The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1865-06-21
From the London Times.1
Jefferson Davis---The English
Press ON the Capture Of the Reb-
eI President.

TO THE NORTH--NO GOOD TO BE GAIN
ED BY HIS PUNISHMENT.
The intelligence of the capture of Mr..
Jefferson Davis, will produce feeling OF
uneasiness and anxiety in every country
in Europe. We had hoped and we seem
ed to have good reason to hope, that, Ell
ther through the skill of his own dispo-
sitiens, or by the wise connivance of his
enemies, Mr.. Davis would have effected
his escape from the land where he has
played his stake SO boldly, and lost it so
completely. The hopes of the South are
evidently crushed beyond all chance of
redemption, and it would have been a
wise, as well as magnanimeus policy, to
suffer its leaders to escape To polite
add generous conqueror. there is nothing
more embarrassing than the capture of a
vanquished enemy; it is one of those po-
sitions which he would anxiously endeav-
or to avoid. A long experience has taught
Europe at least this lesson. When Will
liam of Orange found that King James
had returned from Feversham, he deter
mined, if possible, to escape the Difficult
ties which would srise if he were COM
PEELED to make him prisoner, and took very
good care to do nothing which might Sc
riously tend to his arrest until he knew
he was completely out of danger. The
provisional government of France, in
1880, conducted Charles x to the coast,
with all honor and respect, and eighteen
years afterward. Louis Philippe was ex-
posed to no molestation in his less aigni-
fed flight to our shores.
- q For n
Government, able to put its own interpre-
tation upon the Constitution, which the
sword has established, to declare Mr.. Da-
Wis, and all who have acted with him du-
ring the great civil war, entitled to mercy,
and to treat the insurrection as an unsuc-
cessful attempt to separate two sovereign
States. We can not, hewever, help fear
ing that it is more in accordance with the
disposition of the present President to
rule every point in his own favor, and to
treat aa attempt to break up confedera-
cy as rebellion against the government
Of lawful sovereign, Even if this be
his view, we venture to propose to him
our own example We had rebellion
in 184S, in ireland, but we disdained to
dip our hands in the blood of the rebels.
We pardoned Smith o Brien,a Mitchell,
and Meagher. In their case there was no
difficulty in aseertaining the law; the
crime was perfectly we'll known, and the
punishment equally notorious. The cap
| ital punishment of Charles 1, whatever
people may think of it now, was undoubt-
edly great mistake, and probably enc oi
the principal causes of the long and drea-
ry period during which we had to wait
before the accomplishment of our ibcr-
ties was finally attained. Equally impo-
litic was the execution of Louis XVI
Had we seized Washington in the earlier
days of the Revolutionary War, we might
have considered ourselves justified in ex-
ecuting him as deserter. for he had once
borne the Kings commission. But long
before the end Of the war we had learned
to know him and respect him, and had he
fallen into our hands, he would have been
considered entitled to all the courtesies
due to generous and undetermined ad
yersary.
THE CAPTURE AN UNMIXED MISFORTUNE
| DAVIS CLAIM TO PERSONAL IMMUNITY.
lFrom the Saturday Review, May 27.]
The capture of Mr.. Jefferson Davis
will be considered an unmixed misfortune
by every thoughtful American and by ev,
cry friend of America. 1t would be i'm
prudent to express too strongly an opin-
ion which might be discredited in the
United States, because it is almost uni
versal in England; but it is undoubtedly
true that the only party which could profit
by the perpetration of a great national
wrong would consist of those who wish tc
throw discredit on the American charac-
ter. OF Mr.. Jefferson Davis claim to
personal immunity no dispassionate rea-
soner can entertain doubt He was the
elected chief of confederacy of eleven
sovereign States; his Government was re-
cognized as belligerent by every power in
the world, not excepting the United
States. He has been repeatedly visited
by the agents of the President, for the
purpose of opening informal negotiations
and within three or four months his ac
credited enveys were received by Mr.
Lincoln under the walls of Fortress Mon
roe. 1t has never yet been decided thai
secession was illegal, though the domin
ant party regards it as morally criminal
and is Inconsistent with the popular in
depreciation of the Constitution. If
however, treason has been committed, Mr.
Jefferson Davis was only. the FIRST public
servant of great community, which mus
necessarily have been involved in thu
same guilt. The supplementary chargt
against him of murder, which has lately
been published, is evidently pretext anC
an afterthought. It will be impossible
to persuade the world that statesman
placed in one of the highest positions il
the world, gratuitously stained himscli
by completely in an assassination which
was Eutterly opposed to the interests o.
himself and of his cause. On calmel
consideration, American feeling will re
pudiate the assumption that a former Sen.
ator and Minister of the United States
was prepared to become vulgar felon.
1.-THE AWKWARD DILEMMA IN wHIoH THI
l. h GOVERNMENT Is PLACED.
/ From the London Herald May Is.
The cavalry who captured Mr.. Jeffer
/. SON Davis sdid their duty to the Govern
ment which employed them, but they die
a very i'll service. If it were ever wise te
build bridge for retreating enemy, il
T | was so in this casa and instaol of ofFar