The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1865-07-05
Treason Or no Treason.

II D. no 8
Weknew that Mr.. Gerritf Smith
| would inter many sentiments in his
! lecture with which weshould, by no
means agree; but it is at tie. least ST some
thing gained when be, alifelohg Abb
|, olitionist, and Northern citizen, /, Of
] the straitest sect, comes forward to
declare most earnestly. and TO prove
most irrefragabfy thai. I'll, the Southern
people aid their leaders have s'1 commit
ted 40 treason, nor any other Crime crime
smenaable TO criminal justice; that
the Government Of the United States
| has, therefore, no earthly right 70
1 put them on their trial for any crime
| on account Of their part in the war;
1 and, by strict consequence, that the
1 hideous outcry Of the whole hangman
4 interest for the trial and execution Of
I "rebelsn and TRAITORS" is nothing but
a bloody and brutal blunder.
It's something gained, when such
a man stands forth to warn his coun-
/ trymen that, pushed and goaded by.
| the Jack Ketch party, they are stan
ding this moment on the very brink
Of .'the meanest crime Of the age" -
Indignantly reminds them that they
agreed to treat the Confederacy as q
war-making power while it had arms.
/ in its hands, and could retaliate out
rage; and scornfully protests against
1 their breaking that agreement the
moment the South has laid down its.
| arms, relying upon that agreement.
/ To have these bold and honest words
uttered, at the right moment, and
| by the. right man, is, say, we some;
4 what gained. 4 is the first wise and
/ Just voice lifted up amid the felonious
believing, tumult Of the hangmen;
and it will call forth echoes: il has
/ the kind Of tone that must reyerber-
ate, because it appeals to whatsoey-
er is upright, manly and true in l.. the
1 human heart and conscience; and it
must be repeated, until the hateful
/ shrieking Pandemonium is hushed
| and still; until the moral atmosphere
1 is purified around us until this nigh
lty, warof two principles, to settle
|. a grand cause, shall be cleared Of the
/ order Of handouts and prison ropes.
/ We admit. however, that where it
lis a auestion Of claiming up and han.
4 ging some three millions Of people,
4 the enterpr'iising nufacturers il iron
and hemp, who are ready 70 contract
4 for the articles in any quantity,
have reason to complain ' g, Mr. Smith
just as the wooden-leg companies
. are Disguised by Peace. isslsl
But it would be too much to. ex-
.bpect, and we did not expect that Mr.,
4 Gerritta Smith would be entirely CON
sistent throughout bis whole address,
He had too much, perhaps, Of the old
4 Puritan leaven to permit him to see
and admit the only fair and legitimate
consequence of the principle he at
first laid down--namely that If the
Confederates committedino crime in
law, they are amendablel to no legal
penalty that the loss Of the cause,
and Of The whole cause in which they
took up, arms, is only appropriate pen
atty they have incurred Ii one
place, indeed, the speaker seemed to
affirm as much; for when some one
Interrupted him to ask what punish
nent' he ,vould have. inflicted On the
s rebel leaders sffojrr their treason, he an
swered at once: no punishment at
| all. 3 / hold the South to be punish
led enough, and too much. Yet even
after saying this ut lis almostsincred
'lible that Mr. Smith, almost inrnedi.
lately after, in describing1his hpropus.
ed methods forrecoBstructioh, recon-
mends universal confscation Of es'
! tateay and universal disfranchis
] sof voters Not as ia punishment:
certainly not; Or Jas secnrityf for the
|, lfuture.e Mr.. Smith still persists iii
seeing at the South aloyal and D
!. Idis1oyal class Unionists and Disu.
nioniats. he thinks it signifies moth
t ling that the most ardent Confeder
ates have all aoknowlsg e their cause