The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1865-11-29
sThe North Did Not Breathe
Slaughter when They spoke al
the RaalOt-ROx.,, aa sse'i4al

the BallOt-BOx.', 81 sse'14af
The New York Tribune is consistent
ia It's persistent advocacy Of the elevar
tion Of the Negro. aud at times 4thrusts
this question forward when there is seem
ingiy no prospect in doing SO; but it fails
to recognize the good that would result
from the trial of JEFF Davis, for treasoo,
and it denies most emphatically that the
election was equivalent to declaration
that JEFF. Davis should be hung sThe
North did not breathe slaughter when
they spokeat she ballot box" recently,
il INSERTS In reply to those who are
elamoring for the blood Of Davis, it thus
talks; -
"These who imagine that the poor, old
mortal Jefferson Davis, nearly sixty years
Of age, and not in the best state of pres
ervatieu, affects our destiny one way or
the other, commit great folly; and when
they think that clamoring for his life is
the true answer to the yearning heart of
the nation, do the nation injustice. When
the Free States spoke in the recent elec-
tions, they did not clamor for the blood
of any one man-they demanded prin-
ciple The attempt to answer that de-
mand-1the thirty thousand majority in
New York and the triumph in New Jer
sey-by sending man and rope down to
Fortress Monroe, with instructions to
hang poor, defeated, helpless, harmless
Rebel is an insultto our civilization,
No, gentlemen the commonwealth
Of the North did not breathe slaughter
when they spoke at the ballot box. How
weary we are of death doing ! Hew per-
fectly hateful this gallows appears shad-
owing the foreground of the brightest
future America has ever seen How
revolving to be told that this gallows is
to BIO the only response to the loyalty of
Ameriea1 How sad the present gallows-
scandals win appear to our children. as
they turn over the leaves Of living his
tory, and find the greatest achievements
Of Ghristendom side by side with the
squabblings of police detectives over a
condemned, helpless criminal, and Chi
pese tricks with the bodies of dead
men. In cur humble way, we did ,sour
share toward ginning the recent victory
in New York, We know something of
the feeling that actuated our thirty thou
sand Union majority. That maj ority de-
manded, in 2 spirit of love and Christian
charity, that America should not attempt
to consummate the trinmphs of. war
without doing justice to four millions Of
men who aidedrin prosecuting that war.
Il demanded the perfect acquiescence Of
the South in the results of the war. It
insisted. that the Southern rebels should
feel that they were conquered-conquer-
ed absolutely and foreyer---and that with
their conquering every yestige of slavery,
and serfdom, and peonage should pass
away, AS Cor poor JEFF. Davis, keep him
in jail, or send him to Europe, or back
TO his old plantation to live on the char
tiles of his recent slaves. His own fu-
ture Is sad enough, The one thing to
brighten and dignity it would be mar
tyrs crown. The highest. ambition he
can have in the world is the opportunity
Of leaving it with the dignity that he OF
all men could show upon the seaffold.
We are surprised that our butterfly poll
ticiaps do not know this-that they viii
not see in this magnificent manifestations
Of popular will something more than the
mere earth groyeling which regards sue.
oesss. as personal profit, and the triumph
Of msjeTities the coarse gains Of . gam.
Bler,s table. It is this marrow, sordid
feeling which makes politics the conten-
tipn, Of bar-rooins, and not the most i'm.
portant Of human sciences. .'..J ~