The Daily empire. (Dayton, Ohio) 1865-1867, 1866-08-20
The spIrlt of ihe Rndlcnls.


the south, by reviying the recollectlon Of
all the real and imputed atrocities Of the
recent war.
TIE gentlemen who went TO Philadelphia
as delegates from the Southern States, 70
re-establish the amicable intercourse aud
friendly relations that existed before the
war. are stigmatized a. unhung pirates
assassins and murderers. The people Of
the South are abused and traduced as rob-
bers, traitorA and plotters for the over
throw Of the liberties of their country.
A mau of Mr.. SBELLABARaER's intelli-
gence knows that language Of this Kind Is
not only unbecoming patriot and a gem
tleman, but that It is essentially false. The
war has been sad enough In all It's aspects,
without resorting 10 faisefi0o,i, sss.1a ma
licious defamation to make it worse. Itwas,
upon the part of the South, an effort 20 es-
tabllsh a separate and Independent govern
ment--a result which was the darling
scheme Of Abolitionism from It's inception
until the firing Of the FIRST gun Of the late
rebellion. The dissolution Of the Union
was for years the fondest dream OF that
radicalism of which Mr.. SBELLABARGER is
now so able disciple. 1t never hesitated
to denounce all the compromises, even that
in the Constitution ITSELF which were m~ e
for the preservation of the Federal Union
There never was a moment that plighted
faith. however sacred, would not have met
an instant sacrifice to achieve the over
throw of slavery. IL was because It was
feared that even at the last moment recon
ciliation between the North and South
would again be effected by compromise,
that the spirit Of Radical abolitlOnism made
war a necessity, expecting by that means
to attain its final purpose.
The war was fought, not to overthrow
the constitution of the United States as to
those States which desired to adhere to 1t
as fundamental law--and this Mr.. SHRLLA-
BARGER well knows--it was fought TO estab-
lish a new federal government over those
States who had accepted the doctrine of an
irrepressible conflict taught by abolition
ism.
There were, no doubt, many atrocities
committed, but they were not confined to
one party alone of the combatants.
Until radicalism can answer why it did
not accede TO repeated offers upon the
part of the Confederate Government to
effect general and complete exchange of
prisoners, these gentlemen may well spare
their tears over the horrors of Anderson
vile and the Libby prison. The candid
pen of history will record it as an indelible
evidence of brutality, unparalleled in the
annals of civilized warfare, that the Federal
Secretary of War allowed our wounded
and MANNED soldiers to rot aud die in the
open prisons of the South, because, if an
exchange had been effected, sound men
would have been restored to the armies of
the Confederacy.
Mr.. SHELLABARoER glibly denounces the
men whom the Federal Government re-
cognized as belligerents, now that they are
conquered-as murderers, assassins, and
pirates. This is brave--it Is the impulse of
that high and chivalric sentiment that
MmRoY and TURCHIN, BUTLER, HUNTER,
and SCHENCK exhibited in their brilliant
careers-but, alas there can be no trace of
1t found In that "infamOus arrangement of
the obscure SHERMAN, which was so swiftly
stigmatized by radicalism as ''SHERMAN's
shame" nor, even, in the final capitulation
by which GRANT, who, rs Mr.. SHELLABAGER
expresses it, "went through to the con-
quest of the continent and the fame Of the
age" fixed the final seal of failure upon
the rebellion. ftEIE y fHi
1t is mean and cowardly to stigmatize
those who have been met and overcome In
honorable warfare rs ''assassins and pirates.'
The men who fought under the Confeder-
ate flag on the ocean were not pirates, and
no man better knows this than Mr.. SAMUEL
SHELLABARGER. They were recognized as
lawful belligerents, not only by the Federal
Government, but by the other powers of the
world. SO with those who fought under
the same flag on the land. They believed
they had the right toseparate themselves
from the North, and that abolitionism was
sincere when it proclaimed for twenty
years ''no union with Shareholders" They
appealed to the arbitrament of arms. They
were overcome. They submit to the de-
NASiOh SOoN anu ann again W ut
participants in the Government from which
they sought in vain to separate themselves.
The war was like other wars. Men were
killed, and property was destroyed. The
Confederate armies finally surrendered,
upon conditions which were alike liberal to
them and honorable TO their cOnquerors.
They were, therefore, neither assassins,
murderers, nor pirates,
Mr.. SHELLABARGRR thinks that the people
of the South are not loyal to the Constitu-
ton. Wen, how is this to be determined ?
Is there any longer any resistance to its
authority, or to the authority of the Fed
eral Government in the Southern States ?
Has not general amnesty been declared,
by competent authority, absolVlng all from
accountability, under certain conditions
and restrictions, by reason of participation
in the rebellion? Does any one refuse to
take an oath of allegiance 10 the Constltu-
tion of the United States9 If there are
any such they are certainly not fit to hold
Office, nor are they entitled to any Of the
rights and privileges of citizens.
The great trouble with radlcalism is that
! A. has awakened IN tha consciousness thai