Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1866-04-19
XpIsLoYALTY-A FALSE CHARGE.

The logged determination of party
hacks to keep up the distinction of loyal
and disloyal citizens, is evidence Of an
amount of malice that fierce war might
create, but peace cannot destroy. If the
Government, in prosecuting the war on
the South, meant to wreak horrid ven
geance and not to restore its authority
and the harmony of the sections then
these men, in continuing the strife, are
truly loyal But we have recorded testi-
mony to the point that the Government
claimed the allegiance of TIE South, and
that the purpose Of the war was 10 en-
force recognition of it. The moment
the war ceased, the hour the surrender
took place, the whole South, from neces-
sity, of course, was as loyal to the Wash
ington Government as New England
itself There was then not only no rival
government in existence, but there was
no pretense of one. The last pillar of
the Confederacy hurled to the earth n
broken, disjointed ruin, announced the
triumph of the claim of the Northern
Government to the allegiance and loyalty |
of the South Peace conld come upon
no other condition than absolute submis-
sion. That submission was made in good |
faith, AID up to this hour no attempt has
been made, or thought OF even, to evade
its terms. In point OF fact-and so the dis
passionate Judgment Of the world will de-
termine-the treaties OF GRANT aud LEE,
and SHERMAN and JoHysroy, were the
trne basis OF peace, because the good
faith of the belligerenis was mutually
pledged If allegiance, or loyalty, was
demanded on one hand, il was conceded
on the other, and the Government is
bound by the arrangement. When two
parties, capable Of contracting, effect an
arrangement, violation Of the terms Of it
by one, relieves the other from obligation
TO respect it, At the time the surrender
was iAlAAAff WV
flags, confronted each other One ac-
ceded 10 the demand of the other, on
conditions, These conditions are well
known The South surrendered TO the
demand made by the Government, that
its people return to the allegiance they
had attempted to cast off That moment
they became loyal to the Washington
Government; that moment they renewed
their allegiance
LAS the war was waged by the Govern
Irent TO enforce loyalty, does anybody
suppose that it would disband its armies
before that object was accomplished
If the Southern people are disloyal why
do We not hear the sound of cannon, and
the tramp of vast armies? Why are the
troops disbanded, and WILSON and
dBifRsoS no longer raiding through the
South, burning and devastating? How
happens it that a Northern General
can travel all over the South as
safelyas he can in Massachusetts?
SHERMAN can, solitary and alone,
travel on horseback from Chatta-
nooga over the whole length of his own
charred trail, TO the sea, without moles-
tation. And this is not peace2 aud these
people not loyal2 The truth is, and it is
4 shameful one, the cry Of disloyalty is
aet up for the purpose of gaining Office
by few desperate characters. They
were nothing in peace, never heard of
until the conclusion of war tossed them
up from the bottom of society, and sent
them floating on the turbulent current Of
agitation 1t is only on the ground of
idisloyalty that they pretend to prescribe
the Southern soldier But the real mo
give lies deeper down. They see profit,
Office and emolument in his outlawrY.
They see greenbacks in the subjugation
Of eight millions of people Their tri-
umpb is bitter while it lasts, but it will be
short Events, already sounding in the
distance, will put period to their career,
and send them back TO cayerns left va
II Al.