Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1865-05-05

The American Rebeiiions-Past and
Present..

lishes the following interesting sketch OF the
different rebelIions which have occurred IN the
United States:
Before the gigantic rebellion that Is nov in its
death thtoes. there have been six Instructions.
or attempted instructions. since the formation
Of the federal government. Some Of these out-
breaks. or aitempted outbreaks, we're rather
riots. or bloodless demonstrations Of popular dis
CONTEXT; but they are generally called insurTee-
tions, and Il is sufficient for our present purpose
10 90 consider them.
What 10 peculiarly known a. Shsys rebellion
Is the first instance Of organized resistance 10
lawfSl government in the United States In
l756 L sniel Shay, q citizen OF Massachusetts, be-
came the leader OF q party Of malcontents in the
old Bay state. which had organized TO right such
grievances az heavy state taxation, the high sal
ary Of the governor. the aristCcratic tendencies of
the state senate, and other similar local grew
ances. Il vas entirely a family quarrel, and the
state troops settled the difficulty by killing three
of the insurgents and wounding others. Shay,
snS some OF HE fellos insurrectionists, we're cap
tured and subsequently, tried. convicted and sen
fenced TO death; but all we're fnalIv psrdoned,
and thus ended Shay's rebellion.
The whisky insurrection in Pennsylvania, To-
ward the close of the administration OF President
Washington. was q more formidable outbreak.
liz arose from discomfort caused by the heavy
excise tar imposed by congress upon distilled
domestic spirits. This Instruction ended with
out bloodsbed. and. If we mistake not, a name
sake and ancestor Of the present rebel General
Robert + Lee. held a prominent command in
the troops sent TO enforce obedience 70 the laws
Of the United States.
Burr's enterprise in 1907, the precise meaning
OF which has never been clearly made out, but
which is believed to have been the intended in
vasion of Mexico, and The formation OF a great
south wesiern empire, was the next revolutionary
movement.
In that case no ovet act of treason vas com
mitted, and the trial of Burr, in Richmond, re-
suited in an abandonment of the prosecution by
the government, aud the acquittal OF the
accused.
NulI6eation in South Carolina 10 1882 vas.
in its eject. a more mischievous revolutionary
effort thar either Of those that bad preceded il;
but in this case there was no bloOdshed, no over
act OF var. and no punishment Inflicted upon
any OF the leaders.
Doris rebellion in Rhoje Island, nearly or
quite a quarter OF a century ago. has frequently
been referred to by southern rebels. along with
Shay's rebellion, the whisky Instruction and
Burr's iaseo. by way OF excuse for secession, the
main actors in all these movements being north
ern men. But there Is no parallel among any of
the cases spoken Of. Dorr found Rhode Island
governed by an old charter granted the state by
Charles IL, as far back as 1868. He agitated its
repeal, and upon a popular vote its abrogation
was ordained, and be was elected governor upon
the reform ticket. Governor King and the char
ter party which he led refused to recognize the
act Of the people, claiming that the charter was
perpetual and unalterAble, that il could not be
amended or repealed, and armed resistance vas
made TO the Dorrites. John Tyler, then scciden-
tai president. sent United States troop. TO aid the
state forces OF Rhode Island in their anti repub-
cept that an innocent COW Was shot by mistake
by a pickett Governor ,Dorr was arrested. tried
and sentenced to imprisonment tor life. He was
alterward pzrdoned, the record OF his sentence
ordered to be expunged. and be lived 10 see The
old monarchical charter legally abolished and a
republican constitution adopted
John Browns famou. raid into Virginia in
1859 comes next In chronological order among
the recognized American outbreaks. John
Brown, a crack Drained enthusiast, with a score
Of followers, made war upon Virginia. and in
pursuit of a wild project of freeing the slaves
in the Old Dominion, he took possession of
United States property At Harper's Ferry. and he
broke the laws of the commonwealth Of VIr-
GINA. That state dealt out harsh Justice to the
offenders, and but a single soul of them escaped
Those who were not killed 10 the unequal fight,
or murdered after they were made prisoners.
were hanged, and Virginia made herself almost
as ridiculous in her sholesale sanguinary set
Ting of accounts with the raiders as she had be-
fore made herself by her childish fears and trep-
idstion.
The great rebellion which began in 1861, and
which now seems to be in its last gasp, is the
next outbreak in order. Strangely enough. the
nearest parallel to il among all former American
Instructions is the John Brown raid. There
was bloodshed in the case of the latter, every
soul OF the raiding party, except one who made
his escape. either biting The dust in the field or
ending bis career on the gallows. But John
Brown made war upon what he honestly and en-
Enthusiastically believed TO be a wrong, and not in
support of a crime.
John Brown was not educated at the expense
of Virginia; he had never sworn specially to sup
port its constitution aud its laws, and be never
enioyed high honors and emOluments st the
hands of the commonwealth which he made war
upon. Where John Brown VAS innocent, Robert
r.. Lee is guilty. he tcds educated at the cost OF
the United States; he enjoyed rank and emolu-
ment Of its bestowal; be was bound by bis oath
and his honor TO stand by its government, and he
failed in both. Where John Brown shed rills of
human blood, Robert Z. Lee has shed rivers;
where John Brown WAS merciful and kind
tow ard the prisoners who fell into his hands,
Robert + Lee allowed Belle Isle, Libby Prison
and Anderronville TO Disgrace humanity; and
where John Brown refused 10 tell = lie ~ save
his life. Robert E.. Lee has lent his name to
state nents that he must have known we're false.
Ia everything wicked aud criminal, Robert 4.
Lee il tar ahead of John Brown: in generous i'm
pulses and manly truthfuluess. and true heroism,
John Brown, with all his great mistakes,
stood a head and shoulders above Robert K. Lee.
General Lee Was a lieutenant-c colonel IN the Uni
ted States army in 1859. and be took command
of the storming party that captured what was
left OF Browns force of twenty men. We have
never heard that he nude any effort TO save the
brave old enthusiast from the gsllOws de must
know that his own crime Is ss much greater than
thas OF John Brown, as the slayeholders' rebel
lion is greater in its dimensions than the John
Brown raid.
John Brown sleeps IN the grave whittier be
was seat by Virgins. justice, or Virginia terror;
Robert Z Lee is AZ large on the parole OF a sol
der. Does he appreciate the generosity of north
ern foemen : or does he feel about his throat. in
his dreams, the encircling hemp that he must
know his crimes entitled him Iof Yes there is
party of defeated sympathiEers with treason.
and mawkish sentimentalisis. in our loyal Moth
ern communities. who talk about the "magnan-
imity" of Lee. of his ~sOldierly honor, - his "un-
stained sword. and ali that sort OF unqualified
bosh. Lees treason dwaris that Of Arnold: he
has been = leader in the most stupendous politi-
cal crime upon record. and what adds to the en-
ormi,y of his offense. IL the fact that he knew
perfectly we'll that lie wss doing wrong when be
emitted in the cause Of rebellion. for be hesitat-