Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-09-13
COLUMBUS, O., FRIDAY MORNING,
The Amnesty P-ocInmntron.

The Presidents Amnesty Proclamation,
published yesterday. was not as general as
had been predicted and anticipated. 1t
however makes considerable advance to-
wards the demands of wise clemency in
reducing the number of exceptions from
fourteen to three. 1t cannot but have
happy effect upon the feelings and ener-
giles of Southern men, and the business in
terestS of the country, to assure the large
and influential numbe.s of the population
hitherto excepted that the past Is forgiven.
and that they may go on in the various
pursuits of industry without molestation.
The South has given sufficient evidence of
its honest submission to the situation to
warrant the confidence indicated in the
proclamation, and is more likely to be left
steadfass in loyalty by Cancellation than
persecution and distrust.,,
The power of the President to pardon, by
general proclamation. is denied by some of
the very extreme Radical newspapers, on
the ground of the repeal of the thirteenth
section of the act of 1862 by an act passed
January g. 1867. In reference to this de-
NAL the National Intelligencer remarks that
the section, SO repealed. gratuitousl1 as
sumed to authorize the Executive to grant
such pardons, but when the act passed in
1862 was under consideration in Congress;
members of both political parties in the
two houses fully admitted that it in no wise
affected the power of the President in the
premises, which power, to pardon before
or after conviction, and en- n,dsse or indi-
vidually, is conferred upon the President
by the Constitution, which expressly
clothes him with "power to grant re-
prieves and pardons for offenses against
the United States, except in cases of i'm
peachment." 1t was with this understand
ing that the bill was passed, and was not
even vetoed by the President, he regarding
1t as not affecting his prerogative in any
way. Fret -id .f-- .-u, ~ .af f...,.--.
While upon this subject we may reiter-
ate our strong convictiOnlthat the period for
universal amnesty towards political Offend
ers has arrived now, if it had not long since,
and that the leaders, so-ealled, as well as
the led, ought to be included in its provis-
ions. Some of those who are still except
ed had less responsibility for the resistance
of the South to the General Government
than others who have long ago been par
doned. Hon. A. H. Stephens, of Georgia,
for example, is known to have thrown the
whole weight his great inf nence against
secession, and made speech against it
which, in its political wisdom and almost
prophetic foresight, was entirely unequal
led in the eloqueure of the times. Gov.
Letcher, too, OF Virginia, is known to have
been opposed through his whole public
life, to all schemes of disunion, and, down
to, the moment of Virginia's secession,
'withstood that movement with an energy
and vehemence which brought him into
great odium with the extreme men of his
section. None, however, but the most SUI
perficial student of American history and
events can suppose that the Southern
States were led into the late war by any
man or number of men. The elements of
IAN irrepressible conflict" proclaimed to
be such years before the war by one of the
most Influential statesmen of the North.
had been, almost from the foundation of
the government, causing the two sections
to gravitate steadily towards that result.
and individuals, great and small, were,
with few exceptions, borne along alike
on a current which no human pow
er could have resisted or avert
ed from its course. Whether
the Constitution was intended or not for
the supreme law of all the States of the
Union, it is unqIestionable that the right
of State to withdraw at will from the Ma
tional Government was honestly entertain
ed, not only by the Southern people, but by
most of their politicians, and, indeed, the
same right had been maintained in other
sections. The political issues were settled
by the war, and the punishment which
Southern men of all classes have suffered
has heen already bitter enough, even it
their alleged crime had been of the heart
instead of the head. II the President would,
as far as his influence goes, contribute to
the thorough pacffication of the South, he
might make his amnesty universal, and the
whole country would be the better for it,
Baltimore Sun.