Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-01-14

ding, are completely cowed by these
rebel terrorists. Social ostracism, BUSH
ness ruin, secret outrage, and insult and
injury in every form attend any white man
who, at the south, undertakes to stand up
resolutely for the Republican cause; and
when we consider what it is to live In a
community cut off from all society, to
have all the most valuable business pat
ronage warned from mans store to be
followed, logged and aggravated every
where; we cannot wonder at the difficulty
experienced at the south in maintaining a
Republican party in good condition.
We do not feel like begging these rebels
to desist. They feel strong now in hope
that the Democratic party is about to re-
cover power, and that their favor is neces-
sary to the success of that party. The
issue is one we do not care to shirk. On
the contrary, we accept it fairly and pre-
sent it to our readers of all classes. We
have done our best to overcome the
troublous spirit at the south. We have
spared all the traitors who broke their
oaths of office and joined the rebels. We
have prosecuted none. We have confis-
Gated no rebel property except slaves, and
we have suspended their own franchises
only because they were using them to re-
ward rebellion and to convert every south
crn State government into an organized
agency for resistance to the national au-
thority.
We have relieved them of military pres
sure; we have given great and valuable
aid to their ruined railways, and have
thus restored them to usefulness. We
gave the conquered rebel armies their
horses and arms to 60 back home with
and recommenee industrial and agricul-
tural operations. We have established
coasting lines of steamships to their ports,
stimulated railroad building; authorized
the establishment of all the banks under
the national system that they can possibly
want; relieved cotton of taxation; given
substantial aid in the reorganization of
their labor system, and invested millions
of dollars in southern factories, trade, rail
roads, etc. But, despite all this, we make
no progress in overcoming the rebel spirit.
The southern press is a vast engine Of
mischief that seems to he in the hands of
enemies of peace AND loyalty.
We might have gone further at the close
of the war than we did. Instead of Civ
ing back to the rebels their estates, we
might have confscated them all, and di-
vided them up into farms and sold them.
1t was earnestly proposed in Congress to
do this, and we had the power and could
have saved ourselves q great deal of trou-
BILE by using it thus. We could have sad
died upon the conquered States the whole
burden of the national debt, and relieved
the north of the crushing taxation it Ia
bored under, by levying the whole reve-
nue. upon rebel estates, and selling them
out for taxes without the need of confisca-
ton.
We did not do these things, not because
we had any fear on the subject, but be-
cause we were DESTROYS of conciliating
the south, and hopeful of doing so. But
our mercy has been misunderstood. Our
clemency has been abused, and we have
now the modification of seeing the old
terrorism restored What would be the
condition Of things at the south if we had
a Democratic President and Congress we
leave our readers to imagine. Perhaps
such crisis is needed to arouse the loyal
north once more to action"