The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-05-23
Wendell Phillips Opinion OF Treason
and Straw Bail.
Fr0nl the Antt. SlauelV Mandard


Mr.. Jefferson Davis is released. Horace Greeley
gVeS pa a i9a ms when called for MI
whenever the farce of trial may still further dis
Unless we are grossly mistaken. there is a deep
seated unappeasable Indignation in the hearts of the
mouthed. but all loyal hearts will swell in with
bitter hate which bides its time.
courage another treasonable outbreak? What more
to bring law ITSELF into dsgGaceto bring lndeed re-
be all republican governments can do to punish
such be the easy path Of traitors why should not any
disappointed, ballied party chief thus achieve world
wide notoriety? surely, as they say iniEngland
"hgh treason one OF the cheapest amusements one
But there is another side to the medal Manned
and wounded men will not thus patiently drag out
whose sons survived Libby prison and Andersonvile
N saig more Pa2e @ bas thn mere % 1eaeh W % leave
If law is thus sham, the recourse Will be to the
after drum head court martial If this be all the
law can do to punish treason, the next Jefferson
before he has time 70 lift his disguise or attain the
the lesson the people viii learn from this dis,
graceful exhibition will be one of forgiveness. The
The survivors IN the Army OF the PotomaeIthe
and the murders Of Belle Isewil read this act in
different aud redder light They will resolve TO settle
cheated by law When, during the war, soldiers found
that gperilas and other Rebels their hands dripping
liberty they did not learn the Greeley lesson forgive
we're tg al e ony Fsm
reached of men shot in the attempt to bring them
in. We think our bafied boys in blue will lay up
some such lesson from this occurrence in case they
have another call to arms.
To beat down law does not always mean that you
set up Chrstianity 1t sometimes makes room for an
archy. Towards that gull Mr.. Greeley calls the ma
tion to take the first STEP and himself leads the way
men and kuaVes are not Identical. The Government
from knaVIshness, and Mr.. Greeley from unthinking
folly-the dupe of catch-words-Rre confusing the
moral sense OF the nation. 'Tis bad seed sowing
Heaven grant may not have a fearful harvest.
The nation which pardons criminals because IL has
not virtue enough to punish them Is on the highway
10 run but the nation that opens Its prison doors
the pretense that there Is little difference between
traitors and honest men, has accomplished more than
half that journey.
deed Itself Grant, II you Will, that such Is our form
Of government such the difficulties of our position
still he is q iraitOr-the wretch who sought TO crush
the most benehcient government in the world-de-
liberately did what he could to kill freedom and
perpetuate slavery; still he Is the chief cause why
thousands are childless and hundreds of thousands
are orphans. He is the man who turned happy
land into field of blood, and made the name of
American hideous with the murders of Anderson
willie. This murderer of thousands stands covered
with blood. Who then. Is this that rushes
forward to snatch that bloody hand and offer
congratulations What decent man dares TO stand
up claspng hands in the face OF the world with the
boodiest most heartless, and selfish villain OF the
century2 On what absurd pretext does the leader OF
the dominant and loyal party justify this fraternZlng
and at last he had been brought face 10 face with