The Evansville journal., 1866-06-27

has not been fully completed on the
basis of liberty, justice and loyalty SO
long the government of the United
States must not be surrendered to
those who bore arms or plotted against
it during four years of mortal war. 1t
must remain in the hands of its
friends, and not be given up to Its
enemies. 1t must not pass into the
hands of those whose views and prln-
ciples form a standing threat to our
existence and prosperity as a nation.
The Union party, representing as 1t
does the loyal American people, Is not
vindictive. 1t does not dream OF
wholesale prosecutions. 1t has
Set to the world an example of Glenn
ency and moderation unparalleled In
the history of civil wars. Treason is
held to be crime all over the world.
Capital punishment is denounced
against it by the penal codes of all
nations. The rebels, by engaging in
most wicked and criminal effort to
overthrow the Government and to
destroy the Union of our country,
have forfeited their lives, their estates
and their political rights. Every one
of them, with the exception of those
who were forced into the rebel army,
might be tried and convicted, hung or
imprisoned according to the laws OF
our land and the universal law of
mankind; his property might be con-
sfscated and his political rights taken
away. Rebels might be pardoned, it
is true, but the Government would
have a right to impose the most rigid
conditions, Yet the Union party
proposes nothing of the kind. It
discards the policy of a Marius, Sulla
or Louis Napoleon. 1t has no Cay
enne or Siberia for political
prisoners. 1t has not executed
one man for a political crime,
1t does not thirst for blood
1t represents the magnanimity Of en-
lightened modern civilization, the hu-
name spirit Of the nineteenth century,
the noble generosity Of the American
people. 1t tells those who fought
against their own country; We will
not punish you. Let the pecuniary
losses which your rebellion has in
ficted upon you, suffice as your pun
ishment., We are prepared to enter a
universal nolle prOseQui; but we must
insist on one condition-it is security
for the fatturel We want no more civil
wars. We want no more rebellions,
no more secession, no more bloodshed.
We want an everlasting and prosper
GUS peace. Our terms are few and not
in the least oppressive. Give us Sc.
curity for the future, and we shall for
give the past. The guarantees which
we requiredo not affect the life, the lib
erty,, or the property. of a single indi-
vidual throughout the land. They
are intended merely to avert future
evils and protect our country against
future dangers. They are conceived
in spirit of liberty, justice, and mag
nanimity. They are of -
..-v'E'. y. usar, rifarI reInaIn apoIIsned in
fact and not merely in name. The
rights to live, to work, to enjoy the
fruits of his own, labor, to acquire and
sell property, shall be guaranteed to
every individual who lives in the Uni
ted States. - 4
. Secopdly-We tell the late rebels
We will not force negro suffrage upon
you, But as the negroes do not vote.
you must not vote for the negroes. as
they are not entitled to representation,
they must not give yoat an increased
representation. AS their votes are
not received, their numbers ought not
to be counted. AS no political power
is conceded to them, they must not
serve to give increased political power
to you. We will not presume to die
tate to you who shall vote in your
States; but VIC must insist that only
voters shall be represented. 1t shall |
not take 10000 Ohio white men to
send one representative to Congress.
while 5000 may do it in Mississippi;
thus giving greater political power to /
the late rebel than to the loyal patriots. |
Let justice be the basis Of representa- !
ton. ha
Thtrdly-We will not punish YOU
for your treason; but we cannot i'm |
pllcltly trust those who, after having /
taken a solemn oath to support the
Constitution of the United States.
peUured themselves by engaging in a
desperate effort to overthrow it. We /
will not be too hasty to give those who
have perjured themselves once, an op-
portunity of doing so again. We
will disfranchise no one; but those
of you who engaged in the attempt to
break up the Constitution you had
sworn to support, must not be elected
or appointed to federal Offices. But
even in this demand the Union party
will not be unrelenting; but if the
future conduct Of any one of the lead
ing rebels shall make amends for his
past two-thirds vote of Congress
will be sufficient to remove the dis
ability.
Foarthiy-We cannot possibly con-
'ent to the payment of the debts in .
'urred for the purpose of breaking /
Up our country. But we are bound {