The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1866-05-22

Again, magnanimity is invoked as a
shield of desertiou. A great nation, it is
said, can afford to be maguanimous. OF
course it can but let Us see how this is.
For four years these people made war up.
on US without cause or even plausible ex
cuse. Before they begun 1t, we begged
them in great humility to withhold from
the country this terrible desolation, In
tears We warned them Of the punishment
that must follow Our entreaties aud
warnings were received in the rebel capi.
tai, so their telegraph informed US "with
peals OF laughter" They fred upon US
while we were yetup our knees begging
for peace and union. The contest once
begun, was conducted on our part with
great forbearance and within the strictest
military law. We even returned for
awhile their fugitive slaves On their part
it was conducted not only with the con-
demned system of cruel guerrilla and pi-
ratlcal warfare, but with fire pu;sou, yell
low fever, and assassination. The estates
of Union men within their power were
coniscated, and have never yet been re-
restored, and Union men were hung for
treason to their pretended government.
You tell US they have suffered. So
have We Peace has come at last; bust,
ness prosperity will return the ensiguia
of mourning will be laid aside; but in
the heart of every family there is an uu-
spoken sorrow that will sadden life even
TO the grave. Now, we are admonIshe6
TO be magnanimous to the authors of all
this suffering. ] accept the admoultion,
but submit that We are so already. The
law condemned than te death, and we
have pardoned them. Their estates were
forfeited and We have restored them Not
atraitor has been hung; not one convicted;
not one tried not dozen arrested; but
many have been honored as rulers in
States they on y failed to ruin. The
high sounding eloQueuce Of the gen.
tleman from New York, Mr.. RAYMOND
calling upon US to admire the "couragc
and devotion" with which these bad men
prosecuteda cruel war against our kin.
dred, our homes and our country for four
years, has scarcely subsidized when our
tears are invoked over their selfinficted
suherings. Thus at this end of the avenue
we are alternately called upon to admire
and pity them, while at the other the
green seal is kept hot with its work Of
cemency-clemency often unsolicited,
sometimes contemued. We have even
ordered historic Inscriptions to be erased
from captured cannon at West Point, that
the boys educated at the expense of a
Government their fathers could not quite
destroy might not be irrtated. What
more can we do? What more can gen.
tlenen ask in the name of magnaDimity ?
"Giye to this one seventh of your popu-
Iation more than on third of your politi-
cal power 2" Is that what you ask, aud
call it onl y maguanimity to the false men
of the country? Call it rather treachery
to the faithful, or if that sounds to harsh
nall il snhmissinn, euTrender, what you
like, but for the sake of truth let no one
call betrayal of country and friends mag,
nanlmity to enemies.
Again, sir, the effort to cut off the ex-
coss of this unpatriotc and sectional rep
resentaton is ascribed to party motives.
Is not the Opposition exposed to the same
charge? Is not the Democratic party as
anxious to secure friends as we are to
avoid enemies? For the last Eve years
they have been beaten everywhere, Every
election has proved to them that they
were growing small by large degrecF.-
"WoUd to God that night or the rebels
would como" has been their daily prayer.
Does their haste 20 embrace the misguided
brethren come solely from pure love and
affection Is it not possible that their
passion is somewhat like that Of
THE Immortal Captain Wottlo,
Who was all forlove and little for the bother"
Is it not possible that they look little
toSparty, too? That they long not only
for the alliance bat the leadership of.
the South ? they must remember that this
leadership was generally able and always
consistent, however uDwise. 1t was not
under that lead that they proclaimed both
secession ana coercion unconstitutional
that the war for the Union was constitu-
tional, but there was no constitutional
mode of conducting it; that an army
should be raised, but volunteering was
impracticable and drafting was upconstitu.
tioDal that 1t was right ia raise money
but wrong TO tax or borrow; that they
were opposed to emancipation, but not in
favor of slavery. 1t was not under that
lead that Andrew johnson was denounced
as Lincoln's satrap when he consented to
be provisional governor Of a State from
which the old Governor and Legislature
had run away, and cheered as a patriot
when he drove out the Governors and
Legislatures of half dozen States and