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


ance on the bail-bond of Jefferson Davis an
combating the idea that treason must b
charged against the South, after surrender
Mr.. Smith was decided Abolitionist up t
the emancipation of Southern slaves. Hi
antagonism ceased ct that point, nut it ha
gone beyond him to the Auti-slaVery Societ
which now proposes to abolish the negro. a
an honest fanatic, Mr.. Smith is entitled to
hearing, and had his countrymen one-half tn
generosity he manifests, the problem of re
construction would-n no longer prove vexatiou
and uncompromising. Alluding to the harsl
and perfdi6us conduct Of his section, MI
Smith says:
The simple truth is that we made bargain
with the South, however we may now b.
tempted to deny it or to break it, Our Gen
erals, in the terms of the surrender of ths
! Southern armies, recognized this bargain
this. bargain that We should treat each other
not as traitors under constitutional law, bu
as belligerents urder the law of war. The
Supreme Court of the United States unani
mously held that this was the bargain. Alas
the ineffable meanness, the revolving infamy
of our breaking this bargain now, when VIC
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 victoryl The shame o
defeat is as nothing, compared with the shame
of abusing the power of success. The hold
ing of Juarez or some other Mexican chiel
for treason, in case we should conquer Mexi
co, would be q 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 stupg 10 the quick by our per6dy. 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. l add that treason
ceases just when and where the acknowledg-
ment Of belligercnt rights begins. Reason
teaches this. Humanity teaches this. The
political libcralists Of Europe beseech us to
believe this. They tell Us that they mean to
undertake, from tine to time, to overturn
their despotic and oppressive governments,
aud that nothing could be worse for them
than when, now and then, they shall be con-
quered, to have it in the power of the con-
queror to plead the example of liberal Ameri
ca for charging them with treason.
Mr.. Smith counseIs mldness and argues
r. ~
only true path 10 reconciliation aud peace
thus:
"a sad mistake is it in the present con-
qucring party in Mexico to hold the contrary
of this doctrine. 1t is argued that such pun
.sbments will warn and intluidate, and thus
serve to prevent wars. But sounder phi
losophy teaches that they will exasperate and
brutalize, and thus tend to multiply wars
The following of the present Mexican war
with bloodshed will help 10 keep Mexico a
land of frequent anG almost incessant wars
On the other hand The closing oc it in the
spirit OF forgiveness would soften tie nations
heart and prepare it 10 receive the seed oi
that higher civilization among whose fruits
are the enduring peace aud established order
for rue 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, 10 prevent civil
wars, a d that is justice on The part Of gov
ernnent. Had cur GOrcrnmcnt been Just
-erer Just, entirelyjnst, ins'ead Of being eus'
al fdgant oppressor Of the poof-tais horrid
icar ac0uld moi haec Jren."
He shows that an investment in Southern
heart is worth all the Russias and their pos.
sessions. He condemns the principles of con
iiscation and. urges the gleatest charity. On
this subject he says:
{. "In the next place, the North must hasten
to put an end to these threats Of con6scation
Congress ought to say, without one dissenting
Voice and at the earliest day, that there
should be no confscation. The disiranchise-
meat have just referred to is CALLING, and
as the masses believe, insulting t. its subjects
But these threats, paralyzing the industry o
the South, and making even her bread uncer
tain, are infinitely less bcarab!c. They are
fatally in the way OF her material prosperity
With the cloud they bring upon her titles she
can neither sell Fer lands Dor borrow upon
them. What could be more irving disabili-
ty To- an agricultural people who are destitute
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 ce1tage paid upon
them. He woulG provide the means out O.
coniscation, and at the expense Of the South
say ont Of the .Natiooal Treasury, and al
the expense of the nation. There are three
things which, i'll urging confscaton, Mr.
Stevens seems to forget. l. That the North
as well as I he South, was guilty Of the war
2. That while the North is still very rich, ths
South, exhausted'by thatw for which the
North, in common with herself was re>pon
sible, is exceedingly poor. 8. That confsca
ton once entered up9n, it viii be difficult, i
not impossible, to set limits to the spread o
lis demoralzing power. The spirit of lawles:
greed engendered by con6scation will nc
more stop at State or other lines than will the
flames of praire-fre at the word of com
mand. Let there be confiscation in the South
for the benefit of these, Mr. Stevens loya
losers, and also for the benefit of the poor
blacks, as he also proposes, and very soon
under its debauchiug influence, immense
umbers at the North will be clamoring, ir
tae name of Agrarianism," (" Equalization
and other nking names, for their neigbbors
possessions. And these rich possessions, il
must be remembered, will kindle the spirit O.
robbery, as can none Of the poor possessions
of the desolated South. These four require
ments responded to, these four conditions O.
reconstruction" enacted, and no Others ex.
acted, peace between the North and South
will be sure to follow. But to make this peace
more speedy and more cordial in other words
to effect with the least delay an enduring
heart union between the North. and Sou.L
there must be one thing more. Our Govern.
ment is getting in the way Of buying terrific,
ry. There is u purchase it can make which
would be immeasurably more important and
profitable than the purchase Of any territory
Let it buy the Southern heart, worth more