Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1866-03-29

UUion man Is arrested and maltreatcd by
the marauding band. aforesaid, five or more
rebels, from the IN ,st prominent in the i'm.
me late ghhorh0od, shall be arrested
imprisoned, and otherwise dealt with as the
| case NAV require and further, in all cases
where the property Of citizens loyal to the
Government of the United States is taken
or destroyed. full and ample remuneration
shall be madt to them out Of the property
of such rebels in the vicinity as have
symp ithzed with, and given aid, comfort
information or encouragement to the par
ties committing such depredations.
HIS HATRED OF TREASON.
The people Of Nashville elected a sccea-
sionist to the office Of judge of the cir
cult court, and he gave him his commissions;
''hut," says his biographer, fearing that
he might abuse the power thus vested 10
him. ordered his arrest, and sent him TO the
pententiary on tho same day" Time will
not permit me TO notice a tithe of the acts
by which he effaced the suspicion that his
apparent devotion to jnsice and the Union
resulted from personal controversy between
him and the more aristocratic leaders of
tho South, and satisfied the loyal people of
the country that hs hate treason because
it was a crime, and would use any power
with which they might invest him to punish
the leaders of the rebellion, and prevent
them from acquiring weight and influence
in the councils of the ltion.
WHAT HE SAID ON ACCEPTING THE NoMT-
.. NATION.
Let me, in this connection, briefly remind
you how explicit he was when accepting the
nomination by some extracts from his ad-
dress: ...
"Ths question is, whether man is capable
Of self government. hold with Jefferson,
that government was made for the conve!
nience Of man aud not man for government.
The laws and constitutions were designed
as instruments to promote his welfare. And
hence, from this principle. conclude that
governments can and ought to be changed
and amended to conform to the wants, to
the requirements and progress of the people
and the enlightened spirit of the age.
Aud let me say that now is the time to
secure these Fundamental principles, while
the land is rent with anarchy and uPheaving
with the throes Of mighty revolution -
While society is in this disordered state.
aud we are seeking security, let us fix the
foundations of the Government on princi
Piles of eternal justice which will endure for
all time"
Again:
but in calling Convention to restore
the State, who shall restore and re-estabsh
it? Shall the man who gave his influence
and his means to destroy the Government :?
Is he to participate in the great work Of
reorganization Shall he who brought this
misery upon the State be permitted to con
troll its destinies? If this be SO, then all
this precious blood Of our brave soldiers and
officers. so freely poured out will have been
tanl c,Nii iAl NIn vlNrs u,n
won by our noble armies will 40 for naught,
and all the battle-felds which have been
sown with dead heroes during the rebellion
will have been made memorable in vain.
"Why all this carnage and devastation
1t was that treason might be put down and
traitors punished Therefore | say that
traitors should take a back seat in the work
of re- Storatinn. 1t there he but five thous-
and men in the State of Tennessee loyal to
the Constitution, loyal to freedom, loyal to
justice, these true and faithful men should
control the work Of reorganization aud re-
formation absolutely. say that the traitor
has ceased to be citizen, and in joining
the rebellion has become a public enemy.-
He forfeited his right to vote with loyal men
when he renounced his citizenship and
sought to destroy our Government"
And again:
"Ah these rebal leaders have strong
personal reason for holding out, to save
their necks from the halter; and these lead
ers must feel the power of the Government!
Treason must be made odious, and traitors
must be punished and impoverished Their
plantations must be seized and divided into
small farms, and sold to honest and indus
trious men. The day for protecting the
lands and negroes of the authors OF rebellion
is past. It is high time it was. have
been most deeply panied at some things
which have come under my observation. =
We get men in command who, under the
Influence of aattery, fawning and caressing
grant protection to the rich traitor, while
the poor Union man stands out In the cold
often unable to get receipt ora voucher
for his losses. The traitor can get lucra
tive contracts, while the loyal man is push
ed aside. unable to obtain recognition.
ANDREW JOHNSON ON NEGRO EQUALITY
But time flowed on, and as the election
approached he became more emphatic. Il
was to be held on the 9th of November, anC
on the evening OF the oath of October thu
colored people of Nashville and the vicinity
paraded in great numbers, bearing torches
transparencies and banners, and Governe
johnson found It convenient to meet ant
address them. War was still Hagrant, AM
the Southern arstocracy were not to bt
represented in the electoral college, th
members of which were to vote for him .
Mr.. Pendleton as Vice President. But tn
people of the North. who believed that jus
lice, equal aud exact justice to all, was tn
only sign by which the rebellion could b
conquered would vote. He had been
Democrat and stakeholder, and was the
, penetrated with the belief he has since ez
, pressed, that the radicals in convention or
l posed his nomination on that account.
, But let him speak for himself "Negr
!, equality, indeed" cried he; why pass an
! day along the sidewalk of High stree,
:. where these aristocrats more particular
a dwell-these aristocrats whose sons are no
!. in the bands of guerrillas and cut throat
who prow and rob and murder around ou
e city-pass by these dwellings, | say, an
y you will see as many mulatto as negro chile
ren-the former bearing an unmistakable r.
semblance to their aristocratic owners.
Colored men OF Tennessee. this too, sha
!. cease. Your wives and daughters shall Z
\ longer be dragged into c)ncabinage, COL
q pared to which polygamy is a virtue,
v satisfy the brutal lusts Of Shareholders al
= overseers. Thenceforth the .sanctity
\ God,s holv law of marriage shall be respeC