Instructions, which, heinz taught return
To plague ths Inventor. TLis even handed Justice
Commends the ingredients of our poisoned chalice
To our own lips"
Lincoln falls but Johnson succeeds
him. and treason will be punished a. il
would not have been punished but for
this browning act of it's iufamy. Mr..
johnson has definitely .oreshado we'd his
policy toward the rebel leaders, and in
terms not to be misunderstood. In his
response to the Indiana delegation on
Friday, President johnson said:
GAS to the policy / propose to pursue.
it is not promulgsting anything that |
have not heretofore said, to say that
traitors must be made odious that trea-
SON must be made odious; that traitors
must be punished and impoverished TAp.
plause.] They must not only be punish
ed. bas their social power must be de.
s,royed. II not. they will still maintain
the ascendancy. and may again become
numerous and powe, ful, for, in the word.
OF former Senator Of the United States.
where traitors become Numerous enough.
treason becomes respectable; and after
making treason odious, every Union man
ard The Government should be remunera
ted out Of the pockets of those who have
Inflicted this great suffering upon the
country. [Applause But do not uu-
derstaud NE as saying this in a spirit of
anger, for, if understand my own heart,
the reverse is the case and waile | eay
that the penalties Of the Law, in a stern
and iufexible manner, should be exscu-
ted upon conscious. intelligent and tpfu-
ential traitors and the leaders, there have
been thousands Of flaboring men who have
been drawn into this rebellion and while
| say as to the leaders, punishment, also
Say eniency, consideration and smaesty
10 the thousands whom they have misled
and deceived"
Traitors will understand that. And
MIR. johnson is but responding to the
earnest demands of the American people
in invoking justice to sit as arbiter in the
adjustment Of our national troubles.