American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1867-10-30
REBEL EQUALITY.

The principle, which now serves as
the foundation stone to all Democratic
platforms, is, that rebel to this Gov
erument has all the rights under it that
appertain to loyal citizen. la other
words, the fact o. rebellion is to be to,
tally ignored, and "the Government of
our fathers" resumes its functions, nm
changed and oolivious of "the late un-
fortunate difficulty between the States
Nor are Democrats alone in this theory.
MIR. Beecher, being more Christian than
Christ, has lent all his great influence
in favor of pardon without repentance.
Other prominent Radicals have combin-
ed in deeds Of supererogation not quite SO
difficult to he individual but as dangerous
TO the nation, l.. e. forgiving crimes
against other people, and the inj uries ia
hiited upon their neighbors. There is a
comhand in book which used to be the
stand rd Of morals viz The Bible which
requires every man to forgive his own
enemies, to the exient of returning good
for evi aud his offending brother. who
turns and says, 81 repent;" but this is
superceded by the new standard, which
forglves injuries by which you are not
injured, and brothers Who say Il do not
repent" To our mind there is vast
Inference between forgivi,g injuries
from your brother and to him. The
rebels sinned against the brave men who
lost their lives in sGppressiug the Re,
be lion, and against their bereaved rel
atlves aud those dependent upon them
for support. Especially did they sin
against those who died by the lingering
tortures OF cold and hunger. This nation
sinned against hem in not defending her
defenders. We all sinned against them
in not straining every nerve to release
and protect them from the barbarity of
their captors. 1t may be very maguan.
imous for the nation, and her leading
phllanthropists to forgive their own
transgress'ons, to say peace be still" to
that voice of brothers blood crying out
against them from the ground, but we
tail to see it in that light. The martyrs
of the war may each have forgiven the
taking away Of his life, and ali other
wrongs done to him. God may forgive
their murderers, but He ,c,U not, with
out repentance, and has given US no war
rant TOR being more mercful than He
Himself
AS extremes meet, and all things are
prone to work in circles, many Radicals
have come to join hands with the North
ern symPathlzers with treason, who have
never dropped the clasp of traitors palms
from the first hour of the taking up of
arms against the Government Amnes-
ty for treason and the equality of rebels
aud loyal men, have been so preached
and acted upon that the mass of loyal
people are disgusted and disheartened
and their disgust has manifested itself
in the popular vote on negro suffrage in
Ohio.
Negro suffrage in the reball;ous States
was part Of the reward Of loyalty an OF
the punishment and cure Of rebellion
Congress decreed that negroes should
vote in these States, because they had
been always loyal, and the n.ajority of
the whites had been disIoyal, and the
white loyalis,s desired their enfranchise
ment as the only mode Of restoring the
States and making them loyal commuui-
ties. The logic Of this was SO natural
and apparent that democratic people aud
presses hailed the measure as one which
must commend itself to he masses. The
Chicago Times said in 1866:
The people will certainly 20 for i'm
partial suffrage We cant help it; and
II we 90 not get on that platform we
shall he run over aud crushed"
But Republicans, in Congress and
nominating conventions, forgetting the
distinction between rebellion and loyal
| ty, enqulred. "How can we enforce ne,
gro suffrage in the South and deny it in
the North p
The question has, on its face, the ad-
mission that treason has ceased 10 be re
garded as crime, that il is not to be
made odiOus that traitors are not to be
punished, and that the status of LOYAL
| ONO differs so little from that Of disloya
South Carolina as o require fine point.
OF discrimination to make the proper dis,
tinction. 1t IL this general admission oi
rebel equality which has fallen as an ex
tinsuisher upon the enthusiasm with
which the people CARRIED the Republican
party through the war In the recoi
which followed their disappointment al
the escape of all the Southern criminal,
whom they had captured at so great q
cost, at seeing rebels elevated to places
of power and loyal men repudiated, and
at finding themselves always compelled
to drive their leaders instead Of following
them, the people have fallen back intc
the old, worn rut of prejudice and pas
sion, out of which the war for time
Lifted them. We have ever advocated
aud shall ever advocate, manhood sutf
rage, but to press the question in the
loyal States now, on the ground that we
cannot. consistently enforce itin the South
and refuse to do so in the North, is tC
ignore the distinction between treason
and loyalty; is to assume the Democrat
ic ground of Rebel Equality. The true
policy of the Republican party is to re
construct the governments of the South
ern States, The Northern States hay,
a clear constitutional right to regulate