The Portland daily press., 1865-10-17

Do The Pardoned Rebels hate Treason
We donot propose to bore the reader with
a long homily by way ofanswer to this ques-
ton. We have not proposed it for any such
purpose, but rather for the purpose of calling
attention to fact.
We have before us late copy of the Vlcks-
burg Journal, the "ofIicial paper OF the city"
and paper purporting to be out-and-out for
the Union. From this circumstance we
regard it as an exponent OF the truest and
most advanced Union Sentiment Of Vicks-
burg and of Mississippi
1t seems a writer in the HeraId-another
paper of that city-complained of the Jour
nal for its supposed reflections upon "Swetts
Battery confederate military organization
: for monopolizing SO large share of the
nominations for the home Offices under Gov
Sharkeys newly constructed ConsutuIlol'
and the Journal Iabors to clear itself OF the
"soft impeachment" The editor says, we
understand that the Battery, ofhcers ana men,
have always given a good account OF them
3. selves In the feld,"-thatis, in fighting against
the Union and the flag. No exceptions are
taken to this on the contrary, it is spokehof
to the praise of the Battery, the only COM
plant being that, having done such good SER
vice in the interest Of the rebellion, it should
claim too much reward, having actually put
forth three candidates for Office.
Says the Journal: I'd nae 4es
"That this company should claim so many !,
Nff hn of1 k1.o E,xx~ L.
seems to us none the less improper and unfair
to other companius equally as brave and de-
voted. Surprising each of the. twenty-five
companies that went out from Warren county
should put like number of candidates in the
field. We should then have seventy-five can
didates from the army alone.
3 To show that leadership or voluntary ser
vice in the cause of the rebellion, and in efforts
to overthrow the Union government, is no Of
Tense to Mississippi Unionist, and affords no
objection to a mans being raised to honor in
the newly constructed Union government, we
need only quote paragraph from this fore
most Union paper in the State--the 'oficial
paper ofthe city:' :.
The soldiers of the Confederate Army have
no paper in the State more ready to aclznowl
edge or more willing to give them credit for
services in the feld-long, obstinate and brave
hearted-than the Journal, and before all
Others, Incompetent for the places, we say zoe
ought to1elect to home Offices the braUe boys
trho hare been out at the bidding of the coan-
try, and have come home with manned OF
lmbless bodies. On this question there is no
misunderstanding our position, and our read
ers viii fully bear us out in this assertion
But that any one company, or any two COM
panies, should monopolize the whole thing, or
do SO to so great an extent as we have shown,
we think is unfair and unjust.
This is sufficient to show of how shaky ma
terials the newly formed Unionism Of the l
South is CONSTRUCTED" The rebellion being
put down, IN preference to all others-in pref
erence to the men who resisted rebellion and
were obliged to become refugees in order to
avoid lifting their hands against their coun-
try's hag-the armed agents of that rebellion |
are entitled to be elevated to position of hon
or and enolument This Mississippi Union
ism would pay premium for treasonl True,
the paragraph above says the confederate sol |
diers, above all Others, should be elevated to |
the home offices, but no one believes they
would not be preferred for and elevated to the |
congressional offers with equal willingness,
but for the ''iron-clad" oath required of MEM
bers of thastribunal and which now appears to
be its only safeguard against an influx Of
blood-stained traitors. eEE
The facts here brought to view afford an ex-
plicit answer to the question that heads this
article, and shows that pardon works no heart
conversion in a rebel, that it leaves his heart
unchanged, and though pardoned he is before
high heaven rebel still, in all his feelings and
instincts To such men we would never COM
NIT the destinies of a State; such men should
never be invested with political power, till
they cease to love rebellion, and give more
satisfactory evidence Of genuine conversion |
than is afforded by wishing to elect to offices
OF trust those who have. dyed their hands in |
the nations best blood. If such are the |
only fit men to be clothed with power, then
the time hes not come when the State should
be restored to its normal functions, and be
allowed to have a voice in the councils of the
nation. as.oH .alAs
sSince this article was written the telegraph has
brought the news that the Vlcksburg Journal has
changed hands, andis now edited by field officer
quoted was issued before the change, SO that the
facts stated and inferences drawn from Them la the
foregoing, remain unaffected