The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1865-09-15
RECONSTRUCTION.
Hon. Thaddeus Stevens ON the
Great Topic Of the Hour.
An Address Delivered to the Citizens of Ian
caster, Penn, Sept s, 1865.
IcoNcLuDED. ]


wise see how Capt. Wirz can be tried by a
Court Martial at Washington for acts done by
him at Andersonville. He was in no way
connected with our military organization, nor
did he as q citizen connect himself with our
army so as to bring his case within any of the
acts of Congress IF he committed murder
in Georgia, and Georgia was State in the
Union, then he should be tried according to
her laws. The General Government has no
jurisdiction over such crime. and the trial
and execution Of this wretch by United
States Military Court would be illegal But
if he was an officer of belligerent enemy,
making war rs an independent people, now
being conquered. it is competent, holding
them as q conquered foe. to try him for doing
acts contrary to the laws of war, and If found
guilty TO execute or otherwise punish him.
AS am sure the loyal man at the head of the
Government will not involve the nation in
illegal acts and thus set precedent injurious
TO our national character, am clad to believe
that hereafter we shall treat the enemy Ms
conquered, and remit their condition and re.
construction to the sovereign power of the
nation.
In short, all writers agree that the victor
may iuHiet punishment upon the vanquished
enemy even TO the taking of his life, liberty.
or the conhseation of all his property sFbut
that this extreme right is never exercised ex-
cent upon cruel. barbarous. obstinate, or dan
gerous foes who has waged an unjust war.
Upon the character of the helligerent. and
the justice Of the war. and the manner OF
conducting it, depends our right to take the
lives, liberty and property ofthe beligerents.
Tins war had its origin in treason without one
spark OF justice. IL was prosecuted before
notice of ii, by robbing our forts and armo.
H.
money from the minis and repositories. and
by surrendering our forts and navies by per-
lurers who had sworn TO defend the Constitu-
ton. In ITS progress our prisoners. by the
authority of their government. were slaurht-
cred in cold blood. Ask Fort Pillow and
Fort Wagner Sixty thousand of our prison.
ers have been deliberately starved to death
because they would not enlist in the rebel ar
mics. The graves at Andersonville have each
an accusing tongue. The purpose and avow-
ed object Of the enemy a" to found an empire
whose cornerstone should be slavery" rem
ders its perpetuity or revival dangerous to
human liberty
Surely, these things are sufficient to iusti-
" the exercise Of the extreme RIGHT Of war
ITO execute to imprison, TO confscate." How
many captive enemies it would be proper to
execute, as an example to nations, I leave
others to Judge. | am not fond Of sanguinarv
punishments, but surely some victims must
proptiate the names OF our starved. murdered
slaughtered martyrs. 4 court martial cnuld
do justice accord NJ to lay.
bat we propose 10 contiscate all the estate
of every rebel beligerent whose estate was
worth $1,000 or whose land exceeded two
hundred acres in quantity. Policy if not JUS
tice would require the poor, the ignorant and
the coerced should be forgiven They fol
lowed the example and teachings Of their
Intelligent neighhors The rebellion would
never have originated with them Fortunate
~ those who would thus escape, form a large
majority Of the people, though possessing but
small portion of the wealth The proper
ton Of those exempt compared with the nun
ished would be. believe. about nine- tenths
There are abont six millions of freedmen
IN the South. The number of acres of land
is t65. 600 600. OF this those who own above
two hundred acres each, number about 70. goo
persons, holding in the aggregate together
with the States, about 3a4 000. 600 acres,
leaving for all the others below 200 each
about II 900 eco Of acres. Bv thus forfeit;nq
the estates of the leading rebels. the Govern
ment would have 394,0oo coo of acres besides
their town property, aud vet nine-tenths of the
people would remain untouched Divide this
land into convenient farms Then Give, If
You please. forty acres To each male adult
freedman. Suppose there are,one million of
them. that would require 80, 900, 900 Of acres,
which deducted from SOD coo 900 leaves
S54 100000 of acres for sale. Divide II into
suitable Farms and sell it to the highest bid
ders. ! think it, including town property.
would average at least ten dollars per acre
That would produce $3.50. ZOO. o0o-three
billions five hundred and forty millions of dol.
lars.
Let that be applied as follows. to-wit:
/. Invest 5000 100000 in six per cent
Government bonds. and add the interest semi
annually to the pensions of those who have
become entitled by this vilainous war.
2. Appropriate $500, GOO, GOO TO nav the
damages done to loyal men North and South,
by the rebellion.
8. Pay the residue being $500. ooo. 600
towards the payment of the National debt.
What loyal man can object to this? Look
around yon, and everywhere behold vnur
neighbors, some with an arm, some with n
leg, some with an eve, carried away bv rebel
bullets. Others horribly mutiluted in every
form. And yet numerous others wearing the
weeds which mark the death of those on whom
they leaned for support. Contemplate these
monuments OF rebel perfdy. and of patriotic
suffering, and then say if too much il asked
for our gallant soldiers.
Look again, and see loyal men reduced 10
poverty by the coniiscations by the Confad
crate States, aud by the Rebel States-sea
Union men robbed of their property. and
their dwellings laid in ashes by rebel raiders.
and sayIf too much is asked for them. But
above AL, lot MS inquire whether imperative
duty to the present generation and to posters;
~ does not command us to compel the wick
Ell enemy to pay the expenses Of this rninst
war In ordinary transaction he who raises
ialse ciamor and prosecutes 81 unfonnded
sum, Is adIudged to pay the costs on his do.
feat. We have seen. that, by the law of ma.
tons. the vanquished In AN up;ust wa. -.
pay the expense.
Oat war DEBT > estimated at from tbroe tn
four billions, of dollars. In nv indrment
when all is funded and tho pensions car;,.i'
ized, 1t will reach more than four billions
The interest at per cent, (only now
much more.) so4o nan ooo
The ordinary expenses of our Gov
eminent are. l1o ana ooa
For come years the extraorainarv
expenses of our army aud navy
viii be, I'm oao ooo
Si70. 00o, o0G
-Four hundred and seventy millions to be
raised py taxatlon-our present heavy taxes
VIII NOT, IN ordinary years, produce but little
more IMAM mali that SUN. Can our peonle
bear double their present taxation? He who
unnecessarily causes 1T will be aceursad fro,,
generation TO generation. Ii is fasb;onable
to belittle our public debt, lest tho ,,aa,,io
should become alarmed. and political r. ~,
should suffer. j have never found II ~ -