, 1865-09-11
THE CAMPAIGN IN IOWA.
GcV.; Stone on Reconstruction.


oEerthrowing rebellion and crushing. out
Southern treason, the prime clement Of civil
discord and war. Until these purposes aro
fully accomplished, the contest must 70 on,
and be fought through TO It's final results.
How fur has The nation advanced In the at;
tainment Of the object for which VIC hare
sacrificed SO many thousands Of valuable lives
and expended almost countless millions of
public treasurer We have succeeded, after
four years uf terrible war, In, overcoming
armed :rcsistance to the exercise Of Federal
authority In the seeded Suites. Practically,
we hnvc not advanced 4 single point beyond
that. The Union Is not yet restored. Not
one Of these States Is represented In either
branch Of Congress ; not one has Governor
elected BY lis own people, or a Legislature
officer in these States Is either appointed by
the President at Washington, or BY q progis-
ional Governor sent there by him. They arc
in a condition OF military dependency upon
the government nt Washington, md have
neither civil authority nor political privileges,
except what Is granted them ns matter Of
faror, from the President. They nre as much
States, TO the Fedcrnl government as they
have been Mt any limo Since secession wca
started. The great work then Of restoring the
Union has yet to be performed. Not traitor
has yet;becn punished for his Infamous crime,
and the spirit Of the rebellion, instead Of be.
Traitors without number arc upon their knccs,
with lip loyalty, begging for pardon, but t
have yet to learn that these men have repent
cd OF their treason, or abandoned the danger
om political heresies which culnlnatcd In
ths the ,,n;ta Late IT, Tattemps sr to uo dissolve
plain, and the d1ty Of PATRIOTS solemn and
aiter this mighty display Of military power,
this Development Of loyalty, patriotism and
courage In the prosecution Of this great war,
we dared not 10 spring the hcmpen moose
around the necks Of traitors? Ia fea. Davis
with his bloody record TO 20 unwhipped Of
Justice: Are such men a. Toombs, brcckin-
ridge, Benjamin, Wise and Wlgtall. with their
garments dyed In patriotic blood, and their
fuEers covered With rings whitfield from tic
bones of Northern soldiers starved at Ander-
sonvtlle md Libby, to be restored to their
political rig hts and resume their seats in tho
American Eenatey Arc the brave men who
LEFT their homes In thn hour of their country'e
h1mncss, those four years Of hardship and peril,
to be informed that treason against tIls Gov
ernment il no longer crime! Are trail
tors to be thus purgrd, pamrercd and
honorcd, while the men who fought and sub
ducd them arc yet v1ithfns With unhealed
"OuA45 nuu oEohEu Ampsi 1 nave Detn
taught that treason is the highest crime q
man could commit, and deserved the severest
penalty known to the law. It's swift and sure
punishment has been regarded as the sheet
anchor oil national safety. This Is the accept
ed theory under every form Of civil govern
ment, and has been throughout all history.
When you shall have established the doctrine
that treason is no longer crime, not even odi-
ons, that 1t may be pcfpetrated with impunity,
h0t 713n nj fTf In, Tow 1
safety and stability Of your Government md
Its Institutions what will there be TO deter
the bold aud reckless hand from hauling down
your flag, or piercing Its folds with tfnitor's
bullet: In this hour Of danger It is we'll to
geek light In the example Of tho iathers.
vital point, that they described the
crime Of treason in the enduring form of
a constitutional provision, and required Con-
gress to define lis punishment. In the light
OF history, with tho example and sad expe1i-
enee Of tlfty generations before them, this pro-
tional safety: It stands there Jet, perpetual
warning Of the sain,ed dead. Ignore this and
your fundamental law Is dclusfon, and the
supcrstructuEc of your government bed Of
sand.
do not know thnt We shall have The couf-
ngc to hang these traitora, but think q few
should lie executed in vindicatiou Of this prin.
ciplc, and as warning example to treason In
the future. II we cannot hang, We can at
least refuse to pardon traitors. Let the work
Of reconstruction go on while traitors nge re-
pcntins.: There l. no danger that they will re-
pcnt too much or become too loyal: A little
four years in trying to whip them, md
hive just succeeded. The basis Of reconstruc-
tion, Us security agatnst future treason and
war, must be the obvious principles Of Lib
erty, Loyalty and Equality. A rcconstruc-
lton upon any other basis would be the height
Of National folly and madness. Upon any
stand for single hour. These vital princi.
pies entered into the original structure, and
It was because you departed from them, and
forgot the teachings Of the fathers, that you
have been wading II rivers Of blood this war
was the logical and Legitimate result Of a grave
departure from the lind marks which they es-
tablishcd+ Be careful now In putting on this
war, no moro precious blood, nor widows and
orphans tears. See to It that the Workmen
employ none but sound andapprpvcd material.
Secure for the support oflieso rcorl,anIzel
State governments loyal constituencies, how
ever small they may be to start with. Use tho
loyal masses. Allow them to help you. Don't
be particular ns TO the shade Of their COM
var, you need not spurn black ballots now.
Turn not your back upon the men who came
to your rescue in the hour of the nation's
peril. There Is yet d God in Israel, and He did
not forget the two hundred years Of wrong
md Outrage you perPetrated upon that unfor-
tunate race, nor will He overlook your base
iugrntftude If you now cast or these black
defenders Of your flag. During the progress
Of this war, many dusky form was stretched
upon the field b. rebel bullets, and many
children.
After the work Of reconstruction shall have
been completed, and the Union fully md 10y
pardon ttaitoss In limited numbers but par
don should follow, not precede It. I should like
to see unmistaknble evidence Of their return
Ing oyalty, before my name wns affixed to
single pardon. By their fruits wo mny
know them, better thnn their words
traitors gives no assurance Of tuturc fidelity.
Let US continue TO hold them Oft ut arms
length, let us choke the last drop Of rebel
blood out Of them, and then and not TIL then
Wilt be sa1c to trust them with pardon.
The politicians Of South Carolina boosted In
1861 that they had been thirty years In trying;
God that they had finally succeeded. I do
not believe that thirty ycaEs Of treason, cul-
minnting In five years of war, can be rcpentc0
Of in day. Now, let Us say to these same
Carolinians, "1nasmuch as you were thirty
years in trying to get out Of the Union, and
thought you had, wo will allow you to re-
main out 4 few years until you are thoroughly
purecd Of TREASON whenever you shall ex-
hibit unmistaknble works meet for repentance,
sics, We may pardon and restore you" loud
chesring.l Would not this be safer than to
pardon before repentance, and bring them
back restored to all their former rights, only
to finally Involve Us In the calamity of another
wary
am willing to sacrifice anything for the
Of the country, but not one cent for The con-
ciliation Of Southern traitors am willing to
give. Cancellation should come from the
other side. We a1e the injurtd and insulted
party, and should be reconcfhd to those who
nave done the wrong. We hare no apologies