Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1869-01-06
zgateFtowa 8spabIitajl,
Ne@neS&I1, daAYa2y 8, 1865.
a STRANGE PROPOSITION.
The cabinet makers hare been busy d

[
The cabinet makers hare been busy Of
late furnishing Gen Grant with
his constitutional advisers, and We notice
4 generally q similarity in the different sets
made up; but the Milwaukee Wisconsin
Khas boldly left the beaten path and brok-
1 en- over into field hitherto unoccupied.
and where We sincerely hope it will be al
lowed to prance, roll and cavort, all soil
tary and alone" The Wisconsin, PROPOSE
ton is simply to put Robert E.. Lee into
Grants Cabinet for the,,reasons, that he is
an eminent, christian gentleman, that IT
would be generous, magnanimous and
great, and because, as he is the best belov
ed Of the 'late confederaey," it would 20
far to conciliate the South We do not
/ hesitate TO express our belief that such =
proposition from an authoritative Source
would be regarded with contempt and alb
/ home1ce by nine tenths Of the loyal citizens
Of the country. 7 here Is sickly senti-
mentalism prevalent, which we see express
ed in certain popular romances that makes
heroes Of cut threats and ruiIains with
whom silly school girls fall in love. The
proposition Of the FjScoasta is actuated
VIC consider by this same namby PANTY
sentiment and will meet with no symna-
thising response from the sturdy common
sense of the country.
Granting all that Is cIaimoa fo.
Gen. Lee as a soldier and loader-though
We honestly believe him to be the most
greatly over estimated man on the Con
tinent-there is not a soldier Of the
late war who can be made to believe
that, if Lee had possessed the feelings Of
the most ordinary humanity, he would not
! have used his influence to prevent the
needless horrors Of the Southern Prison
/ Pens. Had he been the true man and
the great man his Milwaukee eulogist
claims him to be, he would have gone
back of the thin sophistries Of States
Rights doctrine at the breaking out Of
the War, and refused to viola e his solemn
oath Of allegiance to the country which
had given him his education and raised
! him to positions of profit and honor
Had he at the close of the war accepted
the situation in" good faith and truly re.
turned to his allegiance, his college would
not now be the worst hotbed for the pro-
! pagation Of reasonable sentiments in the
whole South.
As for "conciliation" we believe The
loyal North has been playing The for
giving father" game long enough-the
prodgal son does not come to time. Con
citation IS not what is wanted, we already
have had too much Of it. It is through
i'll advised attempts to ;'oonciIiate' that
thousands of ez-rebels, who know in their
hearts that their just deserts would hang
them, are numbering our friends at the
South or driving them from their homes.
What We want is not Cancellation, but a
vigorous execution of the laws; We want
It made plain that patriotism is honorable
and treason odious. 1t mag be well
to forgive traitors but not to
forget their tIeachery they have
proved their unBortbiness and we should
have no Iaurels for them. It's right that
the South should be represented in the
Cabinet but let it be the loyal not the
rebel South # The rebels have become
truly loyal it will please them best to have
men Of the most approved loyalty for
their representatives. they have not
they do not deserve any.
We are heartily tired Of this kid glove
style Of dealing with the traitors who
have brought upon Us all our national
troubles We guarantee that the writer
Of the Wisconsin articles never should
cred bis musket aud devoted perhaps the
best years Of his life tofgbting the, enemies
Of his country led on by Robert Z. Lee.
Had he suffered in his own person the
tortures of AndersonyilIe or endured all
the pfiyations Of camp life, or lain pros
trate, with the fevers engendered by the
poisonous miasmas Of Southern swamps
burning up the very blood in his veins,
he would not now overflow with mawk-
ish sentiment and thumb his dictionary
for pet name5 to bsstov upon this chief
Of traitors
It may seem that We have given this
matter undue promiaence, but believing
that treason against the flag is the worst
and most detestable Of crimes, we consider
that all attempts to break down distinc-
lions and place Perjured and unre 2entant
traitors On q level with patriots, should be
/ jealousy guarded against.
The Hisc0aSi1s IS certainly good dam
i.y paper" but Judging from its course in
regard to this subject ne considerit about