Grosvenor Argumentative Essay

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After the Civil War ended between the North and South there were many questions left to be answered. Likely one of the biggest questions looming over people was what would happen to the Southern states that had rebelled against the North? People had many different opinions on how reconstruction should go and how harshly the South should be punished, if even punished at all. Some people like William Grosvenor felt that consequences for the South should be severe (Dudley 7). Mr. Grosvenor was an abolitionist pre-Civil War and went on to be a commander of one of the original African American units of soldiers during the war (Dudley 7). Plenty of grudge holding Northerners had the same opinion as William Grosvenor, but some felt that the South …show more content…

As Mr. Grosvenor says, “...punishment, for leaders at least, shall be severe enough to prevent for all future time the recurrence of a crime so terribly destructive…” (Dudley 8). This quote holds to show that the South should not and cannot be let off with a little slap on the wrist, because showing them that they can rebel and cause an entire war and receive only that, shows them that they can do it again. One should also definitely agree the punishments assigned to the South should be most harsh on their leaders that pushed the war forward, which should lead one to see the next point. Consequences for the South should be severe not only to show them that their defiant actions will come back to bite them, but also to ensure that leaders of the South in the war are punished adequately for their individual treason (Dudley 8). Mr. Grosvenor points out the fact that if Southern states are allowed to get the easy path of regaining their previous rights without punishment that treasonous leaders of the rebellion would be able to be tried by sympathizers of his cause and receive amnesty from the state (Dudley 8). If punishment is not tough enough on the South then all those leaders would be allowed to work the systems of state governments until they went on to receive no

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