Charles City intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Floyd County, Iowa) 1864-1866, 1865-04-27
President johnson .

Il
On the I'd day of March, 1861, in a
speech. delivered in the United States
Senate, speaking of the firing upon the
Star of the West, and the seizure of
our arsenals, docks, forts and navy
yards, Andrew johnson used the fol-
lowing memorable language:
Show me who has been engaged in
these conspiracies, who has given in
structions to take our forts and GUS
tom houses, our arsenals and dock
yards, and will show you traitor.
Were | President of the United States,
would do as Thomas Jefferson did,
in 1906, with Aaron Burr would
have them arrested, and, if convicted
within the meaning and the scope of
the Constitution, by the, Eternal God
| would execute them. Z ~ ,
Mr.. johnson is now President. Has
any thing since occurred to make him
repent that solemn oath, or change his
stern resolve? His wife and children
have been captured by rebels, and
have suffered all but death His prop
erty has been confiscated by them /;
his sons imprisoned his neighbors
and friends shot, murdered in cold
blood, hung, gibbeted, for no offense
but that of loyalty to the United States
Government Is there any thing in
this calculated to change his convic-
tions or his purposes? On the other
hand, in his recent speech upon the
fall of Richmond and Lees surrender,
while most others in the delirium of
joy and exultation over our success
and the approach of peace, spoke of
amnesty, he did not forget the sterner
demands Of justice for he is made of
sterner stuff. Upon this subject he
said :. .. .. ..... ...r... ..r ....'. -. s...
The halter to intelligent, infuen-
tial traitors. To the honest boy, to
the deluded man, who has been de-
ceived into the rebel ranks, would
extend leniency. ! would say, renew
your support to the Government, and
become good citizen and the lead
ers l would hang" -
Now, after the elimination of all
4! the wickedness of the rebellion, in the
assassination of the President, as Mr..
johnson lifts his hand by the dead
body of the President to repeat the
solemn oath administered by the Chief
Justice, and when he utters those
words, 1.-The duties are mine, will
perform them, trusting in God" do we
not see the same patriotic indignation,
beaming from his deep black eye and
Lighting up that iron face, which we
saw four years ago, when he uttered
those memorable words, now SO terri
bic to traitors by the Eternal God,
I ,could execute them"
In this respect, Mr.. Johnson's ad-
ministration may differ from that of
Mr.. Lincoln. The latter would have
dealt with the rebels as an indulgent
father deals with erring children. Mr..
Johnson will deal with them more like
4 a stern and incorruptible judge. Thus,
in moment, has the sccptre of power
passed from hand of flesh to a hand
! Of iron.
How strangely overruled have all
things been to utterly destroy slavery
and the aristocracy founded upon it I
Its maddencd fanatical leaders made
war upon the Government to recover
political power, That power has been
utterly destroyed. They made war to
extend and strengthen slavery. The
war has destroyed it and set free eve-
ry slave. And now, by madly wreak-
ing vengeance upon the head of the
great, generous, magnanimous Lin
coin, who, in the overlooking goodness
of his heart was just ready to issue a
proclamation Of amnesty to save them
they have put the necks of the leaders
into halter with no power to save
but in the clemency of one sternly just,
who four years ago declared in most
solemn form that if President he would
execute them, and whose subsequent
career and experiences have all tend
ed to strengthen rather than weaken
that resolution. ..