Delaware State journal and statesman., 1866-10-02

make the argument any stronger to quote al
authority to you, especially such an authority
But Andrew johnson, in his proclamation
appointing Provisional Governors, says tha
1 he appoints Provisional Governors becaus
all civil government is destroyed in the re
= yolted States. With all civil government
destroyed, using his very language, wheri
I was the Slater Therefore, the idea that
State can never die, that State must alway
exist, and that State, by its people, cal
ngnt the Union for four years and then cont
back OF its own volition and undertake t
govern the Union, is a sophism and delu
sion unworthy of ON intelligent people
(Applause.)
Now, then, it is said further, that a State
cannot die and cannot lease its rights, be
cause it has no right TO secede. Let us iool
at that little further. find a man here or
the sidewalk weltering in his blood, his
throat cut and the bloody razor in his hand
showing case of suicide. Why, say the
man is dead. No, say you, he cannot be
dead he has no right to cut his throat. But
a question of right is not question of factl
10 that l answer this is question of fact
and not question of right and ! repeat
once more what l understand to be the true
principles of the great Republican party on
this question, that in this great contest not
one right of the government over these
States or over their citizens was lost, but
every right of every traitor on its soil was
forfeited and gone forever. (Applause.)
Ii we have settled this to our satisfaction
upon the principles of memorable logic and
truth, what is the condition of these peopleg
we have settled definitely what shall be the
rights Of Congress, or the rights of the rest
Of the nation? Their rights are all power.
tul. Their duty is another. Question-Now
IN all governmental troubles it has always
been found necessary to treat communities
as If they had erred or been misled, and as
if the mass needed forgiveness. But all
| governments have always treated as exam
pies those that misled their communities;
and that is our duty, it would seem to me, in
the present s-(applause)-t extend to
the south, to the southern men, who, as
communities, have been misled, our cordial
welcome back, when they will come back in
the spirit of truth, of Justice, of right, of
Kindness and of loyalty, in which we offer
to receive them.
But for the men that misled them, the
great representative men, let them be so
dealt with that no man hereafter shall ever
leave his seat in the Congress of the United
States, or desert the glorious flag for the pur-
pose Of taking command in the armies of our
enemies (Applause.)
AS 1 have said, governments must deal
with communities as if they had erred. As
| soon as the communities have shown q de-
sire to be received back in an humble-mark
the w0rd-in an humble thankiulness for
the clemency meted out to them-because it
is for men who have erred to be humble
when they acknowledge their mistake-I
would receive them.
| AS for the rest, l would answer here the
question put by the President. Would you
hang s,O00,0O02 MOI mol Mr.. President!
God Forbid But you begin and hang one,
and we will tell you when to stop. (Tre-
mendous applause)
Now Mr.. Davis is, perhaps, by no means
the worst man in the Southern Confederacy.
But he chose to have the place of a repre-
sentative man. He played for an empire
| and staked his life on the result, and let him
pay the forfeit (applause) as an example
for all time, that no man shall plot treason
| on the heels of the Congress Of the United
States. (Applause)
| What shall we say, fellow soldiers, of an
other man, who, educated in the military
academy of the United States-to be equal
to which we had to serve four years in the
field, mid blood and death, privation and
| imprisonment - brought up at the feet of
Gamaliel-the chosen, petted chief of staff
to the Lieutenant General of the United
States-on the 18th of April, 1861, when our
own neighbors and comrades were being
| ohOA hOMA III IGBlBleu his GOl0-
mission and went back to his native State?
For what purpose? For the purpose of, on
the morning of the 22d of April following,
receiving a commission as commander of ali
the rebel forces in Virginia.
Is there any man here so stupid as not to
| know that Colonel Lee of the New York
| cavalry, when he resigned his commission
on the 10Th of April, believed and knew that
he was to be appointed on the 22d comman-
der-in,chief of the rebel army of Virginia.
lie did know it. Now, then, fellow soldiers,
what shall be done with the soldier who
deserts his flag and takes with HIM the secrets
of his commanderY-(cries of Hang him;"
"Shooting is too good for HIM ')-who de-
serts for the purpose of taking command, or
is bribed by higher command in the armies
Of the enemies OF his country. Why we all
know that by every law human, and hope,
without irreverence, may say Divine JUS
tice, any soldier who deserts his flag for the
purpose OF taking command in the army of
the enemy shall surely suffer death. Gap
plause.)
But, say you, Gen. Lee followed the seces-
/ sion of his STATED Alas, my friends, history
shows that there was not left to him even
| the poor excuse for rebellion. On the 18th
Of April his State passed the ordinance of
secession; but they put in that ordinance
| that 1t should be void and of none effect un-
til it was ratified by the people at vote to
be taken on the 23d of the following NAV,
more than month afterwards, So that
Gen. Lee left the army of the United States
and went into Virginia and was at the head
of the rebel army OF Virginia before his State
seceded-carried her out at the point of the
bayonet.
Now, gentlemen, we had an Arnold, and
he escaped punishment; but he did not re-
main here. We have, as it seems to me, an
equally guilty traitor, and the question to be
| decided in this country is whether his sur
render as prisoner. of war, when he was
captured, shall avail him against the deser-
tion OF his flag, TO take service in the armies
Of the enemies of his country. (Cries of
mol nopO l therefore again say that l
would make an example of this man, so that
no soldier hereafter should ever desert the
| flag of his country. ("Good," cheers
And for the rest, the most humiliating spec.
tace that took place at the close of this war
was that there were rebels threatening, five
did not do pretty much as they wished, they
woudgo to Mexico, Brazil or South America
We have said to them, "Go; stand not upon
the order Of your going, but go at once.
More than that, here is free ticket on
United States transport, to take you wher-
ever you like, and the farther the better; but
| see TO ii that you never come backh Is
there one man here to doubt that il that
course had been taken there would be to-day
peace, quiet and amity with the south No
body doubts it. A golden opportunity was
then lost, but not lost forever.
We have offered TO the States IN rebellion
that if they accept the constitutional amend.
ment they shall return to their share in the
government. But, fellow soldiers, want to
add another condition to that, ("Good,"
good, " and you shall judge whether l
wish to be harsh. In the State of Texas lie