The New York herald., 1865-06-02

sno Comfort to Murderors In ths
DrhsAsh PsrAtament-P0litical Assassina
I'm Englsna.
| Inc Queens minister's have been asked In
the British Parliament what thew intend to
do towards shielding JEFF. Davis from the
penA ties that may fall upon him as an Access
sorry to tne murder of Mr.. Lincoln. It ia asked
If they axe prepared to make any representa-
tions" that Ahall thresten or persuade ,,s to nae
that most atrosious of human criminals as ten
derly as my Unote Toby did the fly.
Lord Psfmerston replied in Parliament that
the British government did not intend to
interfere; but the London Post, Pslmerston's
organ, explains away that answer by the ar
gument that it was the only one the Minister
could make under the circumstances inasmuch
as whatever the ministry or the government
may feel the United States is clearly sovereign
in its. own dominiOns. 1t then gives what we
may suppose are the real sentiments Of the
ministry On this question, in the declaration
that no set of men similar in position to Davis
and the Confederate leaders were ever entitled
to unconditional mercy on more just or ample
grounds. Such is the sentiment, in relation to
this leader of assassins, of men high in position
in England.
The rebellion has been from first to last, on
the part Of the rebels war of assassina-
.:eS .:es. Particularly IN the Western border
States, murders have been not only innumera-
bic, but rcmorselcssly cruel. Men, women and
children have been killed solely because they
were friends Of the Union, or suspected to be
80. Hanging, shooting and ripping open even
when alive, have been the wretched fate OF hum
dreds of loyalists. Sometimes generals, as at
Fort Pillow, have murdered outright whole
garrison taken prisoners; and the British organ
puts it as "an incontrovertible fact" that no
Southern general has committed In this war ian
inhuman act" Strange English idea OF hui
manity! The same observation, it says, is true
of the Confederate government-true OF that
government which coldly starved twenty thou
sand men to death at AndersOnville-that Or
ganized the plans to burn Northern cities. Now
the war has closed in grand scheme Of assas-
sination the President Of the United States has
been murdered--and England urges us to for
give the man who initiated that murder.
How does England do in these cases! Is her
conduct characterized by that dovelike mild
ness that she urges on us! The Cato street con-
spiraoy was case similar in some respects. In
the year 1920, during the reign of George w.,
and the ministry of Lord Liverpool, conspira-
cy was formed to take the lives of The cabinet
minister's lis protector and leader was one
Arthur Thistlewood, who had been an officer in
the British army, and had been much in France,
particularly during the Reign of Terror, where
he imbibed revolutionary sentiments and be-
came Jacobin. He had started in life with
some fortune and good education. Associa-
ting himself with persons Of the name ol
Ings, Brunt, Tidd Dawson and others
| he arranged plan for breaking In upon 9
cabinet party at Lord Harrowby's, in Grosvenol
place, and assassinating his guests while o.
dinner. The plan was betrayed to the police
| in time, and they proceeded to the rendezvous
of the conspirators, in Cato street, on the Edge
ware road, where they found them in hayloft
to the number of twenty-four or thirty, and
armed. II was dark when the police entered
| and only after fierce struggle nine of the des
peradoes were captured, and then not without
the assistance of a detachment of soldiers. This
tlewood, who for the time escaped, was soon
afterwards captured. Five of these men were
tried, convicted and executed for their crimes
and five more were transported. After being
hung the former were decapitated: e1ad theil
| sentence was pronounced Just one, and thei
! dot Zone Of the most atrOcious on record"
II is to be observed .hat ..H none Of these pris
oners had taken life, and yet the attempt to de
stroy the whole OF the cabinet was deemed Il
be deserving Of the severest punishment. /
was designed by the conspirators to overthrow
the government by a wholesale measure, ani
though they signally failed in the design, it wal
thought its atrocity placed the leaders entirely
out Of the pale Of mercy.
This ia an instructive ever which shoult
not be lost upon us, and those English prints
which undertake to interfere in behalf of thu
assassins Of Mr.. Lincoln, and their chief, JEFF
Davis, had better turn to their own history and
study lis bleody lessons.