Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1865-04-06
JEFFERSON DAVIS.

This arch traitor is beginning to receive
the leader of the mad enterprise of rebellion
against our government. Had that scheme
of the southern conspirators been success
ful, Davis would have been eulogised to the
skies by his partizans but now that its
failure is becoming manifest, the curses of
the disappointed aspirants, fall thick and
fast on his bewildered head Whilst this
is not fair, it is nevertheless a faithful ex-
emplifcation of human nature in respect to
all enterprises, great and small. The sue
cessful man is lauded, the unsuccessful one
is condemned, and it is easy to see mistakes
after enterprises have failed through them.
But there is one consideration which per-
tans to the condemnation of the arch rebel
Davis, that does not apply to all other fail
ures, and that is, that he merits all he is
getting, and more too. When we remem-
Der that Davis, before he rebelled, was one
of the favored of the land, that he had held
for many years the highest positions of hon
or and trust under our government, that he
was rich, and as high in social as in polit-
ical position and more than all, there was
every prospect of a continuation of this
distinction This all fell to the lot of a man
who started poor in life, and who owed all
he enjoyed to the benefactions of the best
government on the earth. Yet, Beezebub
like, he cast gratitude to the dogs, his COM
| forts and cnjoyments to the winds, and
struck deadly blow at the vitals Of his
benefactor Had he only injured himself
and his followers in this atrocious assault
upon the government, there need be no
complaint but the untold sufferings, sor-
rows, sacrifices, and deaths which have fol-
/ lowed in the wake of his Internal work, call
| for more punishment than the scoundrel can
/ bear There is another view of the case
which adds materially to his criminality :;
and that is the fact that he went into the
rebellion fully comprehending the enormity
! of the act, and he should have known the
| power he undertook to resist He had
every opportunity of understanding fully
! the resources and the spirit of the free
/ states If he did not understand them, if
| he was deceived i'll both, he has neither in
! telligenCe equal to his opportunities, or the
sagacity he has credit for and the folly of
! throwing himself headlong into the REBEL
ion is not the least mitigated by his ignor-
/ lct ha G,,nu
when he went into the mad scheme of a
southern contederacy, nay, that he was a
foolish man for daring this wickedness, no
/ one sees more plainly, and feels more SEN
sibly, than does Davis himself at this
time, and he has now grief proportioned
to his wicked folly. The passion of ambi-
ton blinded him to the truth and the right,
as other passion too often do other men, and
bitterness comes to usurp the place where
joy and gladness reigned.
The newspaper editors, other writers, and
orators of rebellion who are blaming Davis
for all their mishaps are not dealing Justly
/ by him, but this is the fruit Of their com
mon folly. Those who are now blaming,
were as furious, and rushed as bindly as
confidently, into the vortex of rebellion as
did Davis himself. They boasted as much
of their prowess, they were as Indifferent
to the obligations they owed to the Govern
ment, as destitute of gratitude for favors
enjoyed, and as villaniously bent on our
ruin, the destruction of our property, and
the butchery of our people, as he. 1t was
an easy matter to accomplish all dhey I'M
dertook. No trouble could come to hem
And now in their sore disappointment, they
| pitch on Davis 1t was not his fault that
they failed. They would have failed as
certainly with any other leader but the
same blindness which led them into this
folly, hinders them from seeing the cause
of its failure. If they had been as smart
as they claim to be- as wise as they ought
to have been, they could have seen the doom
of rebellion before they went into it. But
those whom the gods would destroy, they
first make mad"