The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1871-01-12
Estab blished in 1646.
ne OTTUHYA WEEKLY COURIER,
General Amnesty.

Evidently tho present Congress is
to discuss extensively the question
Of general amnesty for oil the people
who were engaged in tho rebellion.
OF Ofoonrsc, universal amnesty will be-
supported by the democratic party
which contained during the rebellion
north, as well al. south, and yet con
tains . controlling element friendly
,torebols, and hostile TO the suppress
sion Of tho rebellion by force of arms;
and now opposed to the imposing
efaay burdens upon rebels. The
same viow, however, seems to be en-
'braccd BY some prominent republi.
cans. Senator Schurz, Of Mo-, is per.
shaps as.prominent, if not the most
prominent among republicans favor
ing 'amnssty,wjthout any exceptions.
'Onr vicw of this mattor il, that in
the consideration Of this question
there should not be entertained one
spirit oflrevenge,upon
those who committees the crowning
error q. rebellion; but simply what
will DO for the best lintsrests of the
nation at large for the present and
the future. How will the future
welfare of tho great mass Of the
iAmerican people be best subserved
in the solution of this question. In
oar opinion; the government has al
ready dealt too tenderly with leading
rebels for its OWE good; for the sccu-
rity ofits psrmanancy. The nation
lived seventy years before it had it's
first considerable rcb ellion, and we
may inquire how shall we act in re-
gard to the past that we may avoid
a repetition Of the bloody drama I?
Ambitious, unprincipled men appear
in every age, and their number is
not decreasing in our Republic.
As the country extends its bord-
ers and its population spreads out
from tho Atlantic to the Pacific,
sectional differences multiply; con-
flicting interests increase in number
and Importance legislation becomes
moro difficult in its application to the
varied wants and necessities ofall our
people and at the same time do jus.
tice to all. 1t an hundred or Ave
hundred men in ono portion Of
the country shall hereafter de-
sire to conspire against the Union
and as they conceive immortalize
themselves by adding . new nation
to the kingdoms OF the earth, will it
be more ofa restraint upon them to
know that q failure in their little en-
terpriso ostracises them among their
countrymcn politically and with pat
riots socially; or will they be less
likely to attempt the mad scheme
if they hav Q the example before them
that on the occasion OF a former rc-
bellion which failed after the death
Of half u million victims and the ex-
penditure of countless treasure
tho chief conspirators were again
taken into full fellowship unwhipped
tor their crime. We unhesitatin ely
say thas the nation must put the
brand OF Cain upon leading traitors
there to remain during their lives /;
and that 1T must do this, actuated
only thereto, by an imperative sense
of duty for the nations good, as an
example to stay the hand of would
be traitors for the future. Set the
seal ofcondeInpation sanctioned and
enforced by the laws of the land new
or to bc taken off the heads oflcading
traitors, not because they deserve
punishment, not because the people
demand their punishment, but be.
cause the future stability of the gov
ernment demands it.