Litchfield enquirer., 1865-06-15

7 len are guilty of the blackest and most dea perate plot for the murder of the nation; ie' them be punished as justice demands, and God will take care of the innocent in the nex struggle.
 One reason why the war should be carried on according to the laws of war, is that where such vast numbers ef men carried on moment. ous and responsible war, they have strong show of right. Loyal and disloyal millions have believed in the doctrine of State Sover. eighty, and we must admit they have nobly reasoned" Yet, MT. Smith. who is not 50 much of philosopher as the southern sophists who advocated this doctrine were, immediately proceeds to prove very plainly that this doc. Urine is wrong. Soft seems that there was no "strong show of right in the course that these base and hypocritical rebel chiefs have taken. After spending good full hour in attempt ing to prove the innocence and honor of these men. we are surprised that he should let this cruel sentence fall Davis, Lee and Breckin- ridge were greatly to blame in choosing for their models, Calhoun and Jefferson instead of Washington, Clay and Webster. But still, pity as well as blame them. If we had been in their circumstances, would We not have been tempted to have chosen those men for our leaders?" We should not be surprised if yo,. scould MT. Smith but the thousands of mis- guided southern men, who now call for justice to be visited upon your favorite heroes, would 0ot do it again and the thousands of others, who all through this struggle have fought and spoken in favor of the undivided Union, would not do it.
 | The speaker next referred to the crime of starving prisoners, and said that some people at the North were partly responsible for it. Well, let che responsible ones at the North suffer the penalty too. And if MT. Smith knows any such parties, he should inform the authori. ties of their existence and whereabouts, and not attempt to secure their pardon because of any old ties of friendship.
 In speaking of reconstruction, he said tkat, <" l would divide up the lands of the South among the poor of the South, and give to the i blacks the right to vote. I would deprive some of the rebels of the electire .tranchise for term years, and others forever" Why would you do..that? You say that we have recognized their Nationality and have no business to ever let history call them traitors. If they are the innocent beings that you have labored to prove, you have no right to punish them at all. This speech, SO full of incongruities and in. constituencies, contains the substance of all that has yet been said and written by the supporters of this absurd doctrine. That few, who have usually been true to the cause of justice, have been led away by this fanatical sympathy, is to be regretted especially when We hear their opinions quoted by our country's sworn enc mics, and see them losing the confidence and esteem of loyal and intelligent people.
 
 tF Some of the people of Brookdeld csle- brated the capture of Jeff Davis by taking an "anvil,' and firing it promiscuously about the village. Wishing to do the handsome thing by one Philo Merwin, who had always sympa- thized with this hero and his cause, they fired the iron in his front yard. They then took the anvil, and put it into their wagon, to pro- ceed in their sport.
 Mir. Merwin, aggrieved by this display ot enthusiasm over the disgrace of his friend, comes out of his house in his night clothes, and attacked the crowd in the highway. He olutched a man named Nearing, by the throat, and struck him, upon which Nearing knocks Merwiu down.
 The joke is yet to come Mir. Merwin pro- cured the arrest of nearly the whole company, on the charge of assault and battery, but could not sustain the charge before the court. So now Merwin has been arrested for assault upon Nearing, and the case has not yet been decided.