The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1865-06-22
From the Cincinnati Commercially
Great Britain on the Punishmont OF
lie bells.

lie betss
If any new evidence were needed
of the utter unfairness, meanness and
malico of tho English press toward
this country, we have it in their pleas
Tor JEFF. DAVIS and his tellow'cou-
spirators. Not content with doing
all they dared to aid the bogus "con:
federacy" when living, they now join
in funeral wall over it's miserable
remains when dead. To save JEFF.
DAVIS from the halter he has so richly
morited, seems to be the first wish Of
the British organs, both Wing and
Tory. The Daily News cxhorts us to
"clemency," and 70 lay aside all
thought OF political Vengeance ! while
'sthe Times has the hardihood to point
US to examples of mercy sot by the
British Government toward domestic
traitors. Unfortunately tor it's case,
the burden OF historical evidence is all
the other way. The annals Of Great
Britain are notoriously red with the
blood ofrebels, shed with circumstances
Of cruelty and vengeance which sho'd
render her people the last in all Christ
er dom to complain, should our Gov.
ernmont proceed to the extremity OF
tho law in the case of the rebel leaders.
Tho London Times has even tho ef-
frontery to say that "modcrn Europe
affords but one precedent for the capi-
tai punishment in such case-thc
treatment of Poland by Russia. >
Truly, 'Iho most powerful journal in
the world" must be poorly read in tho
history of its own empire, or else to-
tally reckless of tho truth whom it has
a cause to plead.
We need not speak of tho atrocities
committed by Great Britain in the
countries Of the Last, after rebellions
were put down--the scores Of Sopoys
blown from tho mouths of guns, the
hanging of tho Chinese at Pckin, and
the cold -blooded murders of the Japa-
: ncso at Nagasaki, (he latter Of whom
were not even rebels.) All these
things occurred within ten years, but
wo will recall another event of mod
crn history" the Irish Rebellion OF
1913. This was not even serious
D armed outbreak-no overt act OF trea'
son was either proved or committed.
the indictments against Smith o Brcn,
! John Mitchell, IT. +. Meagber, and the
D rest were merely for "scditious speech
, os, and inhammatory publications.
Yet forty persons wcro tried for high
treason aud McManus, o OBrine, Mea-
I CHER, O'Donoghue, and others were
t found guilty, and sentenced the fol.
q lowing. punishment: "1hat you 6G
: drawn on a hurdle to the place Of e,recu'
t ton, and that each of you there be hang
: ed By the neck until you be dead, ana
= that dfterward the head of each Of you
: shall be Serercd from his body, and th'
body of each divided into four quarters
| to be disposed of as her Majesty shall
$ think fit; and may the Lord hace mere,
: on your souls "
And it was the nero clcmcncy O
the Queen which commuted this sen
tcnce TO transportation and imprison
0 mcnt for ifc of Van Deman'
a Land. 1t is true, these men were at
terward permitted to return to Eng
S land, by the Act of Indemnity OF 1856
: but this was eight years aiterward
J. when the petty political disturbance
for which they had been sentenced t
death were long since forgotten. Ye
: tho Times has the face to toll US tha
. "wo had rebellion in 184S, in Ireland
d but wo patdoncd Smith O'Brien, ant
d Mitchell, and Mcaghcr, and We ven
q ture to propose to him dresden
o Johnson) our own example! In
0 two.penny rebellion whore not on
drop of blood was shed in "Whito
U boy" insurrcction, the motvcpower Q
Z which was one.half denunciations @
H. "tho Unioa,' and the other half whis
i key and rcd flags in mere corrusca
: ton Of mob.eloqucnce, doclamator,
= patriotism and gas; in an incipien
y outbreak where no act Of violence wa
j. proven, and no mortal soul cvor cam
within gunshot of the smell of powder
in that case, the British Governmcn
y sentences half dozen leaders to b
hanged aud quarterOd-forty moro t
transportation Tor life, and then turn
round and commends TO US American
her Gown cxamplcv Example i
o what? Hero is Jefferson Davis,
= porjurcd traitor, stepped in scdilio
IRON tho cradle, and now rcd with th
blood OF thousands shed upon the bal
t, tlc.fcld in opposing his internal schcm
VI of usurpation, Wo say nothing of tn
= alleged ultcrior crime Of completely i
{ tho murder of our President, since nj
Q even tho Times is brutal enough
extenuato or apologize Tor that
l. But taken as naked question I
II rebellion and treason: when did Gro;
c Britain ever fail to visit the last veI
Z geance of law upon her own traitors
whether at home. or abroad? Let I'll
Times produce us one instance fit
u bo drawn into comparison for a mt
IL mont with our own. rebellion, anC
j. will have ransacked history to som
o purpose. Why, less than thirty yeal
: ago, (we presume that is recent enoug
10 to be called "modern history" ny in th
Canadian Rebellion of 1888, Gre'
ID Britain stained tho scaffolds of tina
10 province with the blood of fourtce
l. convicted "rebols," (three of whoI
u had been American citizens,) tram
70 ported twenty, seven, and banishe
without forms of trial about two hui
dred more, Upward of $50 "politici
+, prisoners" were confined at on time