Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1865-12-18
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name and just and practicable ineulea-
tons of the latter; so much so, that it
is, harpily, not unreasonable to antici-
pate the time when the word vengeance
shall be expunged from the political
vocabulary Of the peoples Of course
we refer solely to the past, present and
future of the more advanced, the
Christian world. 1t 10, nevertheless,
true-must forever be true-that those
who unnecessarily, Extensively, or for in
adequate purposes, take up the sword,
shall suffer or perish by the sword.
1t cannot be, 1t must never, never be,
that the spiritual progress and actual
attainments of mankind shall be subject
to the behests, requirements or demands
of whatsoever selfish, evenescent con-
temporary interest, or the adherents of
whatsoever surviving principle of barbar-
GUS ages may choose. to dictate. It can
not, it must not be, that the authors and
inheritors of the, highest mental, moral
and material achievements shall tamely
submit to the dominion, to the adhe-
rents Of the lowest, most unskilled forms
of development, and allow the yoke of
baFbarous ages to be re-adjusted through
coercion enforced bythe very powers and
enginerY they themselves produced. As
long as the violent, the selfish, the in
tolerant, and the barbarous exist in the
world, so long must resistance endure.
God forbid that the best of men should
ever become sheep-ish. Peace would
not thereby be secured, while all that
rendered life valuable would be surren-
dered and obliterated.
It is written, "resist not evil" 1t is
also written, "resist the DEVIL" and
when he uses FOOLS weapons it is
doubtless meant that similar instru-
mentalities shall be employed against
him. In this country, and in this age
of it, the FOOLS weapons. and his argu-
ments, are threats. violence and coer.
cion. Shall the devil alone be the re-
cipient of those advantages which
were produced by, and intended for, the
godlike ? Nay, verify, it shall not be
so-never.
A manual designed for popular use
was compelled to employ peculiarly
concentrated method of expression, and
any single sentence Enthusiastically
used, is liable to be misused. "Resist
not evil cannot signify the invariable
acquiescence and acceptance of wrong.
1t evidently concerns mere personal
contumely, where perjury to ones con-
victions, and abandonment of principle,
10 not involved Assuredly it does not
imply that this people should aban-
don its well established convictions,
principles and true policy-its position
as the leader of the nations of the present
and its illimitable, magnificent prospects
as the example of the future-at the
orders of faction, the partial interests
of small minority, or even at the
| grand prospects of unlimited niger
raising and niger productions. - :
But since we have successfully secur
ed those grand and worthy objects Of
effort and sacrifice against their no less
indisputably low and degraded preten-
sions, it becomes our necessity to mete
the measure of justice to those who
occasioned the necessity for the mighty
efforts - expenditures of blood and
treasure, and happiness and hoi-
ness. Certainly, so far, we have
much exceeded the maxim of modern
moral philosophers, and more than
agreed to temper justice with mercy.
Mercy has scarcely been tinctured with
justice. So true is this, that the con-
oueror and the advocate of consti-
tutional law has, so far, required no
other penalties of the insubordinate
than he himself suffered in subduing
the lawless a af4
In reference to Davis, we imagine the
Administration to be Influenced by the
following considerations: That, as the
leniency OF the Government has been
SO general in its scope towards traitors
and rebels, and its intentions of punish
ment SO commonly limited only to those
who have directly exhibited an utter abb
sence of the better feelings of common
humanity, it becomes, perhaps neces-
sary, perhaps it's duty and its best pol
icy, to signalize its right to punish tcai-
tors, and its right to enforce obedience
to the will of the majority under the
| Constitution, as the only principle under
which the Government of free people
can be maintained; and that, whether
the majority be for the time in the right
or not. The Administration also is
doubtless actuated by the conviction
that the hitherto rebellious are in dan
ger of falling into an old end habitual
error of theirs - that impunity, for
bearance, towards them, or pardon
means right on their part, and doubt on
the side of Government; and the people
sympathise with the Administration in
a sense of the extreme probability and
danger of such an understanding of its
humane policy. 1t is felt, also, that to
fear alone may be attributed its concil,
iatory measures and disposition ],
encourage a quicker birth, if not reno
walton, of feeling of love and brother
hood for our common country and be-
tween our common countrymen. On
these accounts notable and prominent
example of the legitimate punishment
due to treason in arms may be deemed
indispensable And for those reasons,
it is not unjust for one or more to suffer
though many are allowed to escape.
Thus we answer the questions, why
hang so and so, when others, perhaps
equally guilty are pardoned. Thus is
common law administered. But what
ever may be the verdict or conclusions
in regard to Davis, we shall be satisfied
that an Administration composed of such
men as is the present, has acted as near
as any would be apt to do, for the best
| interests of the country and humanity