The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1868-03-12


/ We all know the war Of the Revolution was a
civil war. During the strife, con-
! confscation and disfrancbisoment were the or
der Of the day. But when peace cam and they
sought TO lay the foundation Of The Republic
broad and deep, what did they co? Do you
find in the Constitution they formed or the laws
they passed UNDER it any tcst-outhsj any bills Of
nttaindcr; auy OK post facto laws; any military
reeons .ruction bills ? No, sir. No they were
too great and too wise. They had too much
faith in man, aud liberty, and truth, and God
for that. On the contrary, they declared that
no bills Of ~attainder, or OK post facto owsshould
be passed; no man not in the military or naval
service should be subject to military trials I'M
der the arbitrary power Of the bayonetj and
that even for treason itself there should be- nc
corruption Of blood or forfeiture beyond the life
Of the guilty pnrtyj and, further more, that nc
man should be convicted except upon present
mont by a grand jury nnb nner u fair trial,
confronting his accusers, by the. verdict Of q
jury Of his peers.
In the Declaration Of independence, also, oven
in the midst ofwar, reason remained supreme
over passion. They were equal TO the grand
occasion. In one Of lis sublimcst sentences they
could hold the people of England, their fellow
countrymon, with whom they were then
engaged in civil war, as they did the rest Of
mankind, "encmics in war, in peace, friends
If We cannot equal them, we do not cndcayor TO
follow their example?
What do the great examples Of history tcoch
us in dealing with rebellions if not that, after
force has been subducd by force, mognanimity
Is more powerful than revenge; that love con
qucrs what hate never can-thc hearts and af-
]fcctions ola people?
when Lutium, one Of the Roman provinces,
rcvolted, and tho revolt was put down by arms,
the question arose in the Roman Senate, what
shall be done with Latium and the people Of
Latium There were sone then who cried,
"disfranchisc them;'' others said, "confscatc
their property" There were none who said,
"subicct them in vossalogc TO their slaves"
But old Camillus, in that sgccch which re-
vcolcd his greatness and made his name INNER
tol, said "scnators, make them your fellow
citizens, and thus add to the power and glory Of
Rome" In this high place, in this Senate Of
the great Republic Of the world, outgrowth of
the civilization Of all the ages. cannot We, scna-
tors, rise to the height olthot great argumcnt2
To descend to humber examples, may we not
even take lessons from some Of four Indian tribes?
1t is vol known that the civilized tribes Of the
Indian territory took sides in our terrible con-
nict. Civil war in It's direct and most savage
form rogcd through all their country. Their
dwellings were sacked and burned; their hands
were red in each others blood. Yet they have
made peace. They have recognized their
governments. They now 1.-Two SIDE by side in
perfect tranquility. Prosperity is once more
smiling upon their beautiful land. Cannot
Christian statesmen have equal faith in mag
nauimity-cCual courage to forgive and to be
lievc that love is t~h0powcr by which to reach
the hearts ofour late enemies?
Rut, sir, suppose the statement be true that
the negroes are loyal and the whites disloyal
in heart, have We even then the right to degrade
the whites in vassalogc TO the negrocs2 Ian
swcr no. For their crinal acts we would have
the legal right to try and convict and sentence
to imprisonment and to death even. But now
without trial, by wat operates as u substantial
bill Of nttainder and ex post facto at that, to
subject them to negro governments is n crime
against the Constitution, against our own race
and against civilization itself. It to impose up.
on them against their will a degradation which
every State Of the North would reject, and one
tenfold greater than has ever Leon attempted in
any northern State. 1t would make them unit to
be our fellow citizens, and place the States Of the
South upon a footing interior to that OF the other
States in the Union.
Sir, we claim TO have Tough. FOR liberty ard
against slavery, The issue Of ISGO was tho ex-
. ,,e;,, or Inycrv s,f, a.. T..f...f.- IL. A.
election Of MIR. Lincoln the people of the United
States decided against that. The radicals of the
South, another name for the secesslouests, rebclled
against that decision and endeavored to reverse II
by arms, That rebellion raised another and great
or ~issue-the existence of the Government itself.
1t also placed at stalk c slavery IN sla very in all the.
States. BY the reelection Of Mr.. Lincoln in 1864
the people decided in favor Of q vigorous prose-
cution Of the war unit ! every rebel should lay down
his arms. and also In favor Of an amendment to the
Constitution to abolish slavery in all the States
and Territories forever.
At present, what do we behold? Now that the
war is over, now that every rebel has laid down
his arms, now that the people Of the South have
unanimously agreed TO abolish slavery forever; to
obey the Constitution and discharge every duty as
citizens Of the United States, the radicals Of the
North have morally begun a new rebellion against
the Union aud Constitution for, raisiGg anew the
old cry Of the radicals of the South, they now de-
clare that the States of the South are outside the
Constitution, and that Congress, acting outside the
Constitution, has unlimited power over them as
over conquered territories. In their blind zeal
for the advancement Of the ne gro they propose to
overthrow the Constitution in order to practically
subject the white race to the domination Of tho
negro.
As men who claim to DO the friends Of lib,
erty, we have no right to do that.
AS Christians who claim to have Learned
something OF folgivness from the teachings 0
our Saviour, w have no right to do that.
As members OF the great Caucasian roc
which has given the world civilization, W
have no right to do that.
AS statesmen who desire to restore the bless
ings IL noocp wa have M righf IN do thot whir