Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1866-05-19

aside State Governments, and setting up
new ones by his arbitrary power, were
acts of usurpation which merit impeach-
ment and capital penalty.
On the other hand, if secession is no
right, if there is no shadow oil legal JUS
LITIGATION for this murderous rebellion, if
the Confederates are traitors and if
when citizens levy war against the ma
ton. they forfeit the rights aud priyie-
ges of citizenship. aud the nation has the
right to prescribe the penalty for their
crime. and she terms upon which they
shall be restored to their relations as cit
liens, how can greater magnanimity be
asked than is granted in this plan, which
gives to inhabitants who have carried on
a four years war under a government
which they claimed to be foreign, the
immediate control of their State govern
ments, upon the condition of equal laws
for administering justice to all classes,
and which requires only an equalization
of representation, and that traitors shall
be disqualified from a voice in the ma
tional Government for the short probation
of four years, and that the principal of
ficers Of the reasonable Government
shall be excluded from Office in the ma
ton
If the war of secession is crime, is
there any in the criminal calandar that
equals il in attrocity Is it not mag
nnniinity without parallel that men gull
ty OF this sea of innocent blood shall be
permitted to retain life, liberty, property,
position in society, and control of local
government, and shall have no other
penalty than to be deprived of voice
in the National Government for rs many
years as they carried on n war TO destroy
it If we mean to establish that to le-
w war against the nation is a crime, can
we permit the leaders of such n war as
tins has been, to return TO the highest Of
fees in the Government, rs if they were
guiltless, aud TO be again entrusted with
the fate Of the nation which they be-
trsyed .' s.... ..r. ..i.
So far as we have observed the oppos
ition to this plan of restoration comes al
most entirely from those who hold that
the rebellion WIS no crime, and that tho
rebels incurred no legal penalties, either
personal or political who thinks it rad
.ical wrong that red handed traitors are
not at once brought into the Government,
and that the leading Confederate officers
are not translated into the leading posi-
lions in the National government. Thus
the plan distinctly raises the issue, whethe
the settlement shall be the establishment
of the right of secession, and the crimi-
naiity of the Government in preventing
it, or whether il shall be established that
secession is crime, or in the words Of
Mr.. johnson, that treason shall be made
odiOus and traitors punished.
The people who carried the Govern
ment through terrible war, and who did
not flag though three hundred thousand
of their sons wero slain 10y it, viii sustain
it in this, which Mr.. johnson calls ''the
third ordeal" They will not di> honor the
graves Of the patriot soldiers by exalting
traitors. The issue is as plainly made up
by this plan of restoration as it was in the
conflict of arms, and it may be presented
to the people with confidence that they
will meet this as they did the greater or
deal. -..l 80 ..l5..