, 1865-12-25
A EIHEL SUIT.

the time when We hare not had at least ons
action pending against US, and not unftequcnt
u there arc two or three dangling along In tht
courts together. It is on1y-a short time since
the last one was disposed Of. We had beer
sued by somebody down In Cairo, twe forget
his name,) for clipping news item out Of tht
Alton Telegraph and publishing 1t in the TR1
BusE, which our Cairo friend declared te
be libel upon him. Our friend employed
counsel. We also employed counsel
The two counsels vent at it, accordint
to the statutes In such cases mads
and provided. The opposing counse
filed his bill, but he did not file Il
sharp enough. Our counsel dc1nurrcd, and
he demutred SO seriously that for long time
we supposed the bill had been drawn in. Our
counsel had raised regiment, gone to the
war, and fought half dozen battles before
We heard OF that bill aeain. In the course oi
time ne were advised thai the opposing coun.
sci Ind amended his bill. We employed new
counsel. Our counsel demurred to the
amended bill. An animated legal scrimmsgc
then took place, in which pleas,
dcnnfTers, rejofndcrs, rebutters and
other missiles were freely exchanged.
The opposing counsel was perhaps the most
tenacious individual ne ever encountered
We resolved, long before the matter waa
brought to CONCLUSION, that If We should
ever prosecute anybody for libel, We should
retain him. Years rolled on. The Gaze
finally came to square issue, and It was de-
cided that there vas no libel there. Onr
counsel, and the opposing counsel, had been
exchanging reams OF legal cap about nothing.
We paid or lawyer. and wc suppose our
Cairo friend paid his, together with the
*tcosts,'' though We never inquired about
that.
We have hardly got rid Of this case when
we are advised By The Chicago Eueatag Jour
nal, t'by authority" TINT the Hon. Gcrrit
Smith Inns sucd us Tor libel laying his dam.
ages AT $4,000. It Is said, Or insinuated, that
We have charged the Hon. Gerrit with feisn-
Ing insanity after the John Brown raid at
Harper's Ferry. THIS is not true We al
legged that be became insane after that event.
deriylu. our knowledge from common ru1nor
at the time We have never seen Mr. Smith
in an lusane asylum, but re expect to, before
he RECEIVERS his $4,000. 1nasmuch Is the
public will be curious to see the article upon
which the s5u,o suit is based, VIC publish It
again, merely promising that It was written
at tue time Mr.. Smith was asitating for the
pardon Of Jei1. Davis:
From the Chicago Tribune, June 13, 1S{1.l
aErn1r sx1Iu-
Gerrit Smith ktanus iadebtcd to his eire for
feeble intellect and large fortune. BY dint Of a
liberal expenditure Of bis large fortune tn putting
and advertising the productions Of his feeble In
eilec1. he very nearly phoes himself On par with
ihoss who are invesseiY endowed with good in-
te11ect and no fortune. Ge1rtr Smiths strength Is
perfected in hIs wenkuess His forte IL In his 1sck
Of tortitude. lie Ia. none Of the ftu8 Of which
men are nnde+ While his compassionate
pure bled for the tudettnes Of the
s1ave he sill declared that were be a slave
himseG he would eessc III such all his life, soone1
freedom. He vas m Abol1llonist, and get when in
Congress would uot stt up aftet nine o'clock to
vote against the Sebraska BILL that being hts hour
for going to bed. His money sent John Brown to
knnsAs and helped h.sn lIbesally whtle thesc-pef.
haps also al Ha1pef's Ferry. Though The litter has
neSe1 been proven Yet, On the arrest Of bfowD
bis tender hearted hnancial patron bcczms
tneane, fed from the wrath Of Bu
chanan and ,hr shareholders, who then ruled
the Government, took refuge in l1natic asylum
and renamed there until Lincoln was 1naururated
He then czme forth clothed bnt not In bis right
mind, and has siuce hecn engaged in publishing. At
hts own expense, and circulating among The r.c+s.
which never print them, aud the people, rho never
read them. periodical bulletins. recommending
boh 1le nbohslon Of eiavcry ont Of tenderness 70.
the negroes. and The cessation Of the war oat oi
mercy TO 1hc whites.
Now that the war is ended By the labors Of men
Of mettie this Of milk IL again crying londly
lest any OF the aut4oEs Of the rebellion shal1 Be
puctsssed. Tbezeupnn, Charles O'Connoa, $. L. u.
Barlow ard Richard 0'Golman three Of the rank
est secession Coppe1headsip In New Yoza, unite sith
Horace Greeley and one or two Other et1ls,c
and unrehcctinc persons, In giving Nj. smith,
for onec. sHee advertisement Of his intel1ect-
ua1 mediocity. by Inviting him to speak in
Cooper Institute. II Il not ri all remarkable that
this chtckcp-leared person, uho acitale= courasc
ous3y doctrines by many deemed dangerous, and
then wtihd1aws to the Insane asylum 10 avoid their
danEers-who opposes ali gortrumcut becsnee It
inGctt punishment in this WORLD aud equally coz
demue nll religions that hint nj punishment In
the nc5t-hou1d interctae Tor tie life Of the
steafeet criminal Of the age. We hare only
70 sag ttaf men Of e&cr1e1 stut ate 1rquIrcd
to deal with the practical afstrs Of life. Of
war and OF Government. Tb1. soc:sty may exist,
cime tuIs be punished. and in the language OF the
President Mercr to tue criminal is cruelty to the
people Burr und Calhoun wcr,. got punished he
capec Their treason led to no bloodshtd. Mr.
| Smith askt that Davis el,al not be- punished oe
carse his treason led to 60 much boodsl.ed Is II
amount 10 a state Of u:r. Shoalt such 1nou
s,rous folly prevail It wou1d leach all fn'u1t
traitors .tat there ore tvn casrs IN whicl
TREASON Is rot crime; one where It succeeds, :ht
| other where IT EaiIe-one where it IL bloody, the
oLer uhere ii IL blood!es*-ouc ulert II il ntypet
u tic luu Tue other where Ii is pulled out by tut
roots.
| TO epact lint those citizens nho ~'iery war ol
Tic Cni!ed States"' shall tudcr death for tr.a.on-
! 5s merely to ecA That set crjms snd to proais
nro,ect;pn from II. To hang Jefferson Davis o.
traitor Is 10 n4ake 1t crime, md to gps The pro
| lection we have promised.