The Union and journal., 1866-08-10
MAKING TREASON oDIoUs.

MAKING TREASON 0DI0US.
One Of tho things which made Mr.. John
son Vice President, and by the death Of Mr..
Lincoln President oflhe United States, was
his cclebn,ed saying, Treason mua he
made odious, and traitos punished" The
Union.loving people Of this country saw
safety in thar speech. They adhered to 4
man to that programme. They felt, and
feel, that IL the leading traitors su broush,
10 punishmcnt for their moustrous chmes
and IL treason b made odious, the country
is safe, for we may hope to gain oil eiso by
argument and by the help Of time.
Somehow traitors have not yet been pun.
ished. Many Of the vilest and most per-
nieious have been pardoned |; and the chief
Of all still lies In prison. Nevertheless,
treason is daily becoming moro odious {;
there Is no doubt about Il. II was moro
odious on the day afer tho Memphis riots
than II was before; and Il was moro odious
when the colored Unionists Of Georgia were
driven away from the Union soldiers srnves
they wished 10 decorate than Il was before.
It become still more odious yesterday morn.
ing as people read the account Of tho New
Orleans riots and the New York Daily
News, the Richmond Enquirer, and half a
dozen journals conducted in similar spirit,
make Il moro and moro odious every day.
Not only is the spirit Of treason becoming
odious by the lawles and defiant coune Of
the men who lately were engaged in an at.
tempt to overthrow the Government and
Union, and who have been 20 freely forgiv-
en- for their crime traitors as well rs treas.
on arc becoming odiouS The process by
which this is brought about Is not precisely
that which was In peoples minds when
they applauded Mr.. Johnson for his famous
phrase. But It ID just rs efiectual it may
turn out to be moro 90.
For the condemnation which the South.
ern leaders are bringing upon themselves is
more severe, and will bring with it sevcrer
penalties, than any Of the Courts would have
dccrecd. The Union loving people are
quietly watching these men; they see them
everywhere tho abe,tors of violence, Of un-
righteousness, stirring up sedition, aud in
dustrious sewers Of hatred and uncbaritn.
blcness turbulent, lawless, defiant. They
draw their own conclusions from all that
has passed in the last year in tho South |;
and those conclusions arc not favorable to
the continued rule Of the class which boost
fully pretends TINT il alone can and ought to
rule In the Southern States.
If there Is any man Of influence and OF
common sense in those States, he would do
well to warn those who were lately engaged
in rebellion, that they will he wise to act
somewhat moro cautiously and pridently
than they arc doing. They ought to under
stand that, though the twenty millions who
fought for the Union are patient and long
suffering, they arc not fools. They would
do well to remember that by about twenty.
four millions Of our population treason and
rebellion are regarded us crimes deserving
Of the heaviest punishment and that every
lawless act, every reckless defiance, every
boastfhl assumption on the part ofmen who
were rebels and traitor, only strengthens
the sentiment, which is growing rapidly in
the Northern States, that Cancellation Of
truitors Is a huge blunder, free pardon a
deadly mistake, and severity and the strict
enforcement Of the laws against treason
and rebellion the only wholesome or safe
course.
1t should be remembered that il Is not yet
too late to revise aud reverse oil that has
been done in the way Of reconstruction.
Already the very name Of pardon has be-
come hateful to the Uaion loving people,
and every rebel pardoncd cxcitcs new alarm
and dissatisfaction Already people bcgin
to feel, and to say, that the rebel lenders
ought not to be pardoncd, that the chief
movers in every State ought to be treated as
the criminals they are, or at best as aliens,
and, IL they arc permitted to stay in the
country at all, should have this permission
only on condition that they rcinin from oil
part in politics, either by speaking, writing,
voting or holding Office.
Public sentiment Is moro set now upon
confining Office to the original Unionists,
than il was six or three months ngo; the
people more universally demand the exccu.
ton Of the laws against treason now than
they have ever done since Lees surrender.
II Congress had chosen to adopt cons,itu.
tional amendment guarantying, in the name
Of the nation. not only equal rights bait
equal suffrage, Il would need only another
New Orleans riot to gain the vote Of every
Northern State for such measure.
The lawles class in the Southern States
seem to bo engaged in Deliberate attempt
to mako free government impossible there |;
let them not 60 too far; let them remenber
that the patience Of those who supported
the Union when they wrro in arms to de-
stroy il has limit and that there is only one
thing whatever may happen 10 rob
els and TRAITORS, whatever Inconvenience
they have TO he put to, or whatever severity
Of punishment may bs required to hold
them in awe, the American people arc de.
iermined justice shall be done, liberty
equal and impartial libcny-shaIl DO main.
iained, and equal rights shall 10 enforced on
every foot Of our territory. Pahoned
trsitor IKE this Monroe, Mayor Of New
Orleans, and hundreds Of othcn. arc max |
Ing treason 20 odious here, by tbsir osiiragc- |