The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1865-07-22

THE story of the New York HcrGid's
correspondent about JEFTERsnN DAvi~
treatment ut Fortress Monroe. i rroh.th
" somewhat of the sensation 'uri..r VI
we do NOT believe that TIA traaf.drn, h.
receives comport~ either WITH thc i,-ni
t; of a great ana rnve al - 'rli.ntur
or the requirements OF humanity. With a
contemporary we say, We have no mIWk-
ish sympathy for the re pei chief He aud
his coadiutors-and in the list we incluis
the Federal administration at tn time
engineered and conpassed the. dsfea' OF
Tie De,u6eratic party. in lSjJ, u 'r'h l
securing the accession to poEar of 4
northern sectional party--tha protest
seized upon to Justify revolution and
civil war He is now prisoner of state;
liable To the offended laws for the crime
of treason, or for the still more henious
offence, it is urged, of conspiracy to as
sassinate President Lincoln With The
last named crime, no evidence that we
have seen, connects him, and the sound
est minds of this country and Europe
urge that the inflction of the extreme
penalty for streas,n, would dignity the
baffled traitor to the rank of Il great
political martyr. But even those Who
take the opposite view, and holL DAVIS
has forfeited his life, and should pay the
forfeit. surely cannot Justify his present
treatment at Fortress Monroe There is
a sort of savage grandeur about taking
the great conspirator's life; but the petty
humiliations and sutfering& to which, lie
is now subject, are no punishment, for
his crime, and resemble to, much. the
fortunes to which King B,mbi OF Naples,
few years since, subjected political Of
tenders, and which so shocked the civil
lied world, that the name of the kn:gly
perpetratnr is forgotten in al cpithet ia
dicative of his brutality. History will
hold the American people to a strict ac-
countability, aud the story of Anderson
Vile and it's horrors, will not be d.emed
justification for savage retaliation nn the
fallen leader of the unsuccessful reyolu-
ton.
In his solitary caSemate, at Fortress
Monroe, we are told, jeff Davis life is
slowly hut surely wearing away: lt is
doubtful whether, in the course of ma
ture, he can survive his treatment six
weeks longer; he is becoming hiind-has
rapidly failing; books. pen aHd paper. are
refused him; he is allowed no commune
cation;either wrh his counsel, "r his
wife aud iamily-the privilagr of the
vilest criGiinal; bayoncts hedge h.m in
at all sides, and not Il mom,.nt IS he left
alone; even the poor relief OF cnnvers.,-
ton with his iailors Is denied TO him.
and YEARLY and silently the rmaciated.
diseased, white-headed old man is pass
ing to the custody of the Great Judge
"He makes no complaint" says Il recent
visitor to the Fortress, tor he knows it
would do no good if he did"
Many, in the Very savagcmess of their
natures. viii justify all this, and call
down curses or the heads OF thrSe who
protest against it To all snch we say:
try jeff Davis, if You will--cnndemu
him-take his life; nut not by the slow,
lingering PROCESS Of Irving torture. Our
country can %Atn atftra to do homage to
the civilization of the age, by treating n
fallen foe with geaerasity aud kindness,
even ND To the hour YOU NAV re0ilire his
life. 1t is not a question ofmcrcy orjus-
tice, but of humanity and of the good
name of a great and powerful people.