Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1865-09-07
HORRIBLE INHUMANITY.

Every reader has shuddered on reading
of the awful murder Of the aged Cappado
clan king by the victorious Herdiccas his
whole being has thrilled with horror at the
recital of Nero's cruclties and DOmtian's
crimes, and he has thanked the God of
Mercy that the light Of civilization now
shines where the cloud of ignorance once
lowered His heart has bled when the at
rocities of FIorul and Caligula were storied
forth to him in all their damning fiendish-
ness, but he has said again, "Thank God
this was ages ago, when might was right,
when men were blind and drunken, when
the weak were slaves, when the strong
held power by the livery of seizin, when,
indeed, the earth was covered with a pail
of moral gloom and death. But a new era
has dawned the veil is lifted, and the full
! light of reason and justice illumines a
world once enveloped in the mists and
shadows of superstition and wrong
When wars come, and whole continents
tremble under the laundering tramp of
armed men, and the clash Of steel, the an
cry shout, the yell of pain, and the dying
moan made the air hideous with discordant
sounds, he wept to see the ruin strife was
making but he said, This is one of the
inevitable results of the exercise of reason
it is through blood that truth is reached
when men differ. Peace comes --one
thought, one hope animates the hosts lately
| arrayed the one against the other, and this
is the end Of strife"
Thus men reasoned, until the great Am
ercan Rebellion Jared the world. Cities
fell, fields were laid waste, homes desola-
ted. Then came rumors of barbarous
deeds then, little by little, proof. At last
came the evidence of the prisoner at Ander-
sonvilc, and the poor emaciated wretch
confined at Libby, The shrunken form, the
leaden eye, of the living told truthful tale
of suffering and the myriad graves that
marked the spot where tortured men were
buried discoursed, oh eloquently, of cruel
death. Men raised their hands to heaven
and begged for mercy. Women walled ,and
children moaned, because the husband,
father, brother, son, lacked but the scrap
Of meat, the pure cold draught,to make life
sweet while hope remained. But this poor
boon, the gift pampered dog refuses, was
| denied. Brave men died for want of food
where food was plenty; died of thirst where
rivers flowed. Ever and anon came tales
of cruelty too horrible to name, too iiendish
| to believe but some were true, and one
which we have listened to until we thought
we were hearkening to a nurses tale of de-
mon wrath we give below. 1t is simple
story from a poor and crippled son of Ham:
"My name is Richard Thomas Griffin |
am 33 years old. | was bought by my
father, Thomas Griffin, from Mr. Caldwell,
of Washington, who owned me until | was
quite boy. In 1858, think Dr. Richard
Lee, who owned farm ON the Eastern
Branch, hired me as body servant, under
the following conditions was to remain
with him ten years, to go where he did, and
to obey his orders. | was to receive at the
end of my term of service five hundred dol
lars, horse, a saddle and bride, and 6
suit of clothes, and was to be taught read
ing and writing When the bargain wa'
made, my father took me to the City Hal
in Washington, where | was recorded as
free man Of color. Mr. Naylor can show
the record We Or. Lee and / went from
Washington to Athens, Georgia, where th'
Doctor held farm of $50 acres. Here h
bought family of slaves He was en-
gagged in business in Augusta, Georgia
where he spent much of his time.
"Just after the war broke out, DR.. Lee
moved to Knoxville, Tennessee, where h
sold all his slaves, attempted to sell me