The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1865-06-10
~ 81 fEroa the London etar, Nay ~ ~ ~
EnslanA Noe Callsa upon 30 lister.
@rH Ao1Ales

We need hardly ssy that we have nc
desire 70 hear Of Mr.. Jefferson Davis b.
ing conducted to the scafold. We have
ALREADY expEsessd oar opiDiea ncrs than
oncs upon this subject. Opposed. on prin-
ciple, to the inficsioa u The penalty OF
death, We recognise. of course, in COM
mon with oil reasonable men, difference
between political ofsnsss and social
crimes. We are convinced, moreover, tha.
the sca6old, - political engine. has never
served the party BY whom i was raised
From the execution of Charles I. to that
q Louis XVI, from the dssapitatiou Of
Wallaos 70 that Of Egmont, and from Egg
monts death to that Of John Brown. ve
can recollect no instance in which the
public sAyipg Of man for political Of
fense, whether ethically justi6able or not,
did nst do far more harm than good to
the party that called in the aid Of the exc
cutioner. We are anxious, moreover,
that the United States should add to their
military and political triumphs the Ius,re
OF new and grand victory Of mercy and
forbearance. But we think that nothing
could be more unwise, and We might even
add impertinent, than for an English
Cabinet 70 set about reading lectures to
the American Government on the manner
in which it should deal with . rebel who
is not yet, 50 far A. We know, made prieo-
ner. To express our fervent hop be to the
United States Government that the hour
Of triumph may not be suilied BY measures
which will be condemned and deplored BY
the whole civilized world, would be sim.
ply gross and gratuitous INSULT. What
right could We possibly have to suppose
that any suoh neassres are in co htempla-
ton! What rational man seriously be-
iieves that sny sseb vii be taken I Even
if the leader of the Southern Co&federacy
we're TO be captured. tried, condemned
and executed, such . course |ould un-
happily only be in too strict an accordance
With the stern and sanguinary policy al
most invariably adopted in such cases BY
what Mr.. Griffith calls the whole civilized
world. There Is hardly State id Europe
which has not, in the lifetime pf living
men, inflicted the punishment of death for
political offenses far less serious and bale.
ful than those of Mr.. Jefferson Davis
But the question is not whether the Uni
ted States ought or ought not to deal out
the extreme penalty to the rebel leader.
The question is whether Englauh would
have any right to obtrude her voice where
i. might be little welcome, and 10 prefer
an appeal which could hardly fail tosound
like m inpertinence. 1t 10 really quite
time that English members Of p d rliamen,
should get over the notion that England
is the guardian of theforder, morals, and
decorum Of the whole world America
is not our pupil or our ward. Il would
little consort with our national dignity to
thrust our advice and cur petitions where
they could hardly meet with genial re-
ception. On Americas own be ed must
rest the responsibility Of the course she
takes in dealing with her conqudred ene-
mics. We have sssuredly seen 10 reason
throughout the whole Of the var to fear
tlat she will want either wisdom or mag
nanimity in her hour Of triumphI From
our common experience Of humab nature
oil around us, We may learn easily enough
that man who means to do a generons
thing is more likely to renounce than to
persevere in the idea if some incautious
and unrelyiug friend begins to poster him
with warnings Of the horrible odium he
will incur By adopting an ungenerous
course Of con duct