Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1867-06-21
Moral and Political Guilt.

In the discussion consequent upon
he baiIing of jefferson Davis there is
great danger of forgetting the i'm
oortant point, and of regarding him
merely as a political offender, hero
invested with the dignity of misfor-
tune. 1t is in the motive that we
must look for the moral character of
actions. Rebellion, or armed resist
ance to a government, is capital
legal offense. But the prosecution
and punishment of any particular Of
fender is, as in other cases, purely a
question of expediency. 1t may often
be impolitic either to try him or to
execute him upon conviction. But
whatever the legal guilt or fate of a
rebel may be, his moral guilt and the
moral character of his rebellion are
entirely another matter. 1t is often
said that success justifes a revolu-
ton. But nothing can be more false.
That is merely to say that might
makes right. If the American Rev.
olution had failed, its principle would
still have been perfectly just. If
Davis's rebellion had succeeded, it
would none the less have been the
most colossal crime in history.
The moral judgment is always the
really important verdict upon human
affairs, and now that it has been
deemed inexpedient to attempt to es-
tablish the legal guilt of Davis there
is all the more reason for every one
of US to remember the Unreasonable
guilt of the rebellion of which he
was the official chief. When the re-
bellion began the leaders themselves,
and their English and Northern SYM
pathizers, declared that it was justi-
fed upon American principles, and
that the most worshipped of Ameri-
cans, George Washington, was only
rebel. But this was wholly untrue.
The American principle of the right
of revolution was not that any per-
sons who for any reason were diSsat-
isfed with government might right
fully undertake to overthrow it by
force; but that when peaceful and
legal redress for undcniable injuries
and expressions was clearly hopeless,
when the consequences Of further en-
durance were plainly worse than those
Of redress by force, then, after solemn
ly reciting those expressions to the
world, and appealing to God and man
for the purity of their motives, peo-
pie might rightfully invoke the de-
cision of the sword. But just in the
degree that this was justifiabe re-
sort to force to subvert a just and
wise and moderate government, lest
it might become still more Just and
humane, was lnconceivably infamous
And this was precisely the character
of the rebellion. Whatever the mass
of the Southern population thought
of Jefferson Davis and his companions
knew perfectly we'll that Alexander
II. Stephens was not ashamed tt
avow, that they tried to destroy .
, government not because it enslaveC
, them but because they feared that i
might prevent them from enslaving
others. They invoked no peaceful
redress of wrongs, for there were NJ
= wrongs to remedy. They pleaded nj
oppression, for they were themsslve
the rulers. Their object was the dc
graduation of humanity, and their re
bellion was therefore a crime agains
' human nature. Considering its oil
t ject, its methods, aud its CHASTITY con
o sequences of death, ruin, deSOlatiOr
and debt its moral enormity trar
scends all similar crimes. Its sue
= cess would have been disastrous t
n civilization.
! Under the forms of law, with a jur
selected at random among those VIII
had supported him, the legal guilt 0
Jefferson Davis would have bee
Il difficult to establish.
81 Had he been acquitted the Cover
= ment would have been convicted. Ha
5. he been convicted a pardon woul
have been farcical, and an executio
. utterly futile for any purpose but ind
10 vidual revenge. Since, therefore, h
u trial was inexpedient, he should hay
S. been exiled or released without Il
N lamentable scene at Richmond, b
al whatever his fate may be it is of Il
10 utmost Importance that there shou
be no misconception because of h
70 escaping personally unframed. {
can never be ranked with those wi
e nobly dared and failed. Roman,
,o and poetry will never. decorate thel
selves with his name. The heart ar
y conscience of mankind will alwa
y class him among the moral malefacto
Of the world. He is not to be consi
cred as a man whose view of the co
stitution differed from ours, and wi
E. braved the gallows in order to mai
ne tain his convictions, but as one wi
I'd willingly led rebellion which sic
TO hundreds of thousands and overwhel
ne ed nation with unimaginable calan
or ty, for no other purpose than to secu
v. the power of absolutely enslavil
ty other men.-Harper's Weekly.
al The following is a suggestive c
en- tract from Gov. Browns speech
"a Georgia, which has been alluded to
in telegraph:
no Should the people reject &C
he vention when Congress again NEE