The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-06-17
John Mitchcl,s Opinion. .

We GAusOo UAC 4o1AOWinS C61 1aSA@pIAo
from John Mitchel's last Paris letter
to the New York News:
Jefferson Davis, yeoman, tit seems)
on a certain day of 1864, not having
the fear Of God before his eyes, but
moved and seduced by the instigation
Of the devil, did arm and equip per-
son and persons to resist by@force the
laws of the United States People in
this country find it hard to believe
that the dominant faction in the
United States is really about to com
NIT the filthy action of so far prosti-
t,tting the courts of justice, of SO
brutally abusing the accidental ad-
vantage of mere force, rs to press for
ward the trial of the chief Of the
Confederacy RS mere disturber Of
the peace and to treat the Confede-
racy itself as nothing but riot.
can understand very we'll the position
of the Government i'll this matter.
There was nothing to prevent them
from bringing this rioter to trial a
year ago; but it was expedient, for the
qualification of an amiable public,
that he should suffer the horrors Of a
dungeon at any rate for many months,
with newspaper correspondents peep
ing through his grated door, in order
to soothe the said blessed public with
q picture of his sufferings every morn
ing. He has not died, rs was expected;
and there is sort of prejudice gene
rally existing amongst civilized com
munitles against keeping All untried
man all his life in a Jail; so that the
question came to be pressing one,
is he to be tried or released? To re-
lease him would never do; because,
if he should choose to come over to
Europe, all that is best and noblest
IN these countries would receive him
with distinguished honor, as the
chosen chief of IL gallant people
making noble struggle for its inde-
pendence. This, I say. would never
do; it was necessary, law or no law,
per ./as et ncfus, to brand the chief Of
the Confederacy as All ignominious
felon, and 80 to associnte the idea Of
secession, for the future, in men g
minds with fetters and handouts, and
turnkeys and convict rations. Be
sides, in trying and convicting Mr..
Davis. the Government intends to
indicate to all other Confederates that
they are degraded criminals, only suf-
fered to go at large on sufferance
This is the way, it is believed. to
make secession impossible for the
future
Well, it is not new idea; the Ame
ricans cannot claim the credit of in
| hS.1 ~ T.
tried in Poland, in Ireland, in Vene-
tia and elsewhere, and it has not been
fonnd to answer very we'll as seen
rity against armed resistance, still
less Us Il method of reconciling the
bleeding, disaffected communities
! with the dominant ones. On the
contrary, it tends rather to irritate,
to keep old wounds open and to make
! fresh ones. If Mr.. Davis is really to
be found guilty as felon, it will be
m incapable insult to every South
ern man, woman and child. and will
be felt to be SO intended. Taken in
connection with that fine new plan OF
Reconstruction" which is to disfran.
chise all "who voluntarily took part
in the rebellion" (that is to say, al
the best men and worthiest member:
Of society i'll the whole South, with
out exception,) it will be felt by very
many rs Il complete Justification fol
the desperate effort they made to
sever their union with the North
It is y pity; for matters could sc
easily have been quite otherwise, i
only the dominant party at the North
could have found in their hearts the
smallest atom of generosity.
The European war still hangs hre
All the powers have assented to
Conference" which they think cal
do no harm, because each intends t.
abide by its decisions if favorable
and to reject them if otherwise. Be
sides, the Conference will not sto,
the marching of q single regiment t.
the frontier. Many begin, however
to be of opinion that the Emperor o
the French really desires peace; ane
further, that if he desires it he car
maintain it. He is the object OF til,
most slavish fattery now, on the par
Of English statesmen and journalists
even Lord Stratford de Redcliffe, an
cient Ambassador OF Constantinopie
and bitter foe Of Napoleon Ill, nov
speaks of him in the House Of Peer
as "that great man who sways tn
destinies Of France"
1t is reported that Gen. Geary ha
been made an honorary Under-Secre