Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1892-03-23

Of New Orleans as gentlemen should
deal with the sex, with such effect
that | now call upon the just>m'nded
ladies of New Orleans to say whether
they have ever enjoyed so complete
and calm quiet for themselves and
their families as since the advent OF
the United States troops.
"The enemies of my country, un>
repen,ant and implacable, | have
treated with merited severity. ]
hold that rebellion is treason, and
that treason persisted IN its death,
and any punishment short Of that due
a traitor gives SO much clear gain to
him from the clemency of the govern
ment. Upon this thesis have l
administered tn" authority OF the
United States, because of which l am
not unconscious of complaint. / do
not feel that | have erred in too much
harshncss, for that harshness has ever
been exhibited to disloyal enemies to
my country, and not to loyal friends.
To be sure, might have RECALLED you
with the amenities Of British civiliza-
ton, aud yet been within the supposed
rules of civilized warfare. You might
have been smoked to death III caverns,
as were the Covenanters Of Scotland
by the command of general of the
royal house Of England; or roasted,
like the inhabitants of Algiers during
the French campaign; your wives ana
daughters might have been given over
to the rayisher, as were the unfort-
innate danes of Spain in the Pennsu-
lar War; or you might have been
scAlped and tomahawked as our
mothers were at Wyoming by the
savage allies Of Great Britain IN our
own Revolution; your property could
have been turned over to indiscrim-
mate loot like the palace of the
Emperor OF China; works of art which
adorned your buildings might have
been sent away, like the paintings OF
the Vatican; your sons might have
been blown from the mouths oil
cannon, like the Sepoys of Delhi; and
yet all this would have been withir
the rules Of civilized warfare as prac
tised by the most polished and thu
most hypoeritical nations of Europe
For such acts the records of the doing
of some Of the inhabitants of you
city toward the friends OF the Union
before my coming, we're suAicien
provoca,ion and Justification.
"But | have not so conducted. o.
the contrary, the worst punishment
inflicted, except for criminal acts pur
ishable by every law, has been banist
ment with labor to n barren islanC
where encamped my own soldier
before marching here.
"lt is true, l have levied upon IL
5 wealthy rebels, and paid out near
' half million of dollars to feed fort
thousand of the starving poor of a
, nations asse mbled here, made so b
/ this war.
e 81 saw thGt this rebellion was W,
OF the aristocrats against the middlin
. men, of the rich against the poor;
war of the landowner against Il
laborer; that it was a struggle for Il
. retention OF power in the hands
Q the few against the many; and l four
e no conclusion to it, save in the SUI
jugation of the few and the di
!, enthralment Of the many. ther
c fore felt no hesitation in taking Il
I substance of the wealthy who hs
d caused the war, TO feed the innoce
poor who had suffered by the wa
r And shall now leave you with Il
: proud consciousness that carry wi
!, the the blessings of the humble al
" loyal, urder the roof of the Gotta,
and in the cabin Of the slave, and
e am quite content to incur the snee
d of the salon, or the curses OF the ric
81 have found you trembling
10 the terrors Of scrvile insurrection. 4
At danger of this ! have prevented by
1t treating the slave that he had
Or cause to rebel.
~ 81 found the dungeon, the cha
:" and the lash your only means OF e
s. forcing obedience in your se,ven
W leave than peacefnl lnhoyi,