The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1867-05-23
Che Tributle.
THE DIFFERENCE.

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In Great Britain, and in other foreign
countries, Treason is considered most
heirous offence, and the most stringent
laws in the calendar are directed against
it. English courts of justice are looked
to by lawyers of every grade for precedents
whereby they may support their argu-
mehts. Not long since, two Fenians
were captured in ireland, and convicted
Of levying war against the Queen It
was not charged, so far as we can learn,
that they ever starved thousands of de-
fenceless prisoners to death, nor that they
were leaders in a war where hundreds of
thousands perished, but they were prov
zen guilty. OF Treason now let US see
what the sentence was In this high Eng
lish court of justice 1t was to the effect
that On the 29th of May you and each
"of you shall be hanged by the neck till
you are dead. and that afterwards your
s'neads be severed from your bodies, and
the body of each of you divided into four
Quarters, shall be disposed Of as Her
Majesty or her Executive shall think
fit and proper.
La America we have just overcome one
of the most fearful rebellions the history
OF the world can show One who had
been educated by the government and
taught the science of ofwartarc in its mlnu-
test details and after having derived sup
port from the government for many years
turned traitor and stung the hand that
had warmed him into life His action
was destitute of the least color of excuse.
He was an intelligent man, became the
leader of the rebel hordes, and if cool
determination, if the most devilish ma
lignity and skill could have accomplished
our downfall as a nation, then surely to-
day would the United States only be
known in history but our people were
too strong, and the evil cause.-The object
OF which was to establish slave oligar-
chy--feil to the ground and America was
free. The great leader in all this trouble
was captured and 1t was supposed that
the military power, which has tried con-
victed and hung man who but execut-
ed the orders Of his leader, would take
up the case and make an example of the
ungrateful wretch whose garments were
reeking with the blood OF his countrymen;
but nc, he was placed IL prison, i few
days in close confinement, then given
greater liberty, and finally allowed the
same privileges which the officers Of the
Fortress enjoyed. For two years the
people have demanded constantly from
our chief executive that this arch traitor
should be tried aud punished but they
have been put Oft from time to time in
the vain hope that they would forget the
wrongs the man had committed and al
low him 10 be pardoned, but finding this
would not work, johnson has had him
released on bail, which is supposed by
those best versed in such matters to be
equivalent to pardon, as tbs said he viii
ne.er pe brought to trial.
On this suhjec-, an exchange says, the
giaring injustice OF continuing in confne-
ment ether and minor criminals, while
this man, foul with the faint of treason
and murder, is permitted to parade
throughthe country, is sufficiently obvious.
1t would be In keerine TO have a general
jail delivery throughout the country.
When the chief malefactor is turned loose
upon the community, why should other
feiOns be doomed te pine in dungeons
Why not proclaim a general amnesty for
erime, and open tie prison doors, and
bid the murderer and the holse-thief and
the burglar and the counterfeiter walk
forth