The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1866-01-05

been held by the citizens of the late slave
holding communities, has not, probably, Deen
improved by recent events. The part tney
have borne in the struggle which mas .er1hln-
ated in their emancipation, calIo1 i..ii " e1-
cite feelings of resentment ON tne pHC Vi tne
new condition of affairs may be accepted, il is
accented only and because 1t has been enforc-
Cd nv tbe military power OF the nation., To
DECLARE the slaves free, and under such cir
cnmstances remit them to tie unrestrained
control of their former masters, with such
powers in the State to Cypress, would be but
mockery, delusion and cruelty, keeping the
promise to the ear, but breaking it to the
hope" 1t is said that the exercise of such
powers as are above referred to, has never been
practised in free States, and should not be an
ticipated? True, but in no free state has there
ever existed temptation to the perpetuation
of such injustice, and, besides, in the free
State the ballot is held by so many hands that
it would be only the audacity OF madness
which should attempt it. 1t Is the ballot in
the free State, mighter than the sword, that
protects liberty and STILES even the conception
of tyranny. .-.., L.'. go.
What we are at liberty to anticipate, after
the attempt to overthrow such a government
as ours, he would be a very wise man who
could set the limit. ~. s-
The country has reached a crisis IN its at
fairs, most momentous. The settlement Of
the questions of this day, is pregnant for good
or for evil, and any adjustment which ignores
the demands of justice and freedom, faithful
service and unbending loyalty, will give rise to
| controversies as sharp, bitter, and, it may be,
! as calamitous as any we have experienced.
The reconstruction OF the "insurrectionary
| States" and the restoration Of their relations
| to the general government, is part OF the
great problem forcing itself on the people OF
| this nation. Precedents and analogies are
wanting to give us any clue to the solution
! How stands the case? The life of the nation
was assailed for the avowed purpose of estab-
fishing government, the corner stone Of
which was to be human bondage. The mon
strous effort failed and with it has gone forth
the fiat recoverable that in the United States
| slavery shall be known no more. The rebel
| lion was terminated by no treaty nor COM
promise Of any sort whatever; it was actual
! " und literally crushed out by military power.
The revolving States held out till their powers
of endurance and effort were utterly exhaust
ed. They were absolutely overrun and
| terms granted on the surrender OF their
armies have been and will be punctil-
| iously observed on the part ofthe government,
but these did not even imply restoration of
political rights and only covered the personal
| security of those composing the armies. In
| the reconstruction of those communities,
| what is obviously the first requirement of
/ common sense, common justice and common
| prudence in the disposition of political power
| to persons therein? If any number of the
| citizens OF those States sufficient to establish
and maintain government which should not
| be a burlesque upon republican governments,
are and have been thoroughly and truly loyal
| during the rebellion, maintaining their ale
| glance to the flag of the nation, are not these
the persons to be entrusted with the recon-
| struetion Of them to the exclusion ofsuch as
| were not; and should not loyalty, genuine 10y
| atty, be the first qualification demanded to
| authorize a participation in political afiairsa
! By loyalty / mean that sentiment which pr0mpt-
ed you, gentlemen, who have just returned
from the CORY strife, TO take your lives in your
| hands and 60 forth to the defence of your
country. mean that devotion to her catrse
which has moved our people to lay down their
lives by myriads in her behalf. mean that
spirit which regards no sacrifice too great to
preserve her life and maintain her authority
mean by loyalty, a love of country which
surpasses the affection of child for parent
/ mean that patriotism, which, holding our
! government to the best ever devised by man,
! or vouchsafed by heaven to any people, de-
| .sires no other and will except no other and is
willing to risk all in its defence lido not
mean treason whitewashed by legal formulas,
To this requirement. I can conceive but one
answer: In that mighty struggle, who were
| the fast and only friends Of the govern
| ment in The rebellious reeionsp Excent;nr
the State of Tennessee. outside of our miiitary
lines there were none but the slave to a.
homage to the flag of the Union: or. If anv
4 Others. so few an exceptional as hardly fl, he
4 taken into account in this solution of shis
problem. That in these rebellious commune
ties there are men enough who maintained
their LOYALTY to the United States through the
/ struggle who lent no willing aid to the effort
to overthrow the government, outside the SER
vile class, to Justify the re-establishmept of
governments in those States and ths restora-
| tfon efpolitical relations within the Union by
and through them, Is fact, the certain assur-
ance Of which would be as gratifying as be-
| lieve it to be improbable If then there are
not white loyalists enough to establish govern.
ments in these States and to restore them to
their former relations, is this privilege to be
accorded to rebels and traitors? Treason,
under the constitution and laws is the highest
] of crimes. 1t has been said that at Should
be made Infamous" thus far it has been no
more dangerous to those who have been guilty
/ of it, than to those who have resisted it. The
battlefield and camp have had equal perils
for all. ~ 5li -dsl3
A Judicial condemnation Of all engaged in
the rebellion, 1t Is impossible TO have; but the
Judicial finding OF Inc quit IN every Indlvldu-
al case, would not add strength to the convic-
ton of the universally of its existence in the
rebel States. This statement is not made be-
/ cause of any belief OF desire that the govern
| mept of the United States Should exercise its
4 just powers to punish these subjected people,
/ enormous as have been their crimes. The in
Vulnerable multitude Of our people Slaughter
ed upon the battle-felds of the rebellion; our
brothers who have persisted by thousands, the
| victims of a merciless and calculating cruelty
| in the prison pens and stockades OF the south !:
| the enormous debt with which the industry of
our country has been laden constitute an ag-
gregate of crime so vast as to seem like the
ffightful phantasms of delirious dream rath-'
er than living reality, and surpasses the pow
er Of human justice to avenge. 7iehs
The President of the United States, in the
| legitimate exercise of his authority, has grant
| ed amnesty to large classes Of offenders, ex-
4