The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1866-07-26

A private of the United States army has
recently been shaved, branded and drum
med out of the service. His offense was
desertion. He ran away, very likely,
when drunk and is probably some poor,
miserable, ignorant bounty-jumper, with
none to respect or love him. Military dis
cipline insisted upon his punishment and
military discipline was right in so doing.
There is nothing to be said in extenuation
of his baseness, and no fault to be found
with penalties visited upon him. Sol
diers must be kept true to their duty,
elseHle army would not be worth a straw
for efficiency.
At Fortress Monroe is an Individual
whom every loyal man, woman and child,
every official from the highest 10 the low
est, of the Federal Government, knows to
have been deserter, a traitor, a violater
of solemn oaths the head of an armed con-
spiracy to destroy the Union, the volunta-
ry chief of n rebellious organization that
has cost the lives of hundreds of thousands
OF freedmen, and perpetrated atrocities in
prison pens and elsewhere that would have
| disgraced savage cannibals. These facts
are not to be denied. To pretend to ques-
tion their truth would be to Justify insur-
rection, and to avOw that the national ar
mics were sent into the field without war
rant or excuse.
| lhOuBh NIdTSeu WIN the highest OF
crimes, this individual has not vet been
tried, or treated with the prompt Justice
and punishment meted out with lightning
swittness to allow member of the rank and
! file in regiment. More than this, he has
been visited by member of the Cabinet,
whose sympathy for jeff. Davis is so plain
that book, describing the prison life Of
that tratorious leader, is dedicated to him,
for that avowed reason. All this takes
place, whilst every day increases the indi-
cations that at Washington there is no
firm and decided purpose to intlict upon
this representative malefactor of the great
est bloodiest of offences any severe iudg-
ment that shall make of him All example
and warning.
I Why is this? Not because the great
body of the people have changed in their
principles or feeling, but because patriot
l ism has been put in obeyance by politics
f and politicians. That treason should be
e odious, not from any vindctive or blood.
r thirsty motives, but to secure the safety ot
5 the republic, is and has been one of the
: clearest of necessities since the surrendei
= of Lee. And yet, except in powerless
!; words, this necessity has not been confessed
= by the authorities. OF this negligence
this recreancy TO duty, there is but one ex,
I planation. Somebody wishes to conciliate
the South in President-making. Policy
management, diplomacy refuses to meet
the duty of the hour, which is first of all
r and more than all, to make treason odious
r so that treason shall not again threaten tn,
! safety of the nation, and to vindicate tn,
u right action of those who gave their lifi
l. and treasure to crush rebellion. If the OBJ
n legation resting upon the Government t
o punish insurgents seeking its overthrow i,
IS not met and fulfilled, more will be done t,
e weaken the nation and expose it to futur
S troubles than was accomplished by al
the efforts of the Richmond Confederacy
p Beating that Confederacy in the field viii
e be OF little worth unless it is pronounced
for all time, by the punishment of its lea
j ders, to have been crime of the darkes
and deepest dye.-[Boston Transcript.