Nebraska advertiser., 1865-05-04
sRowNvILLE, THURSDAY NAY 4, 1855.

BRoWNvILLE, THURSDAY NAY 4, 1885.
The rebel Gen. johnson has surren-
b tdered his army-Jef. Davis is doing all
he can TO leave the dountry-guerrilla
chiefs are asking the privilege 10 surren-
der-and peace is imminent. Under
. these circumstances the question Of ''re-
constr ctionp assumes a vital import
snce. Many superfuous additions to The
"main question" have been raised and
discussed. such as" Territ 0 a vassalage -
and "Military occupation of the States
which have been in rebellion, and re-
fusing the right Of suffrage to all who
haG participated in the rebellion. The
question in our mind is, would such poll
cy engender friendly feelings bstween
the masses of the North and South p
We think il would not. The doctrine of
clemency to The masses, death and cgn-
fscatlon to the leaders has been repeat
eddy put forth by our present Chief Mag
~is:rate II has fOg It's base the very fun
damental principle which underlie our
Government that the masses Of the peo-
pie are the State, and not the petty ru-
lers, although elected by the people. The
masses will remain and form the future
Of the South. The effect Of u victory,
the knowledge Of our immense strength,
gained in the path cf true freedom, with
a knowledge Of the cause Of the war,
viii all have a great effect on the South
ern mind, would it be better to add to
this Territorial vassalage ard military
occupation How would it look in a
parent, whose children had been rebel.
lious, even to the seeking Of his life, af-
Ter they had surrendered to his au,hori.
ty, to undress them, but them swaddiing
clothes, hire a nurse~fOr them, and thus
force them to go through a course of ba.
byhood, while he sat by hem, armed to
the teeth, ready to enforce this useless
humiliation Such a position, we think,
would be the position Of cur Government
should il attempt either Of the above
plans. and would result in transmitting
and intensifying in coming generations
any hatred which NAY now be felt by the
southern people for the parent Govern
ment. Il is considered unfair and dog
like to strike and worry an Antagonist
who is down and past serious resistance,
but the above policy-advocated as it is
by loyal men in high pOsitions,if carried
out, will be an instance of the greatest
government under the sun actuated by a
dOg-lke feeling to crafty a mean spiri.
of revenge, which would almost place US
OF a par with the dirtiest and most un-
scrupulous rebel leaders.
We DO not believe that such a course
will be adopted by the President. lie
believes in making "treason odious" by
furnishing The leaders. The North has
continually argued that The ignorance of
the southern masses made them fit tools
for the rebel leaders; we still believe
this, and u ink the best policy is to hang
or exile the leaders and enlighten the
masses. The southern ports well guard
ed and they are not capable of doing any
serious injury, but too much vigilance
and to many restrictions will seem to
them tyranny, and will make them more
steadfast in the idea which the leaders
taught them--that on our part this has
been a war for conquest. We believe
the States should not be treated as tho
they had been out of the Union, but that
with just restrictions to guard the ballot
box, the people should elect their off
GERS and move along as though they had
not been In rebellion. The rebel leaders
In the lower ranks should not be per-
mitted TO hold any office of trust. An
arms and munitions Of war taken from
Them, and the negro not placed above the
white man.