Weekly Trinity journal., 1866-04-21
The Only Safeguard.

The Louisville Journal lately contained a sp.
niicant paragraph, in which, speaking as if by
authority, the editor assures his readers that left
Davis will not be tried by military commission,
and if tried and convicted by civil tribunal
will be pardoned by the President.
We do not for moment doubt that he smoke
what he knew to be true, and we are in daily ex-
tenders liberation. 1t will be a calamity. and
an insult to the Union masses and returned SOL
diers of the republican short bid for a rene
tition of the same reasonable acts for which he
is held to answer. The liberation of the head
and front of the rebellion, following so closely
on the execution of Wirz, would stamp the pun
ishment of the latter as a cowardly and most
cruel judicial murder. Wirz, an instrument of
the rebel chief, r,erely obeying the instructions
of such chivAlrous and christian gentlemen as
Davis, Lee and Breckinrdge is hanged. while as
yet not the slightest attempt has been made to
punish the instigators of his hellish acts. Wirz.
the frendless foreigner, the tool and instruments
of torture, is executed, while those in authority
who planned and gloated over the crimes COM
mtted, are to go unpunished. 1t is farce which
can only be compared to the punishment of the
knife which inflicted deadly wound, while the
murderous hand which welded it went free on
the principle that the atonement of the knife was
ample to the case.
Who doubts but that jeff. Davis, once releas-
ed, would soon be knocking for admission at the
doors of Congress Alex. Stephens has been
chosen Senator from Georgia, why not JEFF. Da-
Wis from Mississippi? The glorious old times
would then have returned, with the arch traitor
as leader of the Senate, perhaps President, pro.
tenn Stephens, Mason, Slidell, and a host of
lesser lights, would instruct such traitors as Ben.
Wade, Trumbull Sumner and Fcssenden in prop
er department and parliamentary tactics 1t
would be a clever ending of rebellion to again
hear such men insulting loyal ears with their
decamations in behalf of secession and States
rights. Heaven forbid that it be so.
There is one way to prevent such prostitution
of the nation victory, and that is strict adher-
ence to the Union party, as represented by the
majority in Congress. Union men who in order
to preserve the Union go over to the Copperhead
party, and who suddenly discover that because
they cannot fully agree with all the acts of their
chosen representatives, all patriotism, all love of
country, all political virtue, only to be found
in the ranks of those who exulted when Lincoln
was assassinated, and who would have fired guns
in celebration of Union defeats if they had dar-
ed; who mourn over Booth and Mrs. Suratt-that
these are the true Union men-such we repeat
were Union men either because it paid to be, or
else are so Internally stupid that argument will
not convince them. Yet even these would hes-
tate could they see the terrible consequences
which must result from the dismemberment of
the Union party. The late elections have prov
ed that there is little danger of such calamity
but that ours still is and promises to be the DOM
inant party of the country.