Disclaimer: I DO NOT WISH TO OFFEND. I love all people. I wish no ill will to anyone or their ancestors from 150 years ago.
As we all know only one confederate leader was tried and then executed after the war. I forget the name... I’m sure it’s around... but he was commander at the prison camp.
Prior and after civil war civilians have been tried and sentenced to either prison or execution for treason.
Lincoln took the position that the rebels were just that... citizens who have rebelled- which would be treason. He didn’t recognize the CSA as a separate entity.
Even if he did... I don’t have a list... but I’m sure you can find examples throughout history where the losers of war... especially if it was a long and tough war where the other side felt especially wronged... are executed.
But Lincoln and other political and military leaders didn’t take that approach. Except for the one prison camp guy... the rest were not just spared, but were able to regain full citizenship, maintained property rights, allowed to vote, run for office, etc.... everything a regular citizen could do. An act of forgiveness.
But what if Lincoln... then Johnson... and others... took a different approach. One less forgiving? What if political leaders who signed the secession documents and military leaders were tried and executed? Is Beauregard all that different than John Brown?
I’d like to hear arguments for and against. What would the ramifications be both during war and directly after?
As we all know only one confederate leader was tried and then executed after the war. I forget the name... I’m sure it’s around... but he was commander at the prison camp.
Prior and after civil war civilians have been tried and sentenced to either prison or execution for treason.
Lincoln took the position that the rebels were just that... citizens who have rebelled- which would be treason. He didn’t recognize the CSA as a separate entity.
Even if he did... I don’t have a list... but I’m sure you can find examples throughout history where the losers of war... especially if it was a long and tough war where the other side felt especially wronged... are executed.
But Lincoln and other political and military leaders didn’t take that approach. Except for the one prison camp guy... the rest were not just spared, but were able to regain full citizenship, maintained property rights, allowed to vote, run for office, etc.... everything a regular citizen could do. An act of forgiveness.
But what if Lincoln... then Johnson... and others... took a different approach. One less forgiving? What if political leaders who signed the secession documents and military leaders were tried and executed? Is Beauregard all that different than John Brown?
I’d like to hear arguments for and against. What would the ramifications be both during war and directly after?