Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1865-06-28
Shall Treason Pass Unpunished.

Those who contend that treason ought not
to be punished, freely quote passage from
the London Times, as follows: We had a
rebellion in 1S4S in Ireland, but we disdain-
ed to dip our hands in the blood of rebels.
We pardoned Smith O Brian, and Mitchell,
and Meagher. In their case there was no
difficulty in ascertainlng the law; the.crime
was perfectly well known, and the punish
ment was equally notorious.
1t happened, however, that there was not
a rebellion in lS4S in Ireland 1t is one
thing to put kettle on the fire, another TO
make it boil Smith O'Brian, Thomas
Francis Meagher, and others, who loved
their native land mot wisely but too well,
endeavored to raise a rebellion, bnt failed
The peasantry, who used to applaud their
eloquent and ferved speeches, declined 10
follow them to the field. There was few
gallant gentlemen greatly disposed to raise
revolt, In England, against British rule,
but they had neither arms nor men, nor
money to purchase arms and support men.
Had the Catholic Priests given any encour-
agement, the story might have been differ
ent. But the Priests, with scarcely an ex-
ception, had been Underlined with . O'Con-
nels policy of avoiding all breaches of the
law; they remembered his advice, though
he was then dead and they counselled their
fiocks not to violate the law by plunging in
to rebellion. Smith O Brien, Meagher.
McManus, and O'Donog ghue--''Few and
faint, but fearless still f'-saw that the affair
rest, went into the country, probably hop
ing to remain there until favorable time
should arrive for their quitting Ireland for
the continent or the United States. They
were arrested, indicted, tried, condemned,
and sentenced to die the death of traitors.
Macauly truly wrote, Every man who
heads rebellion against an established gov
government stakes his life on the event.
But here, nothing had ripened into rebel
lion. Above all, not one drop of un,an
blood had been she'd The Ministers of
Queen Victoria therefore judiciously spared
the forfeited lives of the condemned men,
and substituted exile for death. Mitchell
was not pardoned at all Though The Times
says that he was for he had been tried and
sent out of Ireland, as guilty of sedicious
whiting, months before . Brien, Meagher,& d
Co., were condemned.
First, then, there was not an actual out
break of rebellion in Ireland in lS4S. The
leaders failed in the attempt to make re-
volt. 1t was bloodless .tidsco. Had hui
man life been lost, O Brian and his friends
would undoubtedly have died on the scat
fold, like Robert Emmett in 1903 But. in
thecase of Jefferson Davis-the very life and
and soul, the mover and leader Of the erebellion
the plea which saved the IRISH gentleman
cannot be put in. He is mainly answerable
for the miserable condition to which the re-
volted South has been reduced by the rebel
lion-for the unprecedented loss Of human
life during four years of war as devastating
as ION the Union side) it had been unpro-
voked-and for the debt of three thousand
million dollars which now presses so heavily
upon all classes. Such an outpouring of
blood and treasure the world never saw, and
if Jefferson Davis. who caused all this, is
exempted from the penalty of crime, then
rebellion. This may sound harsh, but it
is true and the public will have to realize
that there are occasions when justice really
becomes mercy. Rebellion, it must be
shown, ought not to be allowed to evade the
punishment it has incurred-Press