The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-02-26

than those so forcibly recommended
-bv Yourself, when you said, Treason
against the Government is the highest
crime that can be committed, and
those engaged in it should suffer all its
penalties ;" aud when you declared
that " treason must be made odious;
that traitors must be punished and
impoverished ~ raca
You say they must not only be
punished, but their social power must
be destroyed. If not, they maintain
an ascepdancy, and may again become
numerous enough for treason to be-
come respectable. ~ .s-saaS
saYot go further, and say that after
making treason odipus, every Union
man should be Temunerated out of
the pockets of, those who have in
ficted this great suffering upon the
country. e1.us.. -s-4q
Again you say: Is / hold it a solemn
Obligation in every one Of these States
where the rebel armies have been
beaten back or expelled, / care not
how small the inumbers Union men,
If enough to man the ship Of State, |
hold it to be high duty to protect
and secure TO them q republican form
of government until they gain strength.
They must not be smothered Dy
inches" f-.ne .ss5a -
In calling a convention to restore
States, yeu ask WHO shall restore
it? Shall the man who gave his in
fuence and his means to destroy the
Government Is he to participate In
the great work of recognizing the
government who brought this misery
on the State?' If this be so, then
you say ia truth that all the precious
blood Of cur brave soldiers and Off
GERS will have been lost, and all our
battlefield will have been made
memorial G IN vain.
Y i ask Why all this carnage?"
1t was that treason might be put
down and traitors punished, There
fore you say that traitors should
take back seat in the work Of restO-
ration"
You say the traitor has ceased to
be citizen, aud in forming the rebel
lion became a public enemy" a
You further say " he forfeited his
right to vote with loyal men when he
renounced his citizenship, and sought
to destroy the Government.
You say these rebel leaders must
feel the power of the GOVERNMENT;
treason must he made odious, and
traitors must be punished and impov-
..-.t. -....sf ..-
You have said their great planta-
tions must be seized and divided into
small farms, and sold to honest and
: ". 49, lii 4. n.y. H. r.
tecting the lands and negroes of these
authors of the rebellion is past,
You say, you have been deeply
panied by some things that come IN
der your observation" You say,
81 We get men In command who, IN
der the influence of fattery, fawning
and caressing, grant protection to rich
traitors, while the poor Union man
stands out In the cold"
You add. TRAITORS can get .lucra-
tive contracts, while the loyal man is
pushed aside" l indulge the hope
that such a practice will no longer be
tolerated in any branch of the Gov
eminent. r-,
In relation to the reconstruction of
the Government, you have wisely said,
: We must not be IN too much of
hurry" You add, 4" 1t is better to let
them reconstruct themselves tn to
force them in it" Il. 1855
In conformity with your own wise
the majority of Con-
gress have devised and adopted an
amendment to the Constitution that
renders it conveniently practicable for
al the rebel States to reconstruct
hay, Il nd
possession of those rights which they
have forfeited by rebellion--a rebel
lion that has cost the lives and limbs
of untold thousands, and thousands
Of millions of debt that remains yet
10 be wrung from the toiling labor of
our people.
The rebel States will certainly ac-
sept and adopt the amendment that |
renders reconstruction so favorable |
and convenient before the assembling
Of another Congress, unless they are
encouraged to delay, in the hope that |
hose who were half traitors during
The war will come to their relief and
'einstate them in power, when they |
would hope to get payment for or re-
snslave their negroes by legislation, |
which they fairly forfeited by rebel |
ion.
And having read the various patri-
otic sayings and denunciations that /
you have made against rebels and |
heir rebellion, / was led to believe /
hat you would be about the last man
hat would recommend or accept of |
my terms for reconstruction that |
would not offer full security for the /
'uture. even if you might be per-
juaded by myself and others 70 waive
Ill indemnity for the past.
uns crrinrnd and diannnnin+nd