Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1866-05-14
'W1TRI MALICE TOWARDS NONE AMI
CHARITY FNR ALL,

When the Unionists of Maryland were
called upon to endorse the policy of the late
lamented President, and did endorse it, it was
never supposed that the time would come when
under the goadings of partzan zeal, of hatred
and confessed revenge, they would abandon q
wise and safe policy looking to a true peace,
to follow in the wake of the most vindictive of
the ultralsts, or that any here would expect
success in such course. With the end of
the war, it was supposed would come peace:
but disappointed, it becomes the duty of all to
see what they have to expect in the future.
and to act accordingly. The charge of de-
fiction so fercel y made against the President
on account Of alleged undue leniency. is .
charge from which Mr.. Lincoln suffered during
his whole illustrious career as the Chief Magis-
trate; and NTH bitter NltrqiSn, conceded the
ascendancy, 1t is nor becoming palmer ecerv
day, that not during the lifetime Of the present
generation, shall ire hare Il substantial peace.
1t was to have been hoped that the Union
party of Maryland would not have suffered it,
self to be divided upon issues thus forced uron
the country, and mainly by such politician
as Mr.. Thaddeus Stevens of Pennsylvania,
and those few ultras who 90 along with him;
and we say mainly, in speaking of this matter,
because the fact is patent to the nation that
had it not been for lis fierce dominance in
the House, a savage and revengeful dictation
to which that body has weakly surrendered it
self, the mischievous and i'll timed 'EThird
section" of the Reconstruction Committees
Report would never have been passed, and
material have been thus furnished to widen
the breach, fast closing previous to this, be-
twixt the North and the South.
And disguise it, or apologize for it, or pal
late the movement embraced in that salient
point of the Report as they may, more bare
faced and simply political measure to influence
presidential campaign added to an insane
desire to punish, was never attempted to be
foisted upon the country in the assumed in
terests of patriotism And if any one thinks
that we have overstated the influence of Mr..
Stevens in this matter or his purposes. we
need only call attention to his language in the
closing debate on the Joint Resolution, and
his specifications as to the Third Section. He
said:
"He considered it the rtal proposition of
''the whole amendment. Without it, it amount
''ed to nothing. Without it, he arould not
''gire the snap Of his finger wbether the joint
resolution waS passed or not"
Mr.. Stevens went on to acknowledge. that
it acaS 'for party he was striving, and ex-
ulted in the declaration; and proceeded to
enunciate sentiments much more fitted in their
blood-thirsty "reminiscences, for such a BODY
as the Jacobin club of the old revolutionists of
Paris, than for the Congress of the United
States whilst protesting to be engaged in the
work OF restoring the Union; telling Congress
and the nation and the world. that a great sec
ton, clearly misled to its rum by demagogues,
should continue ruined-if he could accom-
pllsh it-for all time to come; that its people
should be kept in ''that penitentiary which is
''guarded by bayonets dorm Jeyo,c. and if
they undertake to come back we will shoot
''them;'' that ''the penitentiory of HE'LL is the
'.pen5tentiary that they deserve to hare till
'then'
And after this Thersites, this malignant,
had delivered himself of such'sentiments. sem
timents SO atrocious in their folly and madness
that could they be adopted by the american
people, ace could NEVER hare the Union restored
again, the admiring, or awed, or COMPOUNDED
circle around him proceeded humbly to do his
bidding, to sanction his savage utterances and
wishes; and yet these men expect to return to
the people OF this country after they go back to
their homes, to talk to them of O. restored
relationship of trade" of Commercial in
tercourse," of all that makes for "mutual in
terests!' VIII they be listened to, with the
remembrance of all this ranking in their
hearts can this be the ''MAIICE TOWARD NONE
AND CHARITY FOR ALI" of the great and la
mented Lincoln, national leader and cham
plon of the Union cause, worthy of if, and in
connection with whose name Thaddeus Ste
vens and his abbetors in this sad and disgrace
ful episode are not worthy of being mentioned
Such was the exhibit made in the House:
and when this famous amendment" comes
before the Senate for its action, we exnect q
virtual repetition of the scene, inasmuch as
one but little inferior to the PENNSYLVANIA
Ihersltes in bitter invective will be on hand
IN the person of Wade Of Ohio, to force if
through. But for one we never shall believe
that when these doings come to be commended
to the calm good sense and christian forbear
ance OF the American people, they will give
them their sanction The kindly policy inau-
gurated by Mr.. Lincoln and urged more ear
nestly than ever at the close of his illustrious
career, and now sought to be continued by his
successor, is that policy they will insist upon
having adopted, and although the knot of
fanatics now seeking to keep the Union severed
Tor their own selfish ends, may try to stem
the national current which sets i'll the direction
OF restored friendly relationship betwixt the
sections, may struggle on, they will at last 90
under, and the nationality will be saved.
And that the battle over this policy will be
herce and relentless on the part of Stevens
and his followers, all must expect: and if the
people Of Maryland do not intend to fall into
the wake of this bitter opponent of their best
interests, they must be up and doing. The
Omon is not merely Union of distractions,
OF something to quarrel over merely to ele-
Vate demagogues to place and power; but it is
substantial good, and it must be fought for
go o-AS NNt1iinS pOlltICdI struggle With the
same earnestness that prevailed when it was
foug ht for in the field. Busy, since peace came.
in restoring our trade with the now apgrilv
prescribed section; seeking means to pay our
share of the national indebtedness, must we,
at the dictation of a set of reckless gamblers
with the nations best interests, consent to
the sundering of these ties-shall we tall into
line with Thaddeus Stevens and Ben. Wade
as fuglemen, and consent that that peace so
earnestly fought for, and VIII ich we sunnosod
we had won, shall be postponed indefinitely?
The Onionists of Maryland fought for the |
Union; not for revenge; not to aid in sati..
ting the angry vindictiveness of Tbad g.
vens over the destruction of his foundry. an
incident in his experience which seems -
have turned his very brain, and embittared IL |
nature to that extent that he never shon1d ho
considered a safe counsellor again. Neither
did they fight to fasten upon the nation the
vagaries of Sumner; and if there are those
here who are willing to endorse enrnities and
tolhes so great, it is consolation to know
that however, fhav cool 10 T.. IL.