The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1855-10-15
Eastern and Western Martyrdom---The East
Triumphant!

" Triumphant!
There seems to be great deal of difference
in martyrs, and with some striking modern in
stances before us of peculiarly remarkable
martyrs, we are yet undecided whether the
difference is really between the men whom op-
preston have made martyrs, or between the
holy causes for which they so cheerfully mar
tyred themselves. But certain it is, that
while some of our modern martyrs appear to
be made Of the good old stern stuff, that would
suffer stripes, imprisonment and branding
irons, Others boldly undertake martyrdom, but
soon sicken of the pain, and 'cave." Every
cause has its martyrs. Even the abolition
cause has now one martyr suffering in prison,
AID with the probability of staying there
Passmore Williams is determined martyr.
Right or wrong, he is going to hold out. Here
is letter from him of late date written in
prison:
"No. 70, PHILADELPHIA COUNTY PRIsoN,(
Sept. 20, 1856.
'DEAR SIR: Your letter of the 9th inst.
is now before me- and in reply to your enqui-
ry, I may say that | contemplate no further
legal proceedings with reference to my liberia
ton from this Jail, in which / am now confin-
ed have now been kept here for more than
two months and can see no prospect of lib
Grafton. am native, and have always been
citizen Of Pennsylvania; and believing my
self atrociously wronged, applied to the high
est tribunal known to our laws, but relief has
been withheld l can expect none from the
authority that placed me here, without dis
honorable submission. Having been guilty
neither of falsehood, assimilation or contu-
macy, am sure that il is no case for degrad
ING capitulaton. Such course would bring
with it a dimunition of selfrespect more OPP
pressve than the power now seeking to crush
out the highest attribute of State sovereignty
by immuring me within these walls.
Accept for yourself and communicate to
others who favor me with their consideration,
my most grateful acknowledgements.
Respectfully yours, &C.,
Now PASSWORDS martyrdom sjust precise
ly like a certain martyrdom which commenced
in this city, but was suddenly brought to a
conclusion by the principal victim getting tir-
ed Both Passmore and Jacobwe imprison-
ed for contempt of Court The first offended
through devotion to abolition. The latter
from devotion to whiskey or to the whiskey
cause Both had undoubtedly high incentives
to martyrdom. They were called upon by de-
votion to heayen-inspired and world-redeem-
ing principles, to become martyrs. They mu-
tually felt their hearts strengthened, and their
souls inspired, and their bodies hardened be-
yond sensibility, the one by love of niggers,
and the other by love of 'rot-gut" Buff the
purity and majesty of these principles were not
enough to bring them to the martyrdom point,
the warm encouragement Of friends, the huz-
zas of the thousands who gazed at them in adj
miration, and the anticipated luxury of having
their names handed down to posterity as holy
martyrs in the cause of niggers and whiskey,
certainly must have proved the '1ittle lacking
to make them bravely 'tface the music."-
Passmore with scorn on his lips and defiance
in his heart, went to the tombs, and ''hark
from the tombs doleful sound" comes in the
form of a letter, showing that he is not only
lying a martyr in prison, butts going to stick
it out' just as long as his unholy oppressors
choose to require martyrdom at his hands,
Well Jacob also went to prison, with deter
lnination not bit less than his prototype of
, IeHuSy UcLI OA I0inallhno eiiOA =
till he triumphed, or else till he died and rot
ted. His friends rejoiced in his holy spirit OF
enthusiasm They did more--they largely
added to his stock of spirits, and went to the
jail, aye, even behind the bars to great bar,
where they divided their own spirits with him,
and divided his with themselves, and they be-
came mutually spiritualized to an uncommon
degree of martyrdomical phrenzy. Indeed,
there appeared to be a general burning to be-
come martyrs, and there was very encoura-
ging prospect of crowded jail of "rot-gut'
martyrs But it is due Jacob and his friends
to say, that at this time there was a prospect of
speedy deliveranee. But the word came that
Jacob would either have to succumb or become
an unlimited martyr. Old Lineism had proven
unable to rescue him. Jacob wasn not prepared
for this The spirit of Passmore was not
with him. Jacob ANONYMOUSLY caved, and
disgraced all Hoosier martyrdom foreyermore,
while Pennsylvania martyrdom still triumphs
in its own sufferings. The love of niggers has
thus been proven stronger principle than the
love of whiskey. But the difference in the
physical constitutions of the two martyrs, may
account for the difference in the amount of
physical endurance. Passmore is lean, lank,
wiry Quaker of abstemious habits, and accus-
toned To confinement. Jacob is fat, puffy,