New-York tribune., 1867-06-08
WENDELL PHILLIPSS RECORD.

Mr.. Phillips, in this weeks Ant-Sare,y
Standard, feels constrained to face the record
which we made up for him of his repeated,
persistent protests against putting Jefferson
Davis to death as a blunder and crime. He
does not deny that he was correctly quoted by
us on every point. Nay: he adds extracts
from his speech on the assassination of Lin
coin april, 1862 wherein, while cOunseling the
Punishment of Davis Lee. and other leaders,
he says
"What shall we say TO the punishment OF Rebelsi
The air is thick with threats Of vengeance admire the
motive which prompts these. But LET us remember that
shing its advocates and abettors All history proves
this There class Of men base and coward enough,
no matter what Their views and purposes, TO make the
pocv of vengeance successful In bad causes, well as
good 1t is still that the bleod Of the martyrs is the
seed OF tie church. WecannO prevail against tGis primer
pie human nature And again. win REGARD 10 the doIen
chief Rebels IL 'rH merer Dc rae'rg question % Wser snon
be there Indeed after par9ng the boodiesd ana % he
| little fitness IN hanging any Lesser wretch.
"Our Rebellion has lasted four years. government
has exchanged prisoners and acknowledged It's belger
ent rights AMER hat gibbets are out Of me question
thousand rule the rcbelliOn-dre inc lcnellon' n
! thousand men We cannot hang them all We cannot
hang men in regiments What cover the continent with
gibcts We cannot slckcn the nineteenth century WIN
such sight II would sink our civilization to the lever
Scrsc1c he SorIcin system, which night is based on ours
og S degSade s 10 NE icrcI Of Daris and Lee The
| structure OF government which bore the earthquake
shock Of 1861 with hardly jar and when now bears n9
assassination of It's Chief Magistrate In this crisis OF cyil
war with even less disturbance netdslo us suety no
such pocy OF vengeance; ts serene strength necds ana
should only much severity as VIII hy guarantee
| security for the future
Here is overwhelming evidence that Phil
lin, understands the whole matter profoundly
that his present howling for blood is dis
lhonest-hypocIitical See how he now explains
! his tOftuOus course:
"n tho Winter of 1865 and 1896 secuted the idea OF
ntuiShiup Davis in any way: because saw that, Uhh
Ion N NE white House aud Greeley in TIE TRIBt 81
-thc first traitor from excess OF backbone ana INC
secoud equally IN way from entire want OF one
justice was an mpossihty. was anxious lh s.en u,
toNard circumstances 10 snatch all | could Waving,
therefore Justice struggled for the negrOs vote. Anu
because he himself thus blocked the wheels OF rgh MI
Greeley quotes me as If allowing or adVocauhg ihe ~
lease of Davis, saw and said that the idea Of DayiSs
pnishmcut old as the aIk-hs release f"fegonc
conclusOn-and hold johnson and Greeley responslpe
for this: johnson because hc planned, ana Greeley pc
ne indoTses IT, My position - submission 10 inc
| inevitable
Now mark how plain a tale shall expose
| this subterfuge, When Phillips (as quoted
aboyc) appealed TO history to prove vengeance
| mistake and n blundcr, President johnson
,rds ddiiy proc'dimiHg that treason is crime,
! that traitors must be punished, &c, &c. Nh.
! Phillips did not make the declarations quoted
| from his Lincoln speech because he was
| anxious under untoward circumstances, To
! snatch all he could, but because he then feared,
| as we did. that johnson was likely 10 deal too
steInly with the PROSTATE Rebels The dates
suffice to expose and confound him.