, 1865-11-24
RECONCILIATION.

supposed that with 1t would have persisted all Of
that bitter enmity that existed during its prose-
eution. In some quarters this is not the case.
The radicals still exhibit the same enmity and
hatred that they did when actual hostilities ex-
listed between the two sections of the country,
and the roar of cannon, the rattle of nusketry,
the shrieks of the dying and wounded were ech-
oed throughout the land. In our opinion this is
wrong. The radicals not only persecute thesouth-
ern people, but also throw obstacles in the way
of President Johnson in his efforts to reconstruct
the Southern States upon their former basis, by
opposing all of his measures looking toward re-
conciiation. This should not be. Instead of
making the wound worse, we should endeavot
to cure it. The Southern States have suffered
for their sins. Their noblest and most proms-
ing sons have perished during the late struggle,
and their blood swallowed up by the green
sward. The homes and iresides of her people
have been laid desolate by the merciless FIRE and
sword of war wailing and mourning for the
loss of father, son and brother has taken posses
sion of those once happy homes, and means and
sobs are now heard where once laughter, joy
and happiness reigned. The people, who once
were possessed of means to enable them to live
comfortably, are now unable to Keep hunger
from theft door. Fathers come home and hear
their offspring crying piteously for something to
stop the cravings of an empty stomach, and are
unable to give to them the food necessary to sus-
tain life. Hundreds of such cases actually e1-
ist in the Southern States to-day. 1t is no part
of magnanimity to triumph ever a fallen foe
They were in the;wrong and bitterly have they
suffered for it. 1t should never be recorded in
history that the American nation prosecuted
fallen enemy, who had stood up and fought
bravely, even though it be in bad cause. We
are glad to say they never have, and we hope
they will not commence this late in the day to
institute anything of that kind. We speak in
fcation of any personal feeling; but because our
conscience dictates to us that it is the right
course to pursue.
There is something else that should be looked
at also and that is, we must make the Southern
people respect US and the government. Could
we adopt any other policy than n conciliatory
one, and make them return to the old love which
they once bore for the old Union? The answer
to this query must be emphatically "no@ We
must wiz them over to US by Kindness and show
them that our enmity died with the closing of
the reballion and that we no longer bear them
ill-will. five pursue the policy of not making
any cancellations whatever, we make the bed
thntprObably at some future day, we may have to
lay in. The proposition stands thus, shall there
be union of the States? If we treat them kindly
the answer will be Eyes," if otherwise, "no."
Whenever we commence a system of persecu-
ton, we raise in the bosoms of the Southern
people feeling of bitter resentment which will
lead to future trouble. Let us meet them as
brothers, with outstretched arms and welcome
them SACK to their place in the Union. Let US
have the harmony that existed in the olden days.
when we were united in the bonds of Union by
the ties of affection. Our own safety demands
that this should be the case. 1t would not be
sound policy to foster feeling of resentment in
such population as the South has got, and be-
come engaged in foreign war. 1t would insure
the enemy great advantages over US. Self pres
to the preservation of the Union, and the great
hopes that are bound up with it, all true friends
of the country will favor a conciliatory policy
and sustain President johnson in his patriotic
efforts to restore the seeded States to the posi-
tion from which in an unhappy hour they
strayed