The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1865-10-11

fi" NnIhi nn NNitN lhcl an agreed. ana
that was thal ha was just the man 10 punish
traitors. Other things he might tail 10 do:
hai ibis be was sure 10 DO.
TIE popular impression ON this point
was so strong that many simple people be-
gan t0 entertain fears thar We were enter
ing on rr'@n OF terror and that Mr.. John
-0n WITH Ai- bitter personal experience 0l
rebel rule would use his newly acquired
powers with remorselesS violence The
southern leaders heran 20 provide for theil
personal safety. aud AN the old women in
Europe looked every mail for accounts OF
wholesale executions 10y the American
Narat Mr. johnson himself seemed to
take pains 90 confirm the prevalent opinion
OF the severity 0f his Intentions. In every
declaration which he made of his policy. du-
riue Tho f.N weeks following Mr. Linc0ln's
death. bee placed the punishment first
amongst h- hirh duties and on high
grounds Of policl as we'll as of justice. lie
placed Il even above that of furnishing the
as-assin= of Mr. Lincoln. In an address to
the employees Of the Treasury Department.
ON the l7th OF April. he said:
81 have alWals thought theft was q crime.
and should le punished as a crime; that
arson was crime. and should be punished
as such. that murder was a dreadful crime.
and should Doe punished as SUCH and that
/ treason was the greatest of all crimes, and
should be punished rs such.
To a deputation Of the clergy he said, on
the same day.
" The assassination OF any man, high or
/ low was crime of the blackest dye. Es-
pecally diabOlcal was il when the blow
was struck al the loved and honOred head
of a great nation in the very moment oI
trinmph. But the horrible crime was only
portion OF the greatest Of crimes the at
tempted assassination OF the nation. And
he believed that the American people felt
it 20 be- SO. Treason 1raS II crime. and not
mere difference of political opinions
On the lSth OF April he expressed himself
ON this subject still more emphatically and
Deliberately in ronlvin0 70 tho Illinoi-
egati0n;
such a crime rs the murder of great
and good man. hon0red and reyered, the
beloved and the hope of the people, springs
not alone from solitary individual Of ever
so desperate wickedness. We can trace
/ its causes through successive steps, with
out my enumerating them mere, back tc
I that source which is the spring Of all Oui
woes No one can say, that if the perpe
traitor of this fendish deed be arrested he
should not undergo the EXTREMIST penalty
/ the law knows for crime, none will say that
mercy should interp0se. But IS he alone
I guilty. Here, gentlemen, yoU perhaps e.r
pct me 20 present some indication OF ml
ftfifre oolicu one thing ! will say Eve
~ era teaches its lesson. The times we
live i'm are not without instruction. tn,
1mcrIc0n De0g7e must be t0uQht-if they
donOt already feel-ftut treason is n Grim,
, III. Z. hot hn -
ment srH not Gilr0gs beDr triM its enemies
h0f u IS strong. not only TO protect. bit Il
ui1iiSh When We turn 10 the crimna
code and examine the catalogue Of crimes
We there find arson laid down as a crime
with It's appropriate penalty; we find there
theft robbery and murder given as crimes
and there. too We ind the last and highes
of crimes-treason With other and inferior
0fcuses our people are familiar. But II
our peaceful history treason has been almOs
unknown The peogie must uuderS'01'
fh0fV IS The NoctsSi ~ crmeS, and will b
surely punished ! make this allusion no
f0 ercte tie 0Ire0}v o.c7SperGted feeling
0ftte pulbc bVf 70 VOiat ont The principle
fgpflic lt~fico 'rhict ShOuif gNide O11' 0c
a0a 0f tfS g0rflcui0r jHnct're, and lrhic
accord rtt sOuId pRiilc morals. Let
bc engraved ON every heart that treason
"a crime. 0ud traitors shall suffer ITS penal
~. While we are appalled,. overwhelmed
at the fan of one man i'm our midst by th
hand ola traitor. shall we allow men-l car
not hv what weapOns-tO attempt the IN
of the state with impunityi While "
strain our minds 70 comprehend the enol
nifty of this assassination shall we allo'
the nation 90 De asSaSSinateGy
, When the question Of exercising mere
comes before me. IL will be cOnsidere
( camlv. udicially- remembering that | al
Che Executive ol the nation | know me
love 90 have their names spoken OF in cor
uection with acts OF mercy; and how eaS
z IL IS TO Weld 10 this impulse. BIT lre mn
: not forget that lri0f mag b. mercy 10 q
e. ind.rnffni IS clWefV 20 The state. In th
p exercise of mercy there should be no dOul
left that tins high prerOEative Is not use
.. To relieve a few M the eXense Of the many
@ We might multiply these quotations st
q further. The paramount duty Of fpunishir
L traitors continued for some weeks to be Il
y burden Of all his speeches; and that pOrtiC
q of the public who felt il 10 be OF the highe
importance that the first time in the histOl
Oftae Republic that treason had been cor
mitted on a great scale. the law should
: al once put I'm force against as many of u
traitors - might be necessary 10 stan
their crime with due execratiOn and dl
-, solemnlty were satisfied that Andrew job
son was their man. Eve months ha
elapsed since these declarations were ma
and during that interval not q single ST
7 has been taken 10 punish anybody for tire
son: and not one word Is now ever hea
from the President on any such subject.
very large portion OF his time Is, on the co
trarv passed In listening 10 app.icatiO
for parjons ana telling the applicants ''
write them out and put them on file, a q
h ty which, We say Ii with all Difference. mig
be very efficiently performed by clerk /
iiD+en hundred dollars year There Z
~ now on iiie l.. 000 applications of this n
turc. They are. of course. acted upon ve
% slowly. and we are sorry 10 say that tho
.., who wait their turn ia their homes have
wait long enough. while the more pror
, rent and energetic rebels. who can col
M ON 10 Washington and secure a personal
90 torview with the president, through the {
oo OF some old political crony. lind no difiic
~ q I'm getting their case attended 10" /
S mediarely.
al Now we are not calling for wholesale V,
gcauCe, prescription. or cOnfScation.
we think the country ought 10 know vi
'i were the reasons which made the duty
ar Furnishing treason seem so pressing
Ids April last, and whether they have in the
On terval lost their force. We now hear
:, talk Of punishing anybody for such an
fence except Davis. and although We
douoteily believe him 10 be the gulltiest
all, II any oe guilty. the difference in
- gree Is not so great as 10 make him wOr
0' Of death while Cobb, Wise, ToOmbs. i
90 free, and settle down peaceably on
soil thcv have fOr four years helned