Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1866-05-28
A RADICAL COMPARISON.

The rebels have been, subjected TO g
variety of odious comparisons. and crush
ing epithets, and none have succeeded
better in using them than the Pennsyl
yanians. Mr.. STEVENS assigns said rebels
to the "penitentiary of HE'LL and Mr.
KELLY compares them to the murderer
PRoBsT The latter patriot thus emptied
the fullness of his mind in speech in
the lower House a. Washington:
If PRoBsT, who recently murdered
eight members of one family in my city,
repented ever so much, should still say,
enforce the law against him; if You lind
his mental and moral nature so low that
you ought not TO execute him, because
you do not believe him to be responsible,
keep him in the penitentiary for the
residue OF his life, but never turn him
loose on society Protect society against
him, however penitent he may profess to
be- He only killed eight persons-some
of these rebels, for whose equal citizen
ship the gentleman contends, killed their
hundreds, and all Of them struck at the
life of the nation.
This virtuous gentleman, this Christian
prodigy, should, after the utterance Of
these sentiments in the ear of a gaping
world, have retired to the shades of that
private life so congenial to the constitu-
tions Of those who have Shaken the world
with the noise of their deeds Having
compared the Southern people to a man
who takes an axe in his hand and de
liberately leads seven persons, one after
the other, to slaughter, he ought not to
be expected to do more for his country.
When WAsHiSGToN won Che indepen-
dencce of the colonies, he delivered his
victorious sword back into the hands Of
Congress. After CINcINNArUs had saved
Rome, he returned to the pow. Mr.
KELLY ought, after his late speech, to
follow their example. He has reached
the hight of fame, and any subsequent
service he can render his, country, can
but diminish his reputation Mr. GREE
LEY, the writer for that clean, chaste and
Christian sheet, the Tribune, dares. to
sully his reputation by an attack on the
lofty sentiments Of Mr. KELLY, in this
paragraph: ..,, .,-.
The cause of truth is never served by
extravaganza. English freedom was
thrown back quarter of century by
the extravaganza of the Agag-smiting
Puritans France yielded her freedom
TO BoNAPARrE because of the mischief of
RoBEsPIERRE Every argument we make
for blood, every demand for cruelty, only |
strengthens those who wish TO build the |
new Union on the old foundations, and |
preserves in the cornerstone the spirit |
Of slavery.
But the place to which Nh, STEVENS, the
great representative man of Pennsylya-
MIA assigns the rebels, indicates how
little bis mind is given to temporising
with wickedness, and how directly it
proceeds to its objective point, the
penitentiary of hell r A whole people
hurled in a moment, without leisure to
pray, into that hot place of confinement
The culprits, while they would not prefer
that abode, cannot fail to admire the sub
lime courage that pronounees their doom.
They would like to compromise if posi-
bic, and get better terms, say a few part
ing words to the world, to the bright sun,
the smiling day, the sweet stars, the
moonlt night, but the loyal heart of
their unwavering judge demurs. Down
they must 60 There is one consolation,
however, running through the awful
night to which they are assigned. Tthey
would bear, in the course of five or ten
years from this time, the awful voices Of
STEVENS and KELLY, shaking the "peni-
Tertiary" with the cry of water, waterl"
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