The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1865-05-18
Gerrit SmilE. ON the Duties of the
psOssr.

Gerrit Smith is an honest, noble hearted
man, with wrong principles. This We
have always said and still believe \
letter from him to President johnson is
Just published. in which he mikes an
earnest plea in favor of generosity, mag
nanimity aud Christian charity and for
bearance in the adjustment of terms Of
peace with the South. Having glanced
at the painful consequences ola harsh and
unfair treatment OF our conquered cnc~
N.Y." he says: ''But how blessed would
be the consequences of wise and kind
treatment of that enemy! The whole
world would be blcst by the termination
Of this most hOrrid war in peace SO full
of reason, justice and love. Christianity
would be honored and advanced by peace
made SO strikingly in her own spirit. In
that spiri. We cannot shed one drop of the
blood Of our subducd foe. Ii possessed
of it. we shall forgive and forget the
wrongs done to the North. and shall feel
that the South has suffered enough, and
that she deserves to be soothed and COM
forted, and no more afflicted by US" In
another place Mr.. Smith is fair and just
enough to speak as follows:
But there was another and no less
conclusive argument for conducting &c
, contest with our enemy Oh the most lnor~
al and humane principles. Il was that il
is reasonable as we'll as charitable to con-
clude, not only that there must: in order
to move such vast numbers, be their sim
cere belief in their cause, but that, con-
sidcring how many wise and good men
there are among them, their cause, how
ever lacking it may be iii soundneSs, must
have strong scmblancc Of soundncss.--
And such it. in fact, has. The constiiu'
tional right Of secession which is their
cause, has from the first been extensively
believed in. Even Jefferson and Madison
favored it more or less directly. Nearly
the whole South had come to believe 1t;
and no small part Of the North. 1t is true
that the American people have now put
their final and efiectual veto upon this
doctrine Of secession They have done
this. not only On the battle field but at the
ballot box also = = Neverless, not to
let the extended conviction at the North
as well as at the South, present as vel! as
past, Of the truth of the doctrine, mti>
gate in some degree the crime OF the mad
clinging of the Southern people to 1t, Is
to betray great and guilty insensibility
to the claims Of reason; candor and charl-
ty. lie is not right hearted man who
can read without sorrow for General Lee.
and without some measure Of excuse for
him. the accounts of his hesitating be
tween the Claims OF his country and OF his
Virginia to his paramount allegiance
Charge the general with guilt for choos-
ire Calhoun instead of Webster for his
expounder Of the Constitution. But ad-
NIT it to be his misfortune more than his
guilt that, in respect to State sovereignty
he grew Up nnder the teachings of Jeffer-
son and Madison instead of those Of Wash
ington and Hamilton and Jay. Candor
will allow the like plea even for Jefferson
Davis. Let him who is without sim
this sin of taking as political authority
not Calhoun merely, but even Jefferson
or Madson-:let him first cast i stone at
jefferson Davis.