The daily clarion. [volume] (Meridian, Miss.) 1863-1866, 1865-06-22
NUMBER S.


, Hume and Smollett, and the continue
tons of their history, may count not less
than thirty IN the period commencing
with the troubles at Runnvmede, and
endir 6 With the Accession of George ".
1t - impossible 10 deny that at one
time or other every grade and class of the
people OF these islands have been insur-
rectlonists against lawful authority-reb.
els, traitors. But does this prove that
the people, who so made themselves
rebels once, were always rebels? Or that
by having been rebels, they were no lon
ger fit for free government Or that they
should have been distranchised. and ex :
Guided from all political influence as fast
as the several rebellions were brought to
a close? If, so, the conclusion would be
that none of the British people were fit
for liberty The British government
never took that view Of the subject. 1t
is believed that the masses were always
permitted to renew their allegiance on r.
solemn oath of fealty and adjuration as
soon as they were ready to do SO. Amidst
the commissions of internecine war, the
British people, to their honor be it re-
corded continued to cherish liberty, and
to day we look back to their sea- grit is.
lands looming UP above the everlasting
less remarkable for the storms of human
passion which have swept over them for a
| thousand years, for the models of our
wisest laws and the spirit of our noblest
institutions.
The rebellion of 1861 was great crime.
But it would be difficult to prove that
great crimes are never committed by peO-
pie who are fit for free government. Is
there not large number OF wicked peo-
pie now in the loyal section of the coun-
| try? Is there not among us large num-
Ter Of people whose loyalty is undoubted,
! but who manifest scarcely any other vir
tue or fitness fer the discharge OF politi-
cal duties How many of the common
people of the South are rebels merely
because thew happened to reside there in
| 1866 l? How many in the North re-
manned faithful to the government
merely because they CHANGED, at that Pc
! riod and since, to reside there? How
many have absolutely been compelled to
| Join in the rebellion for fear of death or
| loss of their estates, or from the posses
sion of social or political influences or
| from imbecility? Answers to these ques-
tons must show how illogical it is to in
| fer that persons who have Identified
| themselves with the rebellion, under
whatever circumstances, are unfit for
free government or even hostile to the
United States. or that, if opportunity was
allowed, would not honestly renew their
allegiance. Those who have had the hap:
pineSs to reside, during these troubles, In
what is called the Border States" have
been able to gather many interesting
| facts tending to illustrate the question in
hand, as well, perhaps, as the profoundest
nh iool hn
inception Of the secession movement
They have watched the progress of the
| controversy to the present time! They
have marked the good effects Of more
| dispassionate REFLECTION on some; the in
| fiuences of official patronage on others
| the power of trade on others; the pres
| tige which attended the continually in
| creasing successes of the Union cause in
those States On others, and they have
seen, aside from the progress of our arms,
how potent energies have constantly
wrought to convert the original secession
lists into friends of the government
They have seen many who were luke
warm at first, or advised neutrality or
denounced the Presidents first call for
troops, become Jealous supporters of gov
ernment-and many who at first took
arms against US, either abandoning the
| rebel cause, and remaining quiet, or
taking sides with the Union armies in
the field They have seen more than
this. They have seen original secession
ISIS aspiring to political positions in con-
ventions and legislatures, and taking the
lead in the most stringent measures ot
disfranchisement against every one who
had at any time INDUCED even q rebel
lious thought.
One is at loss which most 10 be
amazed at in those who clamor for gen
eral Acknowledgement of the rebel mass
es, their utter ignorance OF alb the teach
ings of history on this subject, or the I'M
Christian temper which they display.
Contemplate hut for moment the
statement on which their whole scheme
rests; that is, that no rebel can possibly
reform! That when he takes the most
solemn oath he cannot be believed That
all such declarations are hypocrtical
That when he joins the Union army, and
places his life between his government
and its enemies, be is only a spy In
other words that none OF these errng
and misguided people shall ever return
to their allegiance, even if they desire to
do so Not only so, but if any man has
ever had a thought or desire Of rebel
lion In his heart-even though he dis
carded the wicked thing before it had
produced single action, or communi-
Gated TO a human being, that man is
veritable rebel and his guilt is SO great
as TO ADMIT OF neither pardon nor ex-
tenuation? Reflect that those who hold
and propagate such sentiments are Chris
tan men, believers in the religion of
Jesus, proposing to conform their lives to
His example
Two such political documents as the
Maryland and Missouri ordinances of dis
reimbursement are not to be found else
where in the records of modern civil:
zation. They breathe the very worst
spirit OF persecution. They rival the
vindictive tierceness of tyranny as dis
played in its most approved examples.
When Dyonisius, the tyrant, put Mar
syas to death Tor dream ng he had cut
his throat, he was no more illogical than
the Missouri and Maryland radicals.
Marsyas denied that he had ever in
tended to cut the tyraDt's throat, but
DyonIsius assumed that Marsyas could
not have dreamed about it in the night
unless he had thought about it in the
day, and so put MIN TO death.
Oar radicals assert that whatever one
has done, or wished 10 be done at ono