The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1865-12-22

/ y
holy effort, all noble sacrifice, were at the
service of the Government, and while the
miserable traitor wriggled up and struck
at the patriots head, he bruised to death
the head of the Southern dragon"
On the negro question he exhibited the
usual tyre Of insanity, and if he were re-
sponsiblo might be considered blasphe-
nous. Hear him:
"The negroes have toiled for us two hun.
bred years, producing a large portion Of
our wealth, and have been refused com.
persa:ion they have proved faithful
when all around were traitors they reu-
dered all possible loving, brave, true
hearted service to our soldiers, and their
loyal blood, freely shed, was part of the
price OF our safety, and these claims are all
filed against us in that High Court where
lie presides who is Judge over all thcearth.
In that court Christ is the negroes Ad-
vocate and God the Judge, aud that will
never be dismissed until the debt is paid
even to the uttermost farthiug." Ap-
plause.
THE speaker, when the applause had
subsidized, remarked that however CRAFTY
ing such tokens of approval were, they
seemed to him somewhat inappropriate
upon such an occasion, and that the audi
ence would confer favor upon him by
retaining from any applause.
Christ and his Apostles lived in 40 age
when the worst forms of slavery were pre-
sented to their gaze, but we look in vain
into the sacred text for sentiments like
those OF Boyuton, or that which follows,
as to the proper treatment of the South
at Is with sorrow and disappointment
that we are forced to believe that, with SO
few exceptions as not 10 affect til. gene raj
result, the spirit Of the South today is
what it was during the war, but intensified
by the mortific alton of defeat. And this
bitter feeling is cherished not My toward
the conqueripg North, but towards the al
most deIenceless blacks, who not only cs-
capped from their grasp, but whose loyal
hearts and desperate fighting contributed
SO largely to their overthrow. Whoever
hiss marked the terocious passion with
which the war on their part was conducted
will see that it would require n greater
miracle than was ever wrought on human
thought and feeling towards those whom
they have hated and scorued so long, and
by whom they were conquered at last
We regret that such is the spirit of the
South, but We must deal with facts as they
ars.
Again, no one need mistake the pur-
poses Of the South. They are willing to
abolish the uame and form Of slavery if
they can retain the control of the blacks
through their local laws, because they
gain some twelve members Of Congress by
this nominal freedom, while the degrade.
ton of the blacks will be as comp lete as
before. There is nowhere an indication
of willingness to yield to the black race
the rights and privileges of II proper man
hood. If the great estates are restored
to the rebel owners the landed aristocracy
will hold black and white laborers in the
condition Of serfs, while they will gain
largely in political power by granting the
worthless torms of freedom to the slave
X & Il
"No State, however powerful, can afford
to bring public law into contempt, to set
aside the penalty Of crime and abolish the
distinction between right and wrong, and
thus subvert the very foundations on
which society rests.
"Much less can State afford to reward
an open iniqui'y, so that even rebellion
shall command premium.
"The mercy OF God is infinite. His
compassicns fail not. Love is the sum
and essence of his character. God is love.
Yet, in all the history Of the universe,
there is not an instance where mercy In
terfered with justice, there is not case
OF forgiveness unless 10 some manner the
law was first vindicated
"Can We afford, then, or will we dare to
put pardons in the hands that yet drip
with the blood of our slain shall we give
back to the unrepentant Rebels property,
power and honor, while we deny all proper
right and privilege to those whose steadtsst
hearts were true in all our hours of dark
ness and strife, and who, by the terrible
ordeal Of battle, have proved both their
loyalty aud their manhood, and have fair
ly purchased the rights of citizens with
the price Of blood !? Dare we present
ourselves before either God or the nation,
after having committed an outrage against
God by rejecting the principles upon which
He declares His universe shall be gov
erned, in procaiming that traitors may
strike at the life Of a nation, throw into
confusion the whole order of society, ell.
danger all the interests of thirty millions
of people. slaughter 10 tue battle and by
every other horiil form of death nearly
million Of men, till wall like that
Of smit'en Egypt went up from all the
land, and yet no crime be committed that
demands puuishment-that such acts,
upon which God Himself has set damna.
tion's seal, are even worthy of reward ?
"Could we face the wrath Of God, or tie
scorn Of the world if we prove in any de-
gree false to the spirit and intent of the