White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1867-06-20

jefferson Davis aid IIis Frlends.
In spite Of the 'qhree wise meu Of
doth.m." Beecher. Greeley end Smith.
ws still bold that treason sui murder
oosht to be punished. and that. had there
been . will. . way would have been
found; that it is Q most unsound - we'll
% dlsgrsceful "policy" to treat murder
ere ike honest uien 10 order to conciliste
other murdsrers. The religion Of these
wise men" consists in swspping mortal
ny for success. They have every quality
OF . Yankee peddler. except 'cuteness.
ln contrast with these mudiled philan.
throp'sts and clergymen. tossing sbou,
words OF whose meaning they know moth
ing. look at the sensible aud clear. sighted
statesman. Thaddsus Stevens, whose
letter on confscation. fall Of profound
wisdom. will he found in another column.
Mr.. Greeley, like all convicted sinners,
takes refuge in that cowsrd's castle, an
EFFORT to show my iaecnsisteney. No
amount OF inconsistency on my part
would lessen his guilt. He expended 20
much magnsnimity. however. in going to
Richmond to clasp Davis hand. that he
bad none left to copy in his columns my
statements. which he undertakes to an.
swer and com ment on. Instead OF this
new-fangled and wondrous msgu auimitv,
wish he could End time 10 cultivate q
wee bit OF that homely end old-fashiou-
ed virtue. justice. The ustion and
should both be better for it. In regard
to his statements. copied in smother col
umn. let me say. never asked for Davis
death, and do not now. He deserved
death, and the Government which leaves
him alive. confesses that it murdered
Wirz. Had l been President, and ready
to execute Wirz. l should have shot
Davis within twenty -four hours after his
arrest. not ss q traitor or belliRerent, but
"a . murderer and butcher, wholesale
violater Of the laws of honorable war.
But am against iife-tsking. and my
whole theory Of rebel punishment ex.
planned in speech in April, 1865. or
Lincoln's death.
l repudiated the idea Of trying him BY
jury; not. however, from any doub,
that he could he convicted. Tske him
to Lawrence. Kansas, and try him for
Q,antrells murders; take him within
sight Of st. Albans. and set him before
Vermont jury-does any man doubt that
he would be convicted =? Bot / would
no more honor him with jury trial than
| would an adder.
In the winter Of 1865 and 1866.
secuted the idea Of puoishing Davis in
any way; because saw that. with John
son in the White House and Greeley in
the Trihune-the first traitor from ex.
cess of backbone. and the second equally
in cur way from entire want of one-ins-
tice was an imposs'bility. Twas anxious.
in such untoward circumstances, to snatch
all conld. Waving. therefore. justice.
| struggled for the negro's vote. Aud
because he himself thus blocked the wheels
Of right. Mr.. Greeley quotes me IS il al
lowing or advocating the release Of Da-.
Wis | saw and said that the idea of
Davis punishment was ss old as the ark
his rele'se q foregone conclusion
held johnson and Greeley responsible for
this; Johnson hecause he planned, and
Greeley because he indorses it. Ny po-
sition is Submission to the inevitsble
Mr.. Grseley's position is fellowship with
the di.eraceful. Let me not. however,
do injustice to President johnson. BY
seeming to bring him down to Gresley's
level. The President released Davis,
but he never went to Ricbm to con-
gratul,te aud shake hands with him.
l go for substance. and not FORMS
This whining about Davis Imprisonment
wonld be absurd. If it 1ere not criminal.
Has he suffered millionth part of the
misery he inflicted on Others? Has be
suffered one tbousandth part of what be
deserved a.? II l had been Presidents L
woufd have kept him in prison until the
ingenuity Of the last survivor of the kim
dred Of those starved at Andersonville
cofessed itself unable to devise q way of
bringing him to trial. They should have
hsd a century. il necessary, to invent
process that would enable the nation ito
execute justice between man and man."
Imprisoned few months too Iougi Let
him be thankful that he did not fall into |
the hands of barbarian like himself and |
meet with retaliation. which would have
been torture and starvation unto idiocy,
unless death. more merciful than bis Jail.
Or. took him to its loving arms. l have
no fear Of Davis. This nation is strong
enough las have said every week for
he last three years. to despise q million
inch. But we are not strong enough to
'llow that crime should be treated as ILL.,
,sed innocence. Weare not strong enough
o have the foundations Of our moral sense
spped BY the sophisms and vagaries Of
'ur leaders. Jefferson Davis is one of
he vilest and guiltiest men in the country.
This Government has released him no,
'ecsnse it could not punish hint has
'ot tried to do so-but because it ex-
'ects to strengthen it's party by this ig-
'oring of crime. The pbilanthropists
Who rejoice in this disgrsceful set are
ither stone-hlind or too besotted to de-
erve our confidence hereafter.
WENDELL PHIILIps.