The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1867-09-19
"PersOns Of Considerations, :,


ton has fallen, through our failure to
execute the law of the land in regard to
criminals. 1t is generally believed that
to make the laws respected, they must
be vigorously executed. Burglary is a
crime; but if fburglars were habitually
set free when apprehended, it is toler-
ably certain that more houses would be
entered, and more property stolen; and
if a burglar were allowed to sue the au-
thorites for "the tools Of his profession, p
when set free, as it is said notorious
criminal threatened to do in this city
some years ago, the profession" would
doubtless grow still more prosperous
and saucy.
Well, to use the words of President
Johnson in 1865, "treason is crime
and must be punished" When Mr..
johnson added, on the 18th of April,
1865, in speech to delegation of emf
inent public men:
"Eyery era teaches its lesson. The
times we live in are not without instruc-
ton. Tile american people must be taugLt
-ifthey do not already teel-that treas
on is a crime and must be punished;
that the government will not always
bear with its enemies, that is strong not
only to protect but to punish. When
we turn to the criminal code and exam
inc the catalogue Of crimes, we find
there arson laid down as a crime with
its appropriate penalty we find there
theft robbery and murder, given as
crimes; and there, too, we find the last
and highest Of crimes-treason. With
other and inferior crimes our people are
familiar; but in our peaceful history
treason has been almost unknown. The
people must understand that it is the
blackest Of crimes, and will be surely
punished. l make this allusion, not to
excite the already exasperated feelings
of the pulic, but TO point out tie principles
cfpuJHc justice ,chich should guide our ac-
ton at this particular j,tncture, and wllich &C.
cord ,cith sound public morals. Let it be
engraved on every heart that treason is
crime, and traitors shall suffer its pen
atty. While we are appalled,, over
whelmed at the fall of one man in our
midst by the hand of a traitor, shall we
allow men-I care not by what weap-
onto attempt the life of the state with
impunity7 While we strain our minds
to comprehend the enormity of this as
assination, shall we allow the nation to
be assassinated;"
when he said this be spoke Justly and
wisely, and in accord with the spirit of
the people. Had he acted upon that
speech, and carried into effect the senti-
meuts then expressed, the spirit oftrea-
son and rebellion, now so impudent.
would have been cowed, and the evil
influence which has been able to keep
the country in a turmoil ever since, and
to prevent reconstruction, would have
been annihilatcd.
"Treason is a crime and must be pun
ished, said the President, adding, awe
must not forget that what may be mer-
cy to the individual is cruelty to the
state" On another occasion he said,
very justly:
'ltis not the men in the field who
are the greatest traitors. 1t is the men
who have encouraged them to imperil
their lives, while they themselves re-
mained at home, expending their means
and exertlng all their power to over
throw the government. Hence say
this: The halter to intelligent, infuen-
tial traitors But to the honest boy.
to the deluded man who has been de-
ceived into the rebel ranks, would ex-
tend leniency; would say, return to
your allegiance, renew your support to
the government, and become a good
citizen; but the leaders would hang"
Consider for moment what would
have been the result had this policy
been carried out. Is it not plain that
every one of the obstructionists, the
men who have for two years persistent
ly opposed reconstruction, the old polit-
ical leaders of the southern states who
so zealously continue to influence the
people against reconstruction, would
have been driven from the country by
fear of the punishment which he knew
he deserved! We find these men now
in different southern states haughtily
justifying treason, and trying to per-
petuate it-why? Because they have
long ceased to fear punishment for their
crimes; because they find themselves
kindly received in Washington by the
very man who declared they must be
punished; because they have seen their
leader, Davis, set at liberty by the efforts
of Horace Greeley, who had previously
encouraged "infuential traitors" by the
public notification:
81 am for universal amnesty-so far
as immunity from fear of punishment or
confscation is concerned-cpen though
impartial suffrage should be for the present
resisted and defeated"
Because, in short, the path OF traitors
has been made smooth and easy, and
the law of the land has been suspended
and made of no force, in order that they
might be screened not only from pun
ishment, but even from the dread of
punishment, and they have seen lead
ing Republican ready at the same time
to abandon the blacks to their fate.
Why has the reconstruction question
became such muddle? Why have af-
fairs been at deadlock SO long' Not