Idaho semi-weekly world. (Idaho City, Boise County, Idaho Territory) 1867-1868, 1867-06-22
THE HOWLING RHARIsEEs.
[From the New YORK .Tribune.l j


The release of Mr.. Davis affords to some of
our contemporaries pretext for malignant Vi
tuperatiOn. The editor of this Journal is howl.
ed at with vindictiveDessNy which iscOmforting
SO far as it shows. that the tongues of certain
of our friends have not yet cleaved to the roofs
OF their mouths: Let that pass as the idle
wind which we, heed not One or two Obser-4
VatlOns, however, may be ventnred in reference
to a matter which seems to excite more than
ordinary interest. ts.ak
Jefferson Davis was taken prisoner twOa
years since. He was arrested as an assassin->
and tor his arrest the governmentpaid the sum
OF one hundred thousand dollars. The Rresi->
dent claimed to know in offering this reward
that Mr.. Davis was the accOmpIice of Wilkes
Booth. He was thrown into dungeon, and
manacled, and held in harassing durance Ass
an assassin, especially as the assassin of Mr.
Lincoln, this rigOr and vigilance did not seem,
unnecessary, and we were content. With all
the proofs the administration claimed to have,
was 1t not wise, nay, was it not due to the
memory of the martyred dead that speedy ius-
tice should be visited upon the great offender.
Certainly, if Jefferson Davis was concerned in.
the assassination of Mr. Lincoln, he was the
chief assassin. The wretch who was shot the
four wretches who were so swiftly hanged one
mldsummer's day, were the mere instruments
induced Mr.. Davis arrest, and the payment of
an enormous reward What came of thesar4
rest? With evidence of his guilt in, the pOs-a
session OF Mr.. StantOn-with hundred gener-
ais only too happy to be assigned to cOurt-mar-e
tlab duty-with the courts open, able lawyers
and district attorneys duly Commissioned the,
great criminal was permitted to remain in,
prison, and not word was said of Justice. For~
two years this has continued, and now, at thes
end oftwO years, the government permits him.
an unpunished assassin. to be taken from pris-,
on and released on bail IF this is right now,
when did it become right2 If, after all, thea
government has no evidence showing the com-s
plicity of Davis and Booth, why was not the.
charge withdrawn?
Well, it was asa traitor, and not as an assas-ts
sin, that Mr. Davis was held. and as such he.
should have been Kept in jail. But why keepsl
him In jail? Treason is crime, and crime,
according to Mr.. johnson, that should be pun
ished. There is lawful way of furnishing men
in this country. To Keep man in prison with.
out trial is violation Of law, not obedience totn
it. Mr. Davis may have committed many
crlmes-so many indeed, that, according to one
bowling Pharisee, il is a disgrace and re-
proach to our country that he should ever be
permitted to desecrate with his traitor f0ot-t4
prints the sod of a free State" But how do
is but one way of knowing 1.-THE verdict of
twelve tPusty men. Because Mr.. Davis is a.
criminal, must we also be cTiminala Because
he is known to have committed treason, must
we also commit what is certainly moral trea-.
son to the Constitution? If it is rigAt;tO take.
Jefferson Davis citizen, and imprisOn him two
years without judge or jury, why not citizen.
Thurlow Weed, or citizen William Cullen Bry-,
ant? But it is popularity believed that Mr.. Da- =
Wis is traitor, and that, traitor, he shoulde
long ago have been hanged. WE'LL it is. also,
popularity believed that if Mr.. Thurlow Weed,
had his deserts he would long ago have been
in Sing Sing We have no legal knowledge of y
the fact. Mr.. Weed has never been arrested;
nor tried; nor has even an Indictment been
found. He is at liberty, and so long. as he is :
not legally accused we shall insist that he re-s
main at liberty and if necessary we shall find a.
twenty bOndsmen who will answer for his se-
curity until tried. The principle is the same.
whether it applies to Davis or Weed, or citi-. =
zen Dermot arrested for assault and battery.l
The law has no prejudices-the Constitution
no popular punishments.
Certain citizens testify their Appreciation of
the principle so cOnspicuOusly violated in the
case of Mr.. Davis by becoming his bondsmen.
Listen to the Pharisees howling. ItispOpular
to howl at Mr. Davis, and hence all,this loudly
echoing indignation, What is justice? What
is law? What is the Constitutions? What
are the honor and dignity of this nation Mr.. !.
Davis is traitor, and should be hanged ~.
Well johnson is q patriot, and why did he not
hang him? The Pharisees who howl over
Davis huzza for johnson. So long as Davis
was fact we opposed him. The rebellion he
led, the slave system he cherished, the disunion
he preached, we have Warred .uRons Wewar.s
upon them now, and shall continue to do so,
until this land is q land of universal freedom
and impartial suffrage. But Jefferson Davis
is no longer fact He no longer representssls
armed treason He is our victim, our prisoner, -.
the creature of the laws, and one in whose per-
son the laws have for two years been dishon-.
ored Against that injustice we have protest.
ed, as we hope to protest against injustice in
any form, no matter how lOftysor,. lowlg the,
victim. This we do because we believe it to-.
be right. The Pharisees may howl nOtwith-.
standing We have heard. them, many and.
many time before.
RADICAL PUNIC FAITH The Cairo CTll.O,
hon, ooaof nvooiSo1iv o,,,,