Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1867-04-05

but TO reform the abuses occasIOued by
such treason. The States whose 10y
atty and patriotism have been proof
equally against the seductions aud
violence of traitors, and who
have taken upon themselves the
responsibility and the agony Of
/ a war to maintain the integrity Of
/ the country at the expense Of their
treasure and blood, must have the
fright. as it is indeed their duty, to re.
I pair the waste and ravage of war and
to reconstruct The treason-infeeted
/ States upon plan thar viii prevent
/ the recurrence Of such calamities.-
There is no middle ground between
this theory and the infamous doctrine
that rebels have a right to make war
on the government as long as Trey
please, aud. in case of failure. to re-
turn to their rights IN the Unioe at
sueh time and upon such terms as they
may dictate.
For these reasons the insurgent
States never should have been permit
ted to share IN any Of the work of re-
construction. Their approval Of con
stitutional amendments never should
have been asked prior to their com
plete restoration The whole business
of reconstruction should have been
committed to Congress, chosen
/ by the people who had crushed
the rebellion. and representing
their will. The work should then
have been conducted upon the princi-
pies that equal and exast justice mu st
be meted to all men, that persons who
have committed the act Of rebellion
must be put upon their good behavior,
and that political power must be en-
trusted only to the keeping Of men
faithful to the flag For, as Andrew
johnson sober once pertinently re-
marked: In calling a convention to
restore State, who shall restore and
re-establish it, Shall the man who
gave his means and his influence to
i destroy the Government ? Is be to
participate il the great work of reor-
ganization Shall be who brought
this misery upon the State be permit
ted to control its destinies ? If this
be so, then all this precious blood of
orr brave soldiers and officers SO free
ly poured out has been wantonIy spill
ed. All the glorious victories won by
our noble armies win 90 for naught,
aud the battle fields which have been
soWn with dead heroes during the re-
bellion will have been made memora-
BILE in vain. Why all this carnage and
devastation 1t was that treason might
be put down and traitors punished.
Therefore traitors should take back
seat in the work of restoration. IF
there be but 5000 men IA Tennessee, loyal
to the Constellation, loyal to freedom, loyal
to justice, these true and Jiaithfug men
should control the l0oyk Of reorganization
and reformation ABSOLUTELY. The
traitor has ceased to be a citizen, and
IN joining the rebellion has become a
public enemy. He forfeited his right
vote with loyal men when he renouno-
cd his citizenship and sought to de-
stroy. our government Be
fore these repentiRg rebels can be trusted
let them bring forth he traits ofrepentaace.
he who helped to make all these Wild
oWs aud orphans, who draped the
streets of Nashville in mourning,
should suffer for his great crime.
In the spirit of these sentiments,
worthy of Andrew johnson before
the evil times came and when he was
trusted and honored as a patriot, the
reconstruction measures of Congress
have been devised. They place civil
government where it ought to be, in
the hands of loyal men only, and put
rebels on probation. They confsoate
no property and infict no severe pun
ishments. The men who have viola
ted their oaths to support the Consti-
tuition, and have made desperate and
relentless war upon the Union are
simply denied the privileges of voting
aud holding Office Is not this just? +?
Is it not mild justice Nor is hope
denied of escape from even these mod
crate penalties. Whenever the men
who have rebeIled shall have demon
strated by good conduct their renun-
citation Of treason in spirit aud practice,
Congress is empowered to remove their
disabilities aud restore them to all the
rights of citizenship, Already the ap-
plication has been received at Wash
ington, of James L. Seward, formerly
member Of Congress from Georgia,
for removal of political disability un-
der the third section of the Oonsti tu-
tional amendment
The President and his friends are of
course jealous of the success of these
measures, and no doubt regard with
pain the steps being taken by the re-
-volted States to secure their restora-
ton under them. But the good work
of Reorganization under them will go
on in spite of the opposition of the
northern professed friends Of the
South. The Macon Telegraph, hith-
erto a secession sheet, now bids fare
well to President johnson and fore
goes for the future such friendship as
his The Southern people are begin
ming to see that the Republican party
Is the only one which desires their
real prosperity and labors for their
true interests. They begin to see that
it is not an enemy but a friend whose
advice had better be trusted and fol-
lowed than opposed. They begin to
see that it is better to be kind to the
freedmen aud secure their good viii
than to ALLEVIATE them BY acts of per-
secution and political and social os-
traoism- Already such men as Gen.
Wade Hampton are eourting their