Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1867-07-10
Gerrit Smith.

over hia own signature, defending his appear
ance op the bail-bond of Jefferson Davis ant
combating the idea that treason must b.
charged against the South, after surrender
Mr. Smith was decided Abolitionist up II
the emancipation of Southern slaves. Hi
antagonism ceased at that ro.nt, Iut it ha
gone beyond him to the Anti-slavery Societ,
which now proposes to abolish the negro. Al
an honest fanatic, Mr.. Smith is entitled to {
hearing, and had his countrymen one-half tht
generosity he manifests, the problem of re-
construction would no longer prove vexatiou!
and uncompromising. Abiding to the harsf
and pelfdious conducs OF his section, Mr.
Smith says:
The sinnle truth is, that we made bargain
with the South, however we may now be
tempted to deny it or to break it. Our Gen
erals, in the terms of the surrender Of the
Southern armies, recognized this bargain
this bargain that we should treat each other
not as traitors under constitutional law, but
as belligerents under the law of war. The
Supreme Court of the United States unani:
mohsly neld that this was the bargain. Alas
the ineffable meanness, the revolving infamy
of our breaking this bargain now, when we
have it in our power to break it Alas, what
a poor use is this to which to put the power
of victory! How it dims the glory and re.
duces the value of victory! The shame Of
defeat is as nothing, compared with the shame
of abusing the power of success. The hold
ing of .Juarez or some other Mexican chief
for treason, in case we SHOULD conquer Mexi-
co, would be no more gross, no more i'm.
moral breach of faith, than is our holding
Jefferson Davis for it. No wonder that the
enlightened and sensitive men of the South
are stung TO the qnick by our perfdy. We
may not recover so far from our passion and
prejudice as to be ashamed of this per6dy,
but our children will be ashamed of it. Who
doubts, for even one moment, that the North,
had she been conquered in this war, would
have claimed at the hand of the conqueror
the humanities Of the law of war-of that
law which knows no treason. Are we doing
as we woulI be done by? said the law of
war knows no treason. I add that treason
ceases just when and where the acknowedg.
ment of belligerent rights begins. Reason
teaches this. Humanity teaches this. The
political libcralists of Europe beseech us to
believe tEis. They, tell Us that they mean to
undertake., from time to time, to overturn
their despotic and oppressive governments,
aud that nothing could be worse fnr them
than wheu, now and then, they shall be con-
quered, to have it in the power of the con-
queror to plead the example of liberal Amer
ca for charging them with treason.
Mr.. Smith counsels mildness and argues
against further exacliops. He points out the
only true path 10 reconciliation aud reace
thus:
"a sad mistake is it in TIC present con-
qucring party IN Mexico to hold the contrary
ol this doctrine. 1t is argued that such. pun,
ishments will warn and intmidate, and thus
serve TO prevent wars. But sounder phi
osophy teaches that they will exasperate and
brutalize, and thus tend to muitipl, wars.
The following Of the present Mexican war
with bloolshed will help 10 keep Mexico a
land of frequent anG almost incessant wars.
On the other hand, The closing oe it in the
spirit Of forgiveness would soften tie nations
heart. and prepare it to receive the seed of
that higher civilization among whose fruits
are the enduring peace apd established order.
for the Lack Of which Mexico, though SO ia
vored by nature, Is still so unprosperous and
unhappy. There is but one legitimate, and
indeed, but one peaceful way, TO prevent civil
wars, aad that is justice on The part of gov,
ernment Had 0ur Gorerumcnt been just,
-erer just, entirelyJnst, ns'ead Of being eus,'
al Rdgant oppressor Of the poof-tais horrid
icar ac0ulG not haze Jeen.n
He shows that an investment in. Southern
heart is worth all the Russias and their pos
sessions. He condemns the principles of con.
iiscation end urges the gr eatest charity. On
this subject he says:
; SIN the next place, the North must hasten
to put an end to these threats or con6scation.
Congress ought to say, without one dissenting
Voice, and at the earliest day, that there
should be no confiscation. The disfranchise-
Eent have just referred to is CALLING, and,
as the masscs. believe, Insulting t. its subjects.
But these threats, para yzing the industry Of
the South. and making even her bread uncer
tain, are infinitely less bcarab!c. They are
fatally in :he way Of her material prosperity
With the cloud they bring upon her titles she
can neither sell har lands nor borrow upon
them. What could be more trying dissbili-
ty To- an agricultural people who are dcs'itu
of money! That strong and patriotic man,
Thaddeus Stevens, would have certain losses
OF loyal men repaired. l would myself be
glad to See liberal per certage paid upon
them. He would provide the means out Of
confscation, and at the expense Of the South !;
l say ont of the National Treasury, and at
the expense of the nation. There are three
things which, in urging confscation, Mr..
Stevens seems to forget. /. That the North,
as well us The South, was guilty of the war.
2. That while the North is still very rich, the
South, exhausted'by that war, for which the
North in common with herself was respon-
sble, is exceedingly poor. g. That conGsca-
ton once entered upon, it viii be difficult, if
not impossible, to set limits to the spread Of
lis dcmorahzing power. Thespirit of lawless
greed engendercd by con6scaton will no
more stop at State or other lines than will the
flames of s prarie-fire at the word of COM
mand. Let there be confiscation in the South
for the benefit of these, Mr.. Stevens loyal
losers, and also for the benefit of the poor
blacks, as ne also proposes, and very soon,
under its debauchiug influence, immense
numbers at the North will be cla,noring, in
tue name of Agrarianism" Equalization,
aud other ,nking names, for their neighbors'
And these rich possessions, it
must be resnembered, will kindle the spirit of
robbery, as can none Of the poor possessions
of the desolated South. These four require.
nents responded to- these four conditions of
reconstruction" enacted, and no others ex-
acted, peace between the North and South
will be sure to follow. But o make this peace
more speedy and more cordial in other words,
20 effect with the least delay an enduring
leart unior between the North. and Soa,h
here must be one thing more. O6r Govern
nent is getting in the way Of buying terrific
y. There is u purchase it can make which
would be irameasurablY more important and
profitable than the purchase of any territory.
Let it buy the Southern heart, worth more
o US that thousand Alaskas, nay, than all