Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1865-05-05
The Prospects OF Peacc-w hat shouid
be the Course OF the Government
toward the Hebeis-Gerrit smith 10
the President.
PrTrRaoRo. Aoril %

be the Course OF the Government
toward the Rebeis-Gerrit smith 10
the President.
PErrRsoKo, April "a.
Prssidezf johnson:
HoxoRED AND DEAz Sra. Only ten days ago
and the country felt sure Of an immediate peace.
The only apprehension was that is terms would
0e easier than il WAS prudent TO grant To-day
there is a strong aud wide spread fear that peace
10 afar OF Whence this great changei Il comes
from the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, and
from your taking bis place.
lst For, while The incessant demand for
rigorous and bloody policy toward the conquered
rebels met With 20 response in the remarkable
kindness aud compassion of Mr. Lincoln, il is
aPprebended that there may be qualities in your
self 10 which such policy, unless condemned
oy your judgment. would be entirely welcome
Then bF your contact with the rsbellion-by
your personal observation Of It's crimes. and e.
pecsally by what you aud your family and friends
al suffered from those crimes-yOur temper,
unless marvelously controlled. could not have
failed to be excited. and call for the severest
punishment on the leaders of the rebellion.
81. While Mr.. Lincoln Was yet alive. govern
ment was necessarily called on by press sDd
public meetings, by sermons saturated With the
sindictive and bloodIhirsty spirit Of the JEWS
theology, and BY vSlces Innumerable, not 10 spare
these Leading rebels. No wonder then. that the
manner of his death is made Of TO increase
the thirst for their blood. For absurd as is the
charge. that the assassin was their tool it never
hele-s gains extended credence. They all knew
Mr.. Linocln's characteristic clemency, and that
| The terms of the peace be was intent on we're ex
ceedingly mild. Hence, how insane is the sup
position that any OF them sought his death!
Bat why should not government refuse to
adopt. or, even for one moment, to listen TO this
rigorous and bloody pollcyi Why should not
| government deal with the conquered in this
as il would deal with the conquered. were il sue
cessful, in a war with Mexicol The answer is
because it il civil war But is il not such a
civil war AS the sblest publicists hold should be
/ conducted by the rules of international war?
| God forbid that now
when the tide Of war sets strongly in our favor
| ~e should be guilty of thrusting The constitution
| into the place OF the code Of war, and of holding
and trying as traitors those whom,we none the
less really, if Indirectly agreed TO regard but
| enemies and whom. by all the conclusive res
sons of the case, aside from such agreement We
are bound TO regard in that light onlv. We
must not be guilty of this bad faith. We must
not break this solemn bargain. The south
| would hate us for H. The world would despse
Us for il ! And would not the north herself If
| nok despisng Us for it, be, at least, fesrfuly d-
| yided in regard 10 it3 Greatly should We al
love our country. But there is Que thing we
should all love more-and that is fair dealing
| ''Ou- country righIp'-nOt "our country wrongl"
81 I'D be our motto.
! referred at the beginning of my letter to the
| apprehension that peace which. only few DAYS
| ago, seemed very near, is now quite remote
| cannot doubt that IL is If the severe policy to-
| ward the conquered rebels, which 80 many ere
| calling for, snail be adopted In that event.
hardly in my dsv. in yours. will peace
return to our afflicted country. For once let it
| be known that the leading rebels. who shall fall
| into our hands. will be doomed punishment
| De il death. Imprisonment or exile. and immedI
| stely, among their followers, sympathy with
| hem and rage against Us will know no bounds
Tens Of thousands viii bum With vengeance, and
will care for nothing but To crafty il. This will
| be true as we'll of persons under parole az OF
others Ia that state OF things a guerrilla war
| fare would ensue, which, il not pacihed by con-
| cessions, and such concessions, too. would
fatally avade national aud human rights, might
| run through many years, harrassing aud wasting
our armies, aud adding fearfuy if not fatally, 10
our already vast debt. It must not be forgotten
| that it cost our nation many years. many lives,
md thirty or forty millions of dollars 10 put an
! nd to the guerrilla warfare carried in Florida
by a handful of indians and negroes.
| | have glanced at the painful consequences of
| a harsh and unfair treatment of our conquered
| enemy. But how blessed would be the copse
| qhences of wise and kind treatment OF that ell
emy Then the south would be at peace with
| the north would soon learn 10 like her; and
| would soon welcome the tens OF thousands OF
families that would Immediately begin to emf
1 CRATE from the north to the south Then the
north and the south slavery having passed
| away would rapidly become one in interest. and
| one also in character. Moreover, the whole
work would be blest by the termination of this
| most b Drrid war in peace so full of reason jus
| tIce and love. Christianity would be honored
and advanced by peace made so striLingly in
her spirit. In that spirit cannot shed
Que crop OF the blood of our subdued foe. II
| possessed of it. we shall forgive and forget the
| wrongs done To the north aud shall feel that the
south has suffered enough, ana that she de- erves
| TO be soOthed and conferred. and no more sfiict
| ed by Us. Lrgely on your wisdom and magnan-
unity do | found my warm hope OF seeing this
war give place 10 bloo1less, kind, fOrgiving, and
| therefore immediate peace. But this Is not all
| for which look to YOU. Now, whilst We have
this fresh sense Of one of the worst wars-now.
whilst can contrast it, ugliness with the beau
tiial peace. which, ualeSs We thrust il from US, Is
| Just at hand-nOw is the time for our nation to
| be the fifst of all nations to propose an end to
| national wars by means OF an international cOn-
| gres., whose decisions upon the disagreemenrs
| aud controversies between nations shall be final
| Yours be the glory TO favor a measure frsusht
| with more honor to God and more happiness TO
| man than any even all other measures Yours
be the glory of identifying your administration
with the Cause of international peacel
With great regard.
Your friend,
Grpptrr