The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1866-07-07

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1lsoa 1nd On thsir triaf for ID cs;ns rtsSa
1en ard theY oetht tesha thai - nh u,
Ehses nc< besA hnesd, t4t nof 4hig high
~ rotdng BY thS sids &c Girts, No s661bres
death for his cruelty to Union prisoner. I'm
mense applause
What rishta did these men. scrSeit2 Die
they forfeit anyf They not only forfe,te<
their lives and their property, but oil III.
rights they had, both civil and political, tha
they were entitled TO prior to their net Of trea
sen. demand to know ofaH man in, THU
lind, Who isan honest man, who is loy1I
man and true to his country, who claims e
be lawyer and to- have an understandings
the laws and rules in this land, to tell me q
not whether the man who commits tressca
does not forfeit his civil aud politics.
riehts, u well as his hfe, il By AZ; sentence
o. the courts II pleases his country to take
his life from him. Will your judges end
courts tell you, if q man steals five dollars,
and by the lava of the State is sent to the
Penitentiary, he by the laws forfeits his civil
and political rights, can neither vote, hold
office, sit on . Jury or give eyidesce in court
uath shese rights are restored to him by legia-
lative action and will they tell us that the
crime Of treason is less odious than such q
larceny? Will they a. lawyer and honest
men tell me that the man who ID traitor to
his country has rights without the legislative
department of his country having cast them
apoa him. (Applsnse. We gshould snm-
inc these questions calmly, and if leniency is
asked for traitors, we should at least demand
justice for ourselves. IRenewed applause ]
My fellow conntrymeu, my theory is this |:
They forfeited all the rights they had both
civil and political, and while they are in the
act Of treason against the Government, they
can claim no rights under the Constitution
and laws of the hand. After the act of trea-
son and armed rebellion has ceased, these
right scertainly do not return to them until
the powers Of this Government Of the United
Seates shah BY legislative action rehabillitaie
or re-clothe them with such rights as they
deem proper under the circumstances. They
may return then nj TO them If they have Q
mind 10, but none can the traitor have by his
own right; he takes none unless the Legis-
lature, which is the Congress of the country,
shall restore him to his rights. fApplause.
II the rule were otherwise-if the rule or law
was that man could commit treason to-day
and II he lay down his arms tomorrow he
could be restored to the same rights he had
before he committed treason, Z, would ask
you, what offence would treason be in this
country what crime would it be ? Certain.
~, by such a course it would be made res
pectAble, and not made odioas.
1t does seem to me that no lover of his
country would contend for any other position
hence when | End men advocating this rebel
dogma, am forced TO the conclusion that
heir sympathies run more in the rebel direc-
ton than in the loyal channel. IL does seem
to me that in the midst of the burdens of
taxation; after all the fears and suffering
the tears. the MORNINGS, the calamities, the
woes, the agonies and despair that have been
produced in our land by the action of trail
tors, we should not be lin hot haste" or too
eager to snub loyalty and fatter treason. by
an unexampled desirs to bear the blusterinss
Of disappointed snd whipped chiyalry IN tie
halls Of our National Legislature. The Rep
resentatives Of the insurrectionary States left
heir seats when they held them loyalty. by
heir own request and without our consent,
aud outside OF its being legal and right TO do
80. II would be well to let them understand,
....uen they return to take the sar,e seat in The
councils Of the a.s.oa, they must come back
at our request, aud by and with our consent,
1t may be well they should learn they cannot
re- occupy their vacant chairs by virtue Of
rights long ago forfeited by their own acts Of
nfamy, treaehery and treason.
If this be so far correct, my fellow citizens.
want to ask you, on this question of restor-
alton, or reconstruction as some call tit is
the question of restoring the relations that
formerly existed between the people of the
State and the National Government, restnr-
ing them again as they were prior u their dis
ruption of this rebellion-if these relations
are to be restored again, as presume they
will after while, at the proper time, ask
hos cd I - q fl
friends to tell me, and | am willing for them
to answer the question, into whose hands is
this decision of this question to be placed
Who is to perform this duty of restoring the
relations between these people Of the States
and the National Government Is it the trai.
tors of the land that are to have this author
ty? Is it the men just emerged from REBEL.
ION, with their hands crimsoned wita the
blood Of Union martyrs, that you are to in.
site to the duty of restoring these relations?
No. no DC. Or is it the work Of the
patriot to do that thing. tits either the rebel
pr the patriot and Union man must do this
1t is either the work of the men who we're
xilhng to and did saye this Government, or
Else il is the work Of the men Who attempted
TO destroy the Government, and who did over
throw their State organizations. 1t is the
work Of one or of the other, because the line
is drawn. There il a war political interfer-
e1ce to this question, and we are right OF the
traitors are right. The traitors assert, and
every rebel asserts, that they have right TO
prticipate in the Cover ment, and we assert
not so, not until We restore your rights un.
Ill then you have no voice in the affairs Of the
American people. Great applause. As
citizens of this land, into whose hands are
you going to turn this work over to for
halfovo THE sbnx,ld h. L. of a.
patriot and NOT the traitor. /, for one, say to
the traitor, f.You will be kind enough TO take
a back sest-thesc front chairs are reserved
for the faithful; they are employed in per.
forming work in accordance With the de-
signs on the ressleboard laid ont by patriots
this you do not understand; you could be Of
no service whatever, but rather you would in
terfere with the workmen. AS soon ss the
labor is performed you may enjoy its benefits
as thoush you had engaged in it, construc-
ton" (ApPlause. This is my idea Of who
ought to do this work, and how il ought to be
done. [Long continued applause.
Will these gentlemen tell me, and l would
ike to know tonight BY what right, fer what
act or deed are the.e men, who worked their
great work OF destruction in the land, to be
permitted as soon as they have succumced-
as they have been whipped into submission
so soon IS they have become loyal, as some
of these gentlemen say, to enjoy these priv.
leges? Why, . representative from this State
Judge Marshall-said these men were just
as loyal as anybody, becssae they were obey
ing the law. That may be correct, on the
same principle. as the horse thief IN the peui
Tertiary is just as honest as anybody because
he is obeying the law. The same argument
applies to one as does to the otherssF If they
are loyal because they obey the laws, they
obey them on the same principle a. the con
Wet ID the penitentiary does; not from choice
but because thsy can't help it. fApplasse. ]
Then | ask, a ! did moment ago, What