The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1867-09-19
Established 1926.

destroyed by the act Of their peo.
pie in rebelling against the Nation.
al Governmentand seeking 10 with
draw from the Union, with q view
10 establishing an independent con
federacy. This fact could not be
disputed. 1t was not disputed -
When, therefore, the rebel armies
were surrendered, VIC found the
rebel States without any legal or.
ganizcd governments. The people
were there-the territory was lhsre;
but there was no legal organEa.
tion. The people had committed
treason against the Government Of
the UBited States, and every.mSn
who had taken up arms, Or giveU
aid and comfort 10 the rebellion,
was liable TO be tried for treason,
and, if convicted, hung; while the
property of traitors was liable TO be
confiscated, and the proceeds paid
into the Treasury OF the United
States. The rebels were at the
mercy of the that con.
qucred them; and while they might
petition for clemency, they could
demand nothing as a right. This
was, uDquestionably, the situation
at the close of the war. 1t was so
accepted by the rebels themselves,
and the question, on their part, was,
not what they would permit Us to
do, but what we would do with
them. ss ~.
The leading rebels did not ac-
knowledge they bad done wrong.
Neither did the masses make such
an acknowledgement. They had been
overpowered, they said, and must
submit; but the 'lost cause" was
still believed to be right.
About that time a great deal was
said regarding the prOdigaI son;
but one important feature OF that
admirable parable was omitted
repentance. forgiveness is good,
but repentance, in cases OF trans.
gression, is essential to Justice
God is merciful, and for this we
can never be sufficiently thankful;
but Ho is also just; for this we
should also be thankful. Tako from
him this attribute, and he would
cease TO be perfect, and man would
have no reliable ground for either
faith or hope. God is merciful up
to the point Of justice, but where
mercy would be injustice TO His
government, it is vain, we are
taught, to petition for it. This is
right. Human experience teaches
US that it is right.
This is the true meaning OF mercy,
practiced by nations in accordance
with the principles Of justice. In
any other sense, mercy to trans,
gressors is cruel wrong. 1t was
this latter kind of mercy that the
Northern sympathizers with the
rebellion clamored TOR. The re-
bellion had been suppressed by
force of arms. 1t had been fairly
crushed. The rebels admitted their
defeat, but did not cease to declare
their belief in the justice Of the
"'lost cause" ..-. .. f.
Would it have been just to the
nation TO have restored the govern.
ments of the rebellious States 10
the hands of these unrepentant
rebels? Would that have been an
act of mercy, either to the rebels
or the loyal people? Certainly not.
The nation had sacrificed too much
blood and treasure in suppressing
a wicked rebellion to place the
Government, in any degree, in the
hands of the authors Of that rebel
lion, while the latter were still glo
rying in the shame of the diaboIicaI
attempt to break up a Government
which, as the Vice President ofthe
Confederacy said, had been known
only by the blessings it bestowed
Yet the Northern Democratic party
demanded dyes, demanded-thnt
this should be done, and that rebels
whose hands were red with the
blood Of loyal men, should be ad
mittcd to seats in the Nationa
Congress.
People who opposed that kind o
reconstruction were denounced by
rebel sympathizers as blood thirsty
Radicals. Well, the principal evi
dence of bloodthirstiness. about tina
time, was in Andrew Johnson, who
in order, as we arc now bound t
believe, to cover up the trcasonabl'
policy he was plotting, brealhet
threatening and slaughter agains
the leading rebels, which frighten
cd those who did not know him
and disgustcd those who did.
The loyal people did not approx,
of that policy. They believed tha
some ofthe prominent traitors sho'C
have been tried, and if convicted
punished; upon the same principl
that we hang men for murder-no
in u spirit of revenge, but as
warning to other men and othe
generations.
MOTIVES OF THE UNION PARTY.
We have been charged with hal
ing the Southern people. This
false. 1t is unreasonable. TIL
Southern people are a large part {
this nation. 1t is our interest tha
they should be at peace anon
themselves and with us, in orde
that they may go to work in tbei
fields and in their shops; bull
school-houscs and churches, an
4 grow in morals and in wealth. Thi
is, l say, our interest 1.-THE intcre'
of every class and every section
and because we are thus intereste,
and because this interest can onl