The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1865-10-19

GENERAL LEE.
So long as General Lee remains in
this country, aud is allowed not only to
go about without punishment, but to
proclaim disloyal and obnoxious opia-
ions, such as he fought for against the
United States, there will always be a
feeling of dissatisfaction among loyal
citizens. There is something intens nsely
CALLING in the fact that the articles of |
convention between him and Grant ,cere
so loosely toorded as to afford 1oophoEs
for the escape Of such a traitor from, the
clutches Of The law Nothing could
have been more unfortunate than this |
clerical lapsus. 1t furnishes what would |
otherwise have been the spotless glory
of the surrender, on the part Of our
great General. A little larger cunning,
a less m'ognanintity and generosity tooard
cruel and inscriptions foe ,ohon, he
had already vanquished, whose armies
wero at his mercy, out.generaled and
beaten at every point, would have left
the rebel chief, who was the intellect
and the heart of the ferocious war waged
against US, to be dealt with according to
the forms and usages of law.
As the case now stands, Gen. Grant,
whose presence in the f.ld Is inspira
ton, and whose battles are conquests.
suffered himself to be drapn into an an,
neSH. The result is, that our Govern
ment, always humane and mcrciful,
even at the expense-on memoraLlc
occasions-of justice and self preserva
ton, jealous Of its honor and its spoken
word, even though long experience had
proved the rebels themselves to be ut
terly devoid of all faith, the result aoc
say, IS, the Government decides to accept
the literal reading Of the convention, and
to permit that arch traitor to the Union
to go at large, wHhom arrest or trouble.
Far be it from US to impugn the wis
dom or the legality of this decision with
any view to oppose or embarrass the
Government. 1t is certainly magnan-
imOus proceeding. But who is this
man? What has be done to entitle him
to this matchless immunity What
qualities of humanity has he displayed
during the war to justify this forbear-
ance and mercy? We do not call to
mind a single public action of his,
which docs not sink him below the rest
of mankind. Where was he ever known
to extend the smallest civiiity to a pris
oner in his charge? When was his voice
urged in remonstrance against the cruel
treatment Of a Union soldier in the
prisons of Richmond? Is there man
in all our armies who knows or has ever
heard Of one good deed, one act Of
charity, or motcyj one look of compas-
sion, one word Of consolation, as pro-
ceeding from him in all his connection
with our own men during the war? On
the contrary, was he not one of thai
conclOve which projected the cold
blOoded murder, by starvation, of on,
poor, poor brothers at Audersonvill
By whose orders we're our men and off
GERS shot like beasts, for the crime 0
showing themselves too near the win
. dows of Libby Prison? Who ordere,
= the same fate to the martyrs of Ander
sonville if they obtruded so much as
foot or an arm beyond the dead line i
that awful and appalling shauble?
A single word from this arch-rebel a
= Richmond would have put stop /
these horrible butcheries: would hav
mitigated the condition of the sick an
wounded would have given bread [
our famished, broken hearted hopeless
utterly crushed soldiers there; woul
have provided fuel, and shelter, an
clothing for them, aud have spare
them little, if only a very little,
torture on their way to blessed dealt
Did he utter that word2 Did h9 try
aid any one of our unhappy brother
Let their own commission of inquii
IN. into the prison discipline answer, 1t
me there written that all this horrible pr
gramme Of murder by inches, this u
speakably Internal systom,of shootir
our helpless soldiers in prison, was d
liberately conceived and authorized |
the Richmond authorities, of who
Jefferson Davis and General Lee we
the chiefs. With an inconceivable ds
ing they put a climax upon these wor
than bsybarian deeds by solemnly 4
by by Tending the whole damnablo policy as
- part of tho Legitimate functions of W