The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1865-06-15


or political rights by virtue of race or
origin. Thirdly, the great landed es'
tates of the South, which are an essen
tial attribute of slavery, must be bro
ken up and parceled cut TO the poor
Fourthly, jointly We must utterly re-
pudiate the confederate debt. So can
we live in harmony with them if they
will agreo to that. If the Southern
people will join with us in making
these changes and submit to the au-
thorlty of the Government, we can
live in harmony and forgive them TOR
the rebellion.
As to tho leaders who took an active
part in precipitating the war, and all
who were engaged in starving our
prisoners, or in other infamous crimes,
or who are in any way responsible for
the assassination of the President, or
who were engaged in plots to destroy
Northern cities or tho people OF the
North by poisons and pcstilence, we
want them punished, and we believe
that Providence will bring them to JUS
tico sooner or later.
Since writing the above, an edito'
rial article has appeared in the Gin
cinnati Commercial discussing the
right of the Government to plnish the
rebels for treason, and showing tho
errors of Mr.. Smiths theory. The
Commercial says
"Mr. Smith declares that the Govern
ment has neither tho legal nor the
moral right TO try the rcbcls since
beligercnt rights wer1 accorded them
and such an acknowledgment, in lii
opinion, constituted them n nation il
fact. 1t is, perhaps, sufficient, on thi'
point, to say, that tho concession o
b,lligcrcnt rights, in time of war, doe
not extend beyond it, nor absolvc th'
party from civil obligations suspended
during hostilities. Tho Govcrnmon
never, for one moment, relinquishoC
its civil claims on the people Of thu
States in insurrcction. 1t carefully
RETAINED from any action that woult
SAVIOR, in the slightest aaanncr, of n rec
ogniLion Of their political existence al
n sovereignty or nationality. Tho in
terview held between the President
and Secretary of War and the rcbc
commissioners, in Hampton Roads
was entirely Informal. Tho commits
sioners wcro not allowed to prcscn
themselves as The accredited agents o
tho confederate government, nor were
any propositions advanced by then
which suggested the existence Of sucl
n nationality as the confederate state
of America, tolerated by the Presdcn
or his advisors. The fact that ccrtaiI
gentlemen camo from Richmond t.
meet tho President of tho Unite,
States, and see it were not po5sbl
to como iosomc understanding whore
by the war might be closed, and th
further cifusion Of blood avoided, wa
u very different thing from n formo
interview between the duly delegate
agents of two equal and indepcndcn
sovcrcignties, to treat of peace; an
Mr.. Smith is tho first man North O
South who has had the bOIdncss to as
scrt the identity Of political effect be
tween the two cases
1t was clearly right Of the Gov
ornmcnt to try any one of the prison
ors taken in war for treason, and,
proven guilty, to execute him rs
traitor 1t was to be its own judge Q
the time and manner of such trial, and
if it chose to exercise tho pardonini
power in his behalf, it could unqucs
tionabIy do so, as an act of sovereign
ty. But, lift could delay tho time TO
trial, or forogo it altogether, it doe
not follow that such delay or avoid
ancc was II surrender of tho right t
try and punish. Tho Government ha'
to look 10 the interests of those who
fighting in its behalf, had fallen int
the military power OF those win
fought against ii, In the civil wars o
history, it has not been an uncommon
thing for the sovereign to grant bel
Iigcrcnt rights to his rcvoltcd subjects
in order to protect the lives OF his nd
hcronts, taken prisoners in war, Bu
we have yot to IcOrn that an cxpodicn
concession Of this sort worked tho for
fcturc Of n civil claim, or protcctc
the insurgcut beyond tho oxigcnc,
and immediate occasion Of its cxcr
else"