Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1867-05-16
Jefferson Davis.

A strange spectacle is passing before
the American people of man who was
q traitor to the government under which
he lived, holding an exalted position in
its councils in the days of its glory, and
now receiving from the people along his
route from the prison house to the place
of trial almost an ovation or triumphal
march. Jefferson Davis was the chief
apostle and defender of the rebellion and
the chosen leader Of those who would
trample under foot the flag of the coun-
try and rend asunder the bonds which
had knit together the best government
the world has ever seen, founded upon
the principles Of freedom and equity,
and endeavored to build up confeder-
acy whose chief cornerstone should be
aristocracy, injustice and slavery. Such
is the man who long before its birth,
plotted for the establishment of the
Confederate government as his highest
ambition, and taught to deluded peo-
pie that it was their destiny and to this
day is recognized as President Davis"
by the people of the South, and yet JEFF
ferson Davis, the dictator, the fugitive
and the prisoner, whose crimes justice
demanded should have received pun
ishment, is presented to the world as
one who is deserving of the nations
clemency. The assurances OF distin-
guished consideration which he received
from the officials Of a republic he sought
to destroy is sad to behold, when we
call to mind the journey made over the
same route during the war, of the starry
ed emaciated, dying prisoners of the
Union army, made so by the acts of him
who is now receiving the attentions of
the agents OF the government. Is this
justice to the memory of the brave suf-
fering ones who long since by these acts
of cruelty gave up their lives that their
country might live?
Let US at this moment take a retro
spective view over the past six years
On the 21st day Of January last, six
years elapsed since Jefferson Davis left
the Senate of the United States, claim
ing that he owed higher allegiance to
the State which he represented (Which
had then seceded) than he did to the
government Of the United States. Within
one month he Is elected President of the
Confederate States, and in the May fol-
lowing assumes the reins Of government
of a new republic at Richmond. There,
at the capital of the Southern Confed-
eracy, welding almost absolute power,
he ruled for four weary years, denounc-
ing the Union and traducing the loyal
army as cruel and mercenary invaders,
subjecting our soldiers to the most cruel
Imprisonment and horrid death-that OF
starvation--ever known in the annals of
history. He stood in this position be-
fore all nations, encouraging his people,
while the heroic Grant led our army
through the Wilderness, and the persist
ent Sherman made his grand march to
the sea, until he was compelled to make
fight from Richmond to Danville
from whence he issued proclamation
of his determination never to submit to
the abandonment of single State o.
the Confederacy. After Lees surrender
he made hasty journey to North Caro-
lima, remaining until he had learned
that the lamented Lincoln had fallen by
the hand Of an assassin, when he re
treated again to Georgia, followed by
President Johnson's proclamation offer
ing reward of hundred thousand
dollars for him as one of the assassins
of Abraham Lincoln, and on the tentl
Of May, 1866, he was ingloriously cap
tured in disguise, in the swamps o
Georgia, traitor to his country and /:
fugitive from justice.