The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-09-01


trial, and the detail of his cruelties towards
soldiers, a. daily inside public, is enough to
horrify the world. Other men, identified in
various ways with the rebellion, will have their
trials in turn. Davis will be tried, and doubt
less Mitchell also, and these will hardly more
than head the list. No one would be content
to see wretch like Wirz escape; and yet what
will be done with any individual criminal in
these cases will be of minor importance. 1t
will matter but little to the country, to the flu
ture, to the world, whether Davis or any other
rebel is hanged or goes free-the mere persons
are of no consequence whatever. What is OF
importance in these State trials ia the record
thus made Of the infamous and horrible char
acter of the rebellion. These State trials will
be practically history made from the sworn
evidence of thousands Of eye witnesses and men
familiar with the events Of which they speak,
and it will show to the world the real inner
character Of the rebellion with force that no
other history will ever approach.
Such record is necessary. Now that the
war is over, and the thoughts stirred by such
acts as the murder of Mr.. Lincoln pass away,
the friends of the rebellion everywhere and
the enemies of the United States are writing
about the war in a way peculiar to themselves,
and of course calculated to show US in a false
light The London Quarterly Reuie,o in its last
issue takes this course. 1t endeavors to show
how barbarously we waged war, in violation of
all usages and what vile wretches we are
altogether. On the other hand, it holds up the
men of the rebellion as the models of all that
is worthy of imitation, and lauds their honor,
generosity and noble character We know all
about this here. We know very well the vim
dictive spirit that ruled the South through its
favorite speakers and it's press. Day alter day
we read the Southern harangues that hurried
already violent men to extremes and led to the
arson plots and kindred acts. We know also
what moderation the body of the Northern
press maintained throughout the struggle
with what manly calmness the whole people
regarded the war, and with what generosity the
enemy's men were treated when they fell into
our hands.
We know all this, and have known it all the
time; but there has been no great terrible,
sufficient showing of all this to affect the
world. There has been no single account of
the infamy of the rebellion that would burn its
impression into the public brain and leave
there picture that will more than balance all
that our enemies con even imagine against US.
The developments of the Wirz trial and of the
trials that will follow it will serve this purpose.
They will put in light so strong that the
world cannot fail to see it truly the real inner
history of the rebellion, and will silence for
ever the pandering tories of the Quarterly.
But with all these horrors of the Andersonville
prison pen and the barbarism of its keeper
fresh in the public mind, is it not wonderful
that paper in this city can lift up its voice in
Virus favor, and endoavor to represent that
his trial is q government persecution Does
the power of twenty-five thousand dollars out
of Jake Thompsons assassination fund reach
80 far as to cover this case too?
FRAUDS IN rHE PAY DEPARTMENTAL another
column will be found two letters relative to
alleged frauds in the Pay Department of our
army, and more especially to frauds in the pay
ment Of our gallant soldiers now or recently
IL
government bonds in satisfaction of their
arrearages should obviously be made optional
with them, either to accept or reject; but il
they can be induced to take such interest
bearing securities it is clearly better, both for
their own interests and those of the govern
ment. Our correspondents exposition Of Col.
Bipney's action in the matter will be read
with INTEREST," but we think, nevertheless, our
late President was right in directing that the
form Of payment, whether in bonds or cur
rency, should be left open to the choice of
every soldier or other public servant and
that these evidences of Jay Cookies national
blessing" should not be forced upon our men
in too large quantities. The use, however, of
such bonds in limited quantities was an excel
lent thought, thus paying of the army with
one hand while substantially replenishing the
national treasury by the self-same act.
THE TRlUxvRATE or THE AMERICAN GOVERN
MENr.-Our government consists OF three
powers-the President and Congress first, the
republican party second, and the democratic
party third. These three powers are the mate
rails out Of which our statesmen are formed,
and which animate all public action, foreign
and domestic. Of these three great powers the
only one which possesses clear idea of
matters and things is the President. And OF all
the muddles Of the present day we consider the
conventions of the republican and democratic
parties the greatest muddles Of them all. They
mix up the past, present and future in utter
aud inexplicable confusion.
The RECONSTRUCTION OF THE SoUrH.-The Bos-
ton Goldfish aristocracy have spoken on the sub
ject of the reconstruction Of the South, and de-
nounced President Johnson's plan. The d<bris
of the secesh aristocracy in Richmond, vir-
ginia, have just spoken, and they support
Il 40 Tat