The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-05-10


In relation to what England would think -
the disposition made OF BOOTH
Ing exceptions to "~-
= oody. TAX
~ language, and with q
unsuitable purpose to enlighten our igno-
rance our English friend saws:
Al, Al murderers,-ayld 1t Is only for murder
!; snas sae extreme 2sHtence of the English law
= oSlr.eu INTO Hsct,-are buried within the
s s-' ~ tn's gaol, in carefully prepared
slaseS unoer Fne stone passages OF the pris-
al 1u SoNss 4no most probably the comns are
nueu with quick lime on sanitary grounds; a
custom Generally adopted also In warm eli
mates.
If AN Englishman" had read carefully, as
We did, in the London Times, the long, mi
mute, horrid though graphic details of the ex
ecution of several pirates, on the 22d Of Feb
ruary, 1854, and the particular account Of the
disposition made Of their bodies, he would
never have penned the above paragraph. We
dare say he intended in his communication TO
to be truthful, but he has betrayed gross ig-
norance of the manners and customs OF New
gate, or else his own metropolitan journals
are not to berelied upon. Because some of the
"lords" in his country, and other sprigs of no.
bllity, think New York city is the largest vii
lage in Rhode Island, and embark for this
country to shoot bufaloes in Central Park, he
must not imagine that our people are entirely
Ignorant of English newspapers, or are total
strangers to the customs of that goodIy coun-
try from which their ancestors emigrated
IAN Englishman" is entirely mistaken in
supposing the intent of our article was to cast
sneer upon his country; 1t was simply to
suggest that the customs there, -of the past
and present age,-had been and still are Of
such . character that the sensibiIities Of the
English people need not be severely shocked
by the quiet disposal made OF the remains of
heartless wretch who had plunged nation
into mourning by his fiendish act.
Nor do we suppose the English people Of to-
day are any more responsible for the acts Of
1745, than are the people of New England to-
day for the treatment of supposed witches in
Salem in the shadowy days OF our New
England religion.
We are not aware that the particular form
10 which England or America may dispose of
the bodies Of criminals like Booth, is to be tax
en- as evidence OF high or low state. of civil
lization. The English custom to which we
have referred as being kept up at Newgate,
strikes unpleasantly upon the ears Of those
who are accustomed toa different mode Of
getting rid Of offensive rubbish. Some ma
lions burn their dead, and think it heathenisb
to put the bodies of friends in the damn
ground, to tester and rot, and becopa food for
worms. Who shall judge in ST. CHI mattersY
If England is coming : hotter anprecia-
tim Of fhe struocla !. W oe''eA app.ss,-
.lon " sns ssiusgis a which our people have
io1 iour D'oouy years been engaged,-the
s1ussie oe' eeen Liberty and a giant barbar-
.su'-"s are heartily glad of it. Better late
WAN lever. And while we trust our people
Will be as ready to a upon the golden rule as
their cousins across the water, and to 60 full
half way and a little more to keep the peace
and to strengthen the bonds of fellowship be-
tween the two nations which never should
have been slackened, we do not expect them
In a single moment to forget the insults and
indignities to which they have SO often been
cuUJ5ctou WAcu Ou DiAush SUI sho Hos nasbc
with which the British Government recogniz
ed the rebels of the South as a belligerent
power; the depredations committed upon cur
peaceful commerce by British built vessels,
armed with British guns, sailed by British
charts, differed and manned by British sub
jects, having every thing British about them
except bit of bunting unknown to any na
ton upon earth, and piece of parchment
signed in bank by JEFF. Davis and filed up ID
British territory These things are hard tc
forget. They have left scars that will be slow
co heal; butthey will heal in time, notwith
standing the many and serious doubts whether
British sympathy would have been as strong
as today had the success Of the Union cause
been little less triumphant.