The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1865-04-21
President Johnson's Policy.

The country will of course be anxious to learn
what will be the policy of the Administration
!! towards the rebels. That Il viii be more stern
; Is everywhere felt to be necessity. The peo.
! pie will mark what President Johnson has so
: wisely and well said. that he viii not commit
himself to policy preventing condiCn punish
ment to traitors We give below some extracts
from his recent speech upon the news OF the
1 fall OF Richmond, as bearing directly upon the
] great question before us:
80 We are now. my friends, winding
I up n rebellion. a great effort that mas oeen
\ made by bad men 10 overthrow the government
4 of the United States-a government founded
7 upon free principles. and cemented by the best
4 blood of the Revolution. You must indulge me
In making one single remark in connection
I with myself At the time that the traitors in
the Senate of the United States plotted against
I the government, and entered into a conspiracy
more foul, more odious and more excrable than
that Of Cataline against the Romans, I hap
pened TO be member Of that body, and, as to
loyalty, stood solitary and alone among the
Senators from the Southern States. was then
and there called upon To know what would do
with such traitors, and want to report my re
ply here.
said, IL we had Andrew Jackson he would
hang them as high rs Hannah. But rs he is no
more, and sleeps in his grave in his own below
ell State, where traitors and treason have even
insulted his tomb and the very earth that COW
ers his remains. humble as am, when you ask
what would do, my reply Is: would arrest
them; l would try them; would convict them,
and would hang them. AS humble as | am
and have been; | have pursued but one undevi-
ating course. All that have-life. limb ami
property have been put ut the disposal If the
country in this great struggle Ihave been ev-
erywhere where this great rebellion was; have
pursued II until believe can now see its ter
mination. Since the world began, there never
has been rebellion of such gigantic proper.
tons, so infamous in character, SO diabolical in
moment, so entirely disregardfu Of the laws of
civilized war. Ii has introduced the most saw.
age mode or warfare ever practised upon the
earth.
One word more and have done II is this:
l am in favor OF leniency, but, in my opinion,
eyil-dOers ought to be punished (Cries of
"That's so ~ Treason Is the highest crime
known in the catalogue of crimes; and for him
that is guilty Of it-for him that is willing tot
litt his impiOus hand against the authority Of,
the nation-I would say death Is too easy pun
ishment. My notion is that treason must be-
made odous. that traitors must be punished
and impoverished, their social power broken,
though they never be made to feel the penalty
OF their crimes.
You my friends. have traitors in your very
midst. AMI treason needs rebuke and punish
ment here rs well as elsewhere. II Is not the!
men in the field who are the greatest traitors.
n is The men rhO hare encouraged them 10,
impsrH their Tires, nhiie they themselves hare,
remained al home expanding their means and
sreriiag all their poirer 10 orerihroW the Cor
erHRsnt. Hence 1 say this: " The halter 10 in
telIigeai, Influential traitors But to the hon
est boy. To the deluded man, who have been de-
ceiyed into the rebel ranks, would extend le
nieucy; would say, return 10 your allegiance,
renew your supportto the Government. and be
come good citizens; but the leaders l would
hang.
hold, too. that wealthy traitors should be
made 10 remunerate those men who have suf-
fered ~ n consequence ot their crime-UniOn
men who have lost their property. who have
been driven from their homes beggars and wan
derers among strangers. IL is well to talk
about these things here, to day. in addressing
the well Informed persons who compose this au-
dienc. You can, To ~ very great extent, aid in!
molding public opinion, and in giving it n,
proper direction. Let vs. commence the work.
We have put down these traitors IN arms; let
Us put them down in law, in public judgment,
aud IN the morals of the world.