The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1866-04-13
Treason and Traitors.

81 say that traitors should take
back seat in the work of restoration.
If there be but five thousand men in
Tennessee loyal to the Constitution,
loyal to freedom, loyal to justice, these
true and faithful men should control
the work of reorganization and re-
formation absolutely. | say that the
traitor has ceased to be citizen, and,
in Joining the rebellion, has become
public enemy. He forfeited his right
to vote with loyal men when he re-
nounced his citizenship and sought to
destroy orr government. We say to
the most honest and industrious for
eigner who comes from England or
Germany to dwell among us, and to
add TO the wealth of the country, Be
fore you can become a citizen You must
stay here five years If we are so
cautious about foreigners, who volun-
tarily renowned their homes to live
with us, what SHOULD we say to the
traitor, who, although born and reared
among MS, has raised parricidal hand
against the government which always
protected him? My Judgment is that
he should be subjected to n severe or
deal before he is restored to citizen.
ship. A fellow who takes the oath
merely to save his property, and denies
the validity of the oath, is perjured
man and not to be trusted. Before
; these repenting rebels can be trusted,
let them bring forth the fruits of re-
| pentence. He who helped to make all
these widows and orphans, who drap-
ed the streets of Nashville in mourn
ing, should suffer for his great CRIME.
"Treason must be made odious, and
traitors mast be punished and impov-
erisLed; their great plantations must
5 be seized, and divided into small farms
, and sold to honest, AMI industrious
: men. The day for protecting the
lands and negroes of those authors o.
the rebellion is past. 1t is high time
i it was. have been most deeply
a panied at some things which have
. come under my observation. We ge'
a men in command who, under the in
S huence of hattery, fawning and caress
: ing, grant protection to tue rich traitor
0 while the poor Union man stands on
i'm the cold, often unable to get re
5 eeipt or voucher for his losses. Th'
e traitor can get lucrative contracts
). while the loyal man is pushed aside
/ unable to obtain a recognition"
! The foregoing very patriotic word
!, are the sentiments of loyal people gen
= orally. We believe that "traitor
: should take back seat in the work @
y restoration" and that treason mus
: be made odious, and traitors must b
punished" But how is the work O
f restoration going on?' The Presiden
of the United States wants traitors t.
take front" seat, and instead G
I furnishing, is pardoning, without stint
those who raised a parricidal han
I against the government which Away
protected them" The arch traitor {
all, jeff Davis, ferawhose arrest a larg
f, sum of money was offered, remain
confined at Fortress Monroe with Ii
70 tie prospect of ever being brought
tiial for his great crime" The note
rious pirate Semmes has been release
" on his parole, and other equally q
al guilty traitors have been set at libe
u ty. The evidence before the Recon
IS. struction Committee shows beyond til
h. paradyenture Of doubt that as ran
treason prevails in some sections