The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1865-05-03
From the n. 7. Sunday Times
The Lesson Of the Hour.

| Vhe Lesson OF the Hour
Wherever men assume the right to avenge
their real or supposed injuries in their owr
way, irrespective Of the statutes which they
themselves have assisted to enact, there
anarchy and savage violence are sure t.
prevail. The dominant class in the slave
states, ever since we can remember, has
been but too prone to obey the promptings
Of its passions and it's prejudices in con.
temptuous defiance Of the settled principles
Of public justice as embodied in the laws
Of the land. Some forty.five years ago,
John Randolph, of Roanoke. menaced his
political opponents in the House Of Repre-.
sentatives with a pair Of loaded pistols
Since then the peace and dignity Of both
branches of Congress have been repeatedly
outraged by Southern men, and the felon
| attack Of South Carolina bully upon an
unarmed and unsuspecting northern Sena.
tor while engaged in the performance Of his
public duties, is still fresh in the remem.
brance Of the nation.
To the spirit of lawlessness in which
these acts originated, and to the encourage.
ment which it received from the most In.
fluential portion Of Southern society, we
owe the rebellion and all its bloody and
uiournful accompaniment and conse-
quences. The Southern aristocracy have
always prided themselves upon their nice
sense Of honor. Yet, could anything be
more base and caitiff.like than the manner
in which they commenced their work of
treason. Thievery, streachery, breach Of
trust, the most shameless mendacity, and
the most despicable meanness, characterised
tho inception Of their conspiracy against
the government. Floyd and Toombs rob.
bed tho Treasury, John C. Brcekcnrige pro.
fessed loyalty and received his salary from
the public chest, while he was acting as
spy for the insurgent authorities. We all
know how the war has been prosecuted on
the rebel side. The carving of the bones
Of Union soldiers into articles of personal
decoration, after the manner of the most
ferocicus savage tribes; the Staying of
prisoners Of war in cold blood; the delibe-
rate murder by starvation Of tens Of thou
sands of our brethren in southern barra.
coons; the counsellings Of the southern
press to give no quarter to the ''accursed
Yankees !" the sale Of poisoned food to our
soldiers by rebels in disguise, the bayonet.
ting and knitting Of our wounded on the
Held, are matters Of history. These
atrocities may not have been sanctioned by
the rebel magnates, but they were fruits Of
their vengeful teachings, and q practical
illustration Of their ideas of retributive
justice. The manner in which the chivalry
inaugurated the rebellion was 50 essentially
villanous and felonious, that it Is not sur.
prising their ignorant tools should have
considered it legitimate introduction to
every species Of crime. We stand aghast
at the murder of our beloved chief magis.
trate, and yet it was simply the logical
climax OF long sequence Of bloody instruc.
tons and lawless acts, for which the self
styled chivalry is morally responsible.
We trust that henceforth the laws of the
country will be vigorously enforced
throughout its whole extent. The remarks
of President johnson to the Illinois dele
CATION seem to US to be especially appropri.
ate to the crisis. There has been too much
conformation of crime everywhere, and it
has taken heart and become audacious in
consequence of the lenity with which it has
been treated. =a.E .w.ss c.
1t is in no vindictive spirit that we say
these things. Before the best friend the
South had among the patriots of the coun.
try was pistolled by Southern assassin,
We thought it would be unnecessary, per,
haps impolitic, to inflict the extreme penalty
Of treason upon any Of the ring.leaders OF
the rebellion. We can hardly say that we
think SO now. The ends Of public justice
and due regard for the welfare of the
State seem to demand the condign punish.
ment Of some of the parties most deeply
implicated in the plot against our national
existence. -r .. ..r .s.s.-. ...-F...,