ubmits；　and　peace　returns；　　the　vanquished　should　be　treated　with　gentleness　and　love。　　No　　rancor　should　remain；　no　vengeance　should　be　sought；　they　who　met　　in　mortal　conflict　on　the　battle…field　should　be　no　longer　　enemies；　but　embrace　as　comrades；　as　friends；　as　brothers。　　None　　but　a　coward　kicks　a　fallen　foe；　a　brave　people　is　generous；　and　　the　victors　in　the　late　war　can　afford　to　be　generous　generously。　　　They　fought　for　the　Union；　and　the　Union　has　no　longer　an　enemy；　　their　late　enemies　are　willing　and　proud　to　be　their　countrymen；　　fellow…citizens；　and　friends；　and　they　should　look　to　it　that　　small　politicians　do　not　rob　them　in　the　eyes　of　the　world；　by　　unnecessary　and　ill…timed　severity　to　the　submissive；　of　the　　glory　of　being；　as　they　are；　a　great；　noble；　chivalric；　generous；　　and　magnanimous　people。
  338　The　government　and　the　small　politicians；　who　usually　are　the　　most　influential　with　all　governments；　should　remember　that　none　　of　the　secessionists；　however　much　in　error　they　have　been；　have　　committed　the　moral　crime　of　treason。　　They　held；　with　the　　majority　of　the　American　people；　the　doctrine　of　State　　sovereignty；　and　on　that　doctrine　they　had　a　right　to　secede；　and　　have　committed　no　treason；　been　guilty　of　no　rebellion。　　That　　was；　indeed；　no　reason　why　the　government　should　not　use　all　its　　force；　if　necessary；　to　preserve　the　national　unity　and　the　　integrity　of　the　national　domain；　but　it　is　a　reason；　and　a　　sufficient　reason；　why　no　penalty　of　treason　should　be　inflicted　　on　secessionists　or　their　leaders；　after　their　submission；　and　　recognition　of　the　sovereignty　of　the　United　States　as　that　to　　which　they　owe　allegiance。　　None　of　the　secessionists　have　been　　rebels　or　traitors；　except　in　outward　act；　and　there　can；　after　　the　act　has　ceased；　be　no　just　punishment　where　there　has　been　no　　criminal　intent。　　Treason　is　the　highest　crime；　and　deserves　　exemplary　punishment；　but　not　where　there　has　been　no　treasonable　　intent；　where　they　who　committed　it　did　not　believe　it　was　　treason；　and　on　principles　held　by　the　majority　of　their　　countrymen；　and　by　the　party　that　had　gener…　339　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　ally　held　the　　government；　there　really　was　no　treason。　　Concede　State　　sovereignty；　and　Jefferson　Davis　was　no　traitor　in　the　war　he　　made　on　the　United　States；　for　he　made　none　till　his　State　had　　seceded。　　He　could　not　then　be　arraigned　for　his　acts　after　　secession；　and　at　most；　only　for　conspiracy；　if　at　all；　before　　secession。
  But；　if　you　permit　all　to　vote　in　the　re…organization　of　the　　State　who；　under　the　old　electoral　law；　have　the　elective　　franchise；　you　throw　the　State　into　the　hands　of　those　who　have　　been　disloyal　to　the　Union。　　If　so；　and　you　cannot　trust　them；　　the　remedy　is　not　in　disfranchising　the　majority；　but　in　　prohibiting　re…organization；　and　in　holding　the　territorial　　people　still　longer　under　the　provisional　government；　civil　or　　military。　　The　old　electoral　law　disqualifies　all　who　have　been　　convicted　of　treason　either　to　the　State　or　the　United　States；　　and　neither　Congress　nor　the　Executive　can　declare　any　others　　disqualified　on　account　of　disloyalty。　　But　you　must　throw　the　　State　into　the　hands　of　those　who　took　part；　directly　or　　indirectly；　in　the　rebellion；　if　you　reconstruct　the　States　at　　all；　for　they　are　undeniably　the　great　body　of　the　territorial　　people　in　all　the　States　that　seceded。　　These　people　having　　submitted；　and　declared　their　intention　to　reconstruct　the　State　　as　a　340　　　　　　State　in　the　Union；　you　must　amend　the　constitution　of　the　　United　States；　unless　they　are　convicted　of　a　disqualifying　crime　　by　due　process　of　law；　before　you　can　disfranchise　them。　　It　is　　impossible　to　reconstruct　any　one　of　the　disorganized　States　with　　those　alone；　or　as　the　dominant　party；　who　have　adhered　to　the　　Union　throughout　the　fearful　struggle；　as　self…governing　States。　　　The　State；　resting　on　so　small　a　portion　of　the　people；　would　　have　no　internal　strength；　no　self…support；　and　could　stand　only　　as　upheld　by　federal　arms；　which　would　greatly　impair　the　free　　and　healthy　action　of　the　whole　American　system。
  The　government　attempted　to　do　it　in　Virginia；　Louisiana；　　Arkansas；　and　Tennessee；　before　the　rebellion　was　suppressed；　but　　without　authority　and　without　success。　　The　organizations；　　effected　at　great　expense；　and　sustained　only　by　military　force；　　were　neither　States　nor　State　governments；　nor　capable　of　being　　made　so　by　any　executive　or　congressional　action。　　If　the　　disorganized　States；　as　the　government　held；　were　still　States　in　　the　Union；　these　organizations　were　flagrantly　revolutionary；　as　　effected　not　only　without；　but　in　defiance　of　State　authority；　if　　they　had　seceded　and　ceased　to　be　States；　as　was　the　fact；　they　　were　equally　341　　　　　　　　　　　　　　unconstitutional　and　void　of　authority；　because　not　　created　by　the　free　suffrage　of　the　territorial　people；　who　alone　　are　competent　to　construct　or　reconstruct　a　state。
  If　the　Unionists　had　retained　the　State　organization　and　　government；　however　small　their　number；　they　would　have　held　the　　State；　and　the　government　would　have　been　bound　to　recognize　and　　to　defend　them　as　such　with　all　the　force　of　the　Union。　　The　　rebellion　would　then　have　been　personal；　not　territorial。　　But　　such　was　not　the　case。　　The　State　organization；　the　State　　government；　the　whole　State　authority　rebelled；　made　the　　rebellion　territorial；　not　personal；　and　left　the　Unionists；　very　　respectable　persons　assuredly；　residing；　if　they　remained　at　　home；　in　rebel　territory；　traitors　in　the　eye　of　their　respective　　States；　and　shorn　of　all　political　status　or　rights。　　Their　　political　status　was　simply　that　of　the　old　loyalists；　or　　adherents　of　the　British　crown　in　the　American　war　for　　Independence；　and　it　was　as　absurd　to　call　them　the　State；　as　it　　would　have　been　for　Great　Britain　to　have　called　the　old　Tories　　the　colonies。
  The　theory　on　which　the　government　attempted　to　re…organize　the　　disorganized　States　rested　on　two　false　assumptions：　first；　that　　the　342　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　people　are　personally　sovereign；　and；　second；　that　all　the　　power　of　the　Union　vests　in　the　General　government。　　The　first；　　as　we　have　seen；　is　the　principle　of　so…called　〃squatter　　sovereignty；〃　embodied　in　the　famous　Kansas…Nebraska　Bill；　which　　gave　birth；　in　opposition；　to　the　Republican　party　of　1856。　　The　　people　are　sovereign　only　as　the　State；　and　the　State　is　　inseparable　from　the　domain。　　The　Unionists　without　the　State　　government；　without　any　State　organization；　could　not　hold　the　　domain；　which；　when　the　State　organization　is　gone；　escheats　to　　the　United　States；　that　is　to　say；　ceases　to　exist。　　The　American　　democracy　is　territorial；　not　personal。
  The　General　government；　in　time　of　war　or　rebellion；　is　indeed　　invested；　for　war　purposes；　with　all　the　power　of　the　Union。　　　This　is　the　war　power。　　But；　though　apparently　unlimited；　the　war　　power　is　yet　restricted　to　war　purposes；　and　expires　by　natural　　limitation　when　peace　returns；；　and　peace　returns；　in　a　civil　　war；　when　the　rebels　have　thrown　down　their　arms　and　submitted　to　　the　national　authority；　and　without　any　formal　declaration。　　　During　the　war；　or　while　the　rebellion　lasts；　it　can　suspend　the　　civil　courts；　the　civil　laws；　the　State　constitutions；　any　thing　　necessary　to　the　success　of　the　343　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　warand　of　the　necessity　the　　military　authorities　are　the　judges；　but　it　cannot　abolish；　　abrogate；　or　reconstitute　them。　　On　the　return　of　peace　they　　revive　of　themselves　in　all　their　vigor。　　The　emancipation　　proclamation　of　the　President；　if　it　emancipated　the　slaves　in　　certain　States　and　parts　of　States；　and　if　those　whom　it　　emancipated　could　not　be　re…enslaved；　did　not　anywhere　abolish　　slavery；　or　change　the　laws　authorizing　it；　and　if　the　Government　　should　be　sustained　by　Congress　or　by　the　Supreme　Court　in　　counting　the　disorganized　States　as　States　in　the　Union；　the　　legal　status　of　slavery　throughout　the　Union；　with　the　exception　　of　Maryland；　and　perhaps　Missouri；　is　what　it　was　before　the　　war。*
  The　Government　undoubtedly　supposed；　in　the　reconstructions　it　　attempted；　that　it　was　acting　under　the　war　power；　but　as　　reconstruction　can　never　be　necessary　for　war　purposes；　and　as　it　　is　in　its　very　nature　a　work　of　peace；　incapable　of　being　　effected　by　military　force；　since　its　validity　depends　entirely　　on　its　being　the　free　action　of　the　territorial　people　to　be　　reconstructed；　the　General　government　had　and　could　have；　with　　regard　to　it；　only　its　ordinary
  *　This　was　the　case　in　August；　1865。　　It　may　be　quite　otherwise　　before　these　pages　see　the　light。
  344　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　peace　powers。　　Reconstruction　is　　jure　pacis；　not　jure　belli。
  Yet　such　illegal　organizations；　though　they　are　neither　States　　nor　State　governments；　and　incapable　of　being　legalized　by　any　　action　of　the　Executive　or　of　Congress；　may；　nevertheless；　be　　legalized　by　being　indorsed　or　acquiesced　in　by　the　territorial　　people。　　They　are　wrong；　as　are　all　usurpations；　they　are　　undemocratic；　inasmuch　as　they　attempt　to　give　the　minority　the　　power　to　rule　the　majority；　they　are　dangerous　inasmuch　as　th