The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1876-01-27
A NESTY.

The Patriots Ia Ccngress-thoSe who de-
sire by themselves or friends to fall in the
line of Presidential succession-are busying
themselves with the matter of amnesty-am
nesty of rebels for the crime of rebellion. 4
week or SO ago the country witnessed great
waste of energy and wind in this regard,
when Democrats attempted to wipe out all the
remnants of crime of this character lying
against everybody aoiU he, soiX he, and Re
publcans put on the brakes so as to prevent
the accomplishment of purpose until they
had placed themselves squarely on record
the pretended point at issue being whether
jeff Davis should pass in with the rest or,
Cruso like, stand solus on the island of
ostracism The aim of both parties is doubt
less political capital-to make on one side
aud destroy on the other-and it will be sur
,rrising indeed if both do not find that there
is nothing in it, and that the result will prove
anything but compensatory for the means
employed. The question is by far to old,
stale and disgraceful to be made available
at this late day for the advancement Of the
political interest of either men or parties.
Our idea is, that the people view the
necessity for amnesty as mere remnant OF
the rebellion which should have been totally
annihiate1 long ago. and which remains
with us only to our disgrace. Years ago,
when the government frittered away its op-
portunity for redress by hesitating to prose
cute JEFF. Davis, and by suffering him to be
let loose on bail, as the representative of the
conlederacy the people made up their minds
that no punishment was to be meeted out TO
rebels. and the day of perfect restoration had
arrived. Indeed the surrender Of Lees and
,Johnstons armies, in their terms, was virtual
amnesty to all in arms and from the day at
Appomattox, when every rebel was heartily
sick of the madness which led him to take
up arms against the life of the Government,
amnesty should have progressed so rapidly
that twelve month thereafter not an unre-
constructed rebel could have been found
within the confines of the country. And
had the life of honest, union loving Abraham
Lincoln been spared there is no room to
doubt but that this would have been the case,
and we should have been spared the disgrace
trouble, turmoil, confusion and crime which
has since prevailed at the South, because for
want Of amnesty, responsible, honorable men
were held in check, and irresponsible men
were permitted to govern and carry every
thing with them to the condemned bow
wos'
Now we can conceive Of no reason why
there should be longer hesitation in decree
ing complete amnesty. For the honor of the
country it cannot be too soon promulgated,
and to meet the wishes Of the mass of the
people it must include everybody, conditioned
only on the taking of an oath of allegiance.
@ Tie idea of letting jeff Davis out in the
cold alone is simply preposterous 1t is
worse; it is wicked, as falsely publishing to
the world vindictiveness on the part of the
people of these United States which they do
not possess. 1t is a libel, which we much
mistake their temper, if they set quietly un-
der it for a single moment. JEFF. Davis, we
admit, was gross sinner in the rebellion,
though we are far from granting that he was
a lot worse than thousands of others who
sided with, and yet, who are now among our
law makers and law ministers. Admit him
to full citizenship and we at once take him
down, him frOm the prominence he at pre-
sent occupies Ostracise him aud we elevate
him still higher On the pinnacle Of frame, by
making him national martyr, and an object
Of world wide conmisseration and sympathy.
Can we afford to do this2 Yes, as the bra g
gart stepped in crime, who boasts of his mis-
deeds, but not as the just man who in his
every act and deed always keeps in view the
command, DO unto others as We would have
that others should do unto YOU not as the
government should do whose boast is that,
it holds in It's hands the land Of the free
and the home for the oppressed. The
amnesty will be incomplete so long as there is
a single citizen unconvicted of crime abiding
ont side of the realm of full citizenship and
the centenary Of our existence as nation
should not be permitted to witness single
individual citizen who could not go to Phia
delpbia on the 4th Of July and laying hi,
hand aeroag his breast and raising his eyes tC
heaven, declare Thank God,' [ too, am {
free citizen of this greatly blessed country.