Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1865-06-13

TEE EUROPE IN PRESS ON lhE CAF lChC'
CHARACTER AND PROPER TREATMENT
10 Be EXTENDED 70 Nix. DAVIS,
An extraordinary interest has besn excited in
Europe by the capture of the late Prssiden; Of
The Confederate States. and much speculation
and solicitude are INDUCED as to his probable
fate. We annex extracts from some Of the lead
ing journal,
From the London Times, May 81.
The intelligence Of the capture Of Mr. Jefferson
D,yf. will produce fee ing OF unedsiness and
anxiety Ia every country in europe. .
rba no. IS of tue SOUtl are evidently cru he'd
teyond all chance Of redemption, and it would
have been a wise Is well as magAanimo1s policy
,, ler its leACerS u escape. To polite and
generous couQLeror there is nothing more embar-
EASING shan lie capture OF vanquished enemy;
IL b, one of those posi- ions which he would an e
ou.ly e1deSyor to avoid. 4 long experience has
taught EurOge 40 least this lesson. When Viii
liam Of grange found that King James had Ie-
turned from feyersl4m, lac determined If pOssi-
be TO eScsle tie difficult Is which would allSe II
he we're compelled TO make Nun prisoner, ard took
very GOOD care to do uoihing which might Teri.
uusly tend 10 his arrest until DO knew he was
conn Ietely out uf dnger. The Provisional Gov
ernment of France in 1870 conducted Charles Y
10 the coast with all honor and respect and IS
wears afterward Louis Philippe was exposed TO
DO molsstztion in his less dgnifed fight 70 our
shores.
Ne confess il is With much anxiety thst we
look forward 70 the probable fate OF the South.
ECU Pr, sidsnt The utterancts OF hr. johnson
have fof some tire been such as 20 calse the
liveliest unsasiEess in the minds OF all who are
anxious 70 SEE this great rife terminated with.
out the n lsion OF - one blood. II slaughter can
heal the wounds OF the Republic, enough Of hu.
man heca,ombs have been ole ed az its shrine I;
there needs not another life TO establish the tor
tune of the vctors. But the President has ever
,ince Lis accession, continually talked Of the
guilt OF treason, and we fear be has determined
10 gcnelia the extreme party Of his supporters
a. whatever eNoense OF policy or Of mercy.
n is purely IA the cause aud for the credit Of
the American / a.vn tha. we urge its sta csmen,
If there is vet Z me, 90 consider again and again
the extreme impoiry o. shedding the blood of q
man whom o H,tlc success would have t'ans-
iur1ed from IN STAINED traitor into something
very ike a successful Monarch. The stake has
teen played fairly. IL has been lost entirely and
tie victor shoUli be cOrtclt with his success,
We had q rebellion in lS4S in Ire.
land. but C diStaioed to dip our hands Ia the
b.ood OF the Rebels. We pardOued Smith ~.
B.iea. and Mitchell, and Neagher. In their Csc
tber. WAS % difficulty in ascertaieiaS the law :;
the crime wcs reflect well known and the pun.
ishnent equally notorious. The capital punish.
meat OF Carries l., whatever people may think
OF il now, was undoubtedly great mistake, and
Drnbablv one Of the princpll causes oil the long
aud dreary period during which We had to wait
before the accomplishment of Ouc liberties was
finally attained. Equally inpo,it!c was the exc
cution OF Louis NJ. Had we seized Washing.
ton iu the earlier days Of the Revolution ,ry
war We might have Consi cred ourselves justi-
led Ia executing him as dsserter, for he had
once borne The Hiugs commission. But long be-
fore the End Of tue war We had learnt TO know
Il IN and respect him. and had he fallen into our
hands he wOu have been considered entitled 10
al the c0uucsieS due 10 generous AMI noble
minded adversary.
All mi, is Of course, written on the supposi
lion tie truth OF Which we do not for a moment
a ubt. tlat 10 vi | be found impossible to connect
Mr. Davis i'm any way with the atrocious plotiOr
the assassination OF Mr.. Lincoln. Oar object is
not TO pahate that enormous crime, end, If 1t be
possible % show that Sir. Davis was cogn zant
oil We have nothing to say in his defence
We desire only to take the first opportunity of
reuresenting how enormous would be the guilt Of
commencing a prescription which would give
the tone D al Political contests in America for
TIE next ce -tUry. We d. not doubt that tie pun
ishment OF death has its uses, bat they arise
wien it is employed really as punishment and
not as On act Of vengeance. Wise cOhSue. Oss
make as few martyrs as possible aud Tor one
cause that has suffered by too great lenity il is
elsy 10 point out hundred that have been ruin
ed BY too much Sc 5erity. Punishment Is for the
violation Of municipal law. The man who ID
able 70 set up q Government and carry n q tire
mendous conflict FOR four years has elevated him
self beyond the reach Of mere criminal proceed
inRs. Burke could not d'aw up an indictment
Against 9 natioa, and on Mr.. JefiersOn Davis were
c0ncen rated the hopes and the feelings Of
brave and most unhappy people. Modern Eu-
rope ah,rds bat one precedent for capital punish.
ment in such q case-the treatment of Poland by
Russii and that precedent is not one to encour-
age imitation. When people rise for common
object, they are not lizely - be deferred by the
p. o pect Of individual punishment and when
punishment ceases t. deter it ceases to be jlsti'
fable.
From the London Standnd.
There will be very, very few Englishmsn
by whom tbs execution Of Mr.. Davis, on any
pretense whatsoever will be regarded in any
other tight than as cruel and cowardly murder,
rendered only mere atrocOus by the judicial
forms and technical excuses which may surround
and attend It, 10 Try him IS traitor would be