Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1865-07-18
gaily empire.
Executions at Washington.
IFrom the New Jersey Herald, July Is.l


We stigmatize the execution of the four
unfortunate beings who we're hanged at Wash
ington on Friday as murder. 1t was nothing
else.
The blood of those persons especially Of
that innocent womsn--proven, by the very
evidence adduced by her accusers against her,
to have been innocent-is az much upon the
the head of Andrew johnson. as was that Of
Abraham Lincoln upon the head Of John
Wilkes Booth, What murder had either Mrs,
Surratt, Payne, Atzerodt or Harold donep
Whre the precedent, the law, or what the JUS
tihcation in boasted free America, for taking
their lives2 If the horrid, heart.siokening
deed of that day does not blot out the last hope
OF freedom from the breast of every true
American, then indeed we know not what
blast it could not withstand. Oh, that its re-
cord could be torn from our national history
forever blsckened and botted out. The las
word ofiustice to the felon most Infamous,
may God have mercy on your soul" was
denied them. They we're hurried into eter-
nifty e!e they had time to recover from the
shock which the announcement of their fear
ful doom must have produced Mrs Surratt,
with )nscience and heart aright so calm,
dignihed and womsnly form first to last, pray
ed in vain for a few short bours that she
might more fully prepare herself to meet her
God. Her child, proudly conscions of her
mothers innocence, and clirging to her with
all the tenoerness Of dutiful and loving
daughter, plead, and wept and PRAYED, but
worse than vain. Her piteous appeals would
have moved the heart OF the most bArbarous
savage, but Andrew johnson was more i'm.
movable than the cold marble of the steps
without his house where be kept her weeping
and waiting. In her childish, feminine, yet
dreadful earnestness, sbe begged to see the
Presidents wife, hoping that her woman's
form might shield a woman's heart But mol
The stern, armed sentinePs "orders" we're to
admit no one, and the stricken and heart
broken child was repulsed, to wander whittier
she might The deed of the l4th of April
was not so much murder by thousand fold
a. thatao the 7th of July. How long, we
sek. but almost hopeessy-how long will our
people stand listlessly and see the last poor
remnant of liberty crushed out2 The Presi-
dent of the United States has taken into his
own hands the part aud power of aecuser,
Judge jury, and executioner Who will be
his next victim2 is o question that may we'll
be asked now, in dread earnestnesa Who is
4 there that he may not seize and try" and
hsngf None are safe The ancient vaunted
safeguards Of the law have disappeared as
beauty before the plague. ar NJ ..e'.
Andrew Johson alone, we say, is RESPONSE
BILE for the damning record of that court mar.
tsl, and the execution Of its victims. The
members Of the military CON mission" are no
more accountable for pursuing their savage
intrinsics, than are the Gagged brutes of the
forest when turned loose uyon community by
their keepers, Who uncaged the beasts and
brought the victims to the saughter2 would be
the question in that case, and 10 so now.
Andrew johnson unlesshed his blood
hounds, and by his mandate finished. on the
gsllows, the torture and murder which they
began. Do you see no danger In these
things, AmericansP Nothing to reproach or
protest against2 We we'll know that appeal
or protest now would be more than useless,
lbut it cannot be that our people are so
dead to honor, justice, humanity and III erty
that in their judgments they will not condemn
such acts as the trial" and murder TO which
we alude 1t behooves the press, the psbc
and every individual, however high, however
low 10 speak out against this tyranny and
Icrime in thunder tones. Those who will not
hear, should be made TO hear