The Vinton record. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1866-1891, 1866-11-29
ono MORE PUNISHMENT OF
THE SOUTH"

AA1 w ~
Gerrit Smith is out in a long let
ter to Professor Taylor Lewis, OF
Union College, Schenectady, on
the situation of National affairs
He says:
81 see that you continue to write
for the salvation of that dear coun-
try. Well you may!-for she is,
this day, more fearfully imperilled
than she was at any time durin g
'the clash of arms / have read
your pamphlet entitled: Frhe Heroic
Period of a Nations History |
wish every one could read its wise
and high-souled pages. There is,
however, one blot upon them.--
They favor the shedding Of more
blood. You would have the South
punished, after she had laid down
her arms. Some of her most prom
inent men you would have had
punished with death. s., .t..- s.-.
|, 81 wonder that you, who are SO
familiar with the writings Of the
most approved publicists, do not
fall in with the conclusion, that a
strife, which has reached the di,
mensions and dignity of a civil war,
and especially civil war, which,
like our own, divides a people into
distinct and completed National
organizations, has outgrown the
crime of treason. Their arguments
for this conclusion, together with
such as would suggest themselves
to a mind as enlightened as your
own, must, it would seem, lack
nothing to convince you OF its en-
tire soundness. 9 / need hardly add
that / dissent from your definition
Of a civil war.
at is mainly the fault of the
Government, when one-halt of a
nation breaks away from the other.
Had our Government been ever
wise and JUST the great secession,
which has soaked our soil, with
blood, would not have been. When
one-half of England, or France, or
Spain shall break away from the
other, the worlds sympat1lies will
pretty certainly be with the insur-
gents-torl the world will pretty
certainly infer that the insurgents
were wronged. Moreover, if the
insurgents should fail to maintain
their cause and to right their
wrongs, the world will pretty GER
tainly feel that their failure is of
itself their quite sufficient punish
ment. Who is so foolish as to be-
lieve that, had the whole history
of our Government been bright
with wisdom and beautiful with
justice, there would have been thus
throwing off Of its restraints and
this. defiance Of its powers"
Pity for the South, not punish
ment, is then Urged by Mr.. Smith,
who then continues '- ''.
"Ever since the surrender of the
South, have felt that the first du-
ty of the North and the South was
a common repentance for com
mon repentance for a common sin.
The discharge of this duty, togeth-
er with the mutual forgiveness
which would have instantly follow
ed, would have instantly followed,
would have proved a mighty up
ward educator of both North and
South; and it is for the lack of this
very educator, that the character
of both North and South has all
| this time been going downward
From such repentance and forgive
ness, peace would have come long
ere this, and it would have been a
permanent, because a pure peace.
Such peace can now hardly be
looked fora peace, which can
come not until each section shall
condemn itself and forgive the
other" u If E# RI
Next follows some good advice
to General Butler: .l. ,asl
"Mr. Davis has, indeed, wronged
his country; and, through his mis-
apprehensions Of him, has particu.
larly wronged General Butler. But
so, also, have the country and Gen
Butler wronged Mr.. Davis. The
countryside North as well as the
South-moulded his pro- slavery
character, and is largely responsi.
BILE for what has come to him and
his country from that character
Our guilty Nation,ih looking upon
Mr.. Davis, should rather pity than
} hate its, own legitimate offspring
And General Butler, instead of in.
voking punishment on the head o1
Mr.. Davis, had better fall on his
knees before him in penitent re-