The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1865-05-10
Rewards for the Leaders of the
RehnlliOn.

IoCUCAAhOA HrH e
In the last analysis, the right to govern
belongs with the capacity for government
A people, a dynasty, or an administration,
alike, prove their title to power by show
ing themselves wise at every time trying.
Perhaps the best evidence Of wisdom, in
those who are intrusted with authority,
is the courage to meet great exlgrnces;
the next best, certainly, is the prudence
to evadc them, when they are not lnevlta'
BILE. The administration which goes
regularly to market, buys all the elephants
ethat arc for sale, and offers premiums for
more, will be likely, in the end, TO get
enough refractory ones to cause it dlstur'
bance.
Tho United States Administration
seems inclined to increase its stock Ct
elephants as fast as possible. 1t IS
Offering heavy rewards for the appre-
hensicn Of JEFF. DAVIS, and other proml-
nent politicians Of the Confedeaacy, 1t
is true that, with a fair exhibition of minor
shrcwdress, it sets up a charge against
them of completely in the assassination of
the President, thus putting the thing
upon the ground OF retributivc justice;
and as it has dccreed a Military Commits
sion for the trial of the cOnspirators, it
probably thinks that it has it in its own
hands to dictate the result. Military
Commissions do not find according to the
evidence; and Mr.. DAVIS and others can
be disposed Of as %felons, while their exc.
cution will be heralled simply an act oil
justice. -.
If Mr.. DAVIS was SO connected with
BooTH in the assassination of the prcsi.
dent as to be, in legal contemplation, an
accomplice, he should undoubtedly be
brought to trial before a Court Of justice
of competent criminal jurisdiction, and
upon conviction, be punished according
to the law 10 such cases made and provid.
ed. No one would say a word in his
defense. If he is simply a rebel, and it
is resolved to punish him for his rebellion
it should de done openly, and upon that
ground. The two acts are separate
crimes. They can not be fairly cor
nccted nor is proef Of the commission o.
! the one any evidence whatever of com
plic.ty in the other. To coufound then
Ito raise a suspicion OF murder upon
proof of rebellion, or use the fact o
rebellion as a substitute for testimony
i. udon a charge Of homicide, is to COMM
, a crime in the name of justice.
In the face Of the proclamation Of thu
President we do not believe that Mr.
: DAVIS is, in any seuse, an assassin of tn,
S late Chief Magistrate. We do not thinl
! that such was the character of the man
The charge, as it stands, looks to us lik,
an excuse for offering a reward for on,
whose destruction is predetermined -
, Why afraid to undertake the job o
openly trying and hanging Mr.. DAvI!
as a rebel? Does not tho present tffor
look like an attempt to undermine hin
by dlacing him before the people in. TIT
I aspect Of the perpetrator of an atrociou;
:. personal crime, making an industriousl,
! circulated pretense of suspicion of thu
one cumulati'e upon proof Of the other
5 This is not the magnanimity of honora
t bic craftsmanship. 1t proves the oppo
!, site Of that which many of us are %continu
ally asserting: that the batreds and cru
7 elites, late SO active are now in a STATE
of rcpose.
We are well aware how unpopular i
is even to admit that any person connec
ted with the rebellion is not q monster
in crime, s%teeTed in every form of vic,
and wiskedness. But VIC have lived to,
long in the world TO believe that ther,
are any monopolies of tho pad attribute
G OF humanity. We do not need to eros
the Ohio TO find monsters enough; no
! shall we, by traversing that stream, fal
inevitably into communities of monsters
We suppose that there are people ccnncc
t ted with secession who are, in every sense
:. as sincere as the best of those who ar
/, connected with coercion. We do no
a know that honor died out in the Britisl
= Colonies in America with the dawn of tn
q revolution; nor have VIC learned that it ex
pircd with the declaration of Souther,
A independence. We have yet to lear
that every Southern man is capable o
: every crime; nor do we believe that ii i
judicious' in any TO attempt to Great
such an impression. - Cincinnati Er