Weekly Trinity journal., 1867-07-06
NUMBER 26.
Wendell Phillips on Jefferson Davis ana
Horace Greeley.

for. Mr. Davis has started on his travels, to re-
turn, no doubt, whenever the farce OF trl'l
may still further disgrace the nation.
Unless we are grossly mistaken, there Is
deep-seated. unappeasable indignation in the
hearts of people at this act. The protest may
not be loud-mouthed, but AL loyal hearts swell
in secret with bitter hate which bides its time
What more could the Government have done
to encourage another reasonable outbreak
What more to bring law itself into Disgrace
to bring, indeed, republican government into
disgrace? For, if this be all republics 90 TO
punish treason. on how insecure tenure we
hold peace If such be the easy path OF trail
tors, why should not any disappointed and bai-
fled partvASief thus achieve world wide notori-
ETY.? Surely, as they say in England. High
treason is one of the cheapest amusemcnts one
can now indulge in
But there is another side of the medal Mam-
ed and wounded men VIII thus patiently drag
out bitter ys;,rs chldless fAthcgless. OF, harder
still, !hose Whose sons survived Libby prison
and AndcrSonville, in state more pitiable than
mere death, Will leave bloody instructions for
those who after them. II law is thus Il .
sham, the recourse will be to the Mexican meth
od and let the rival chiefs shoot each other after
a drum-hcad courtemartial. If this be all the
law can do to punish treason. the next jefferson
Davis who attempts to escape. will be ruthlesslv
shot before he has time to lift his disguise or at
tain the safe shelter of prostiiuted court. Mr.
Greeley thinlisthe lesson the people viii learn
from this disgTaceful exhibition, VIII be one Of
forgiveness. The fawning spaniel is
blem or teacher Of forgiveness. The survivors
in the army of the Potomac-the men who re
member McCool Memphis, Fort Pillow, and the
murderers of Belle Isle-will read this act in
different and redder light. They will resolve to
settle their own wrongs the next time aud pre-
vent being cheated by law. When duriu; The
war, soldiers found that gueraillas and other
rebels, their hands dripping blood. had only TO
take the oath and get immediate liberty, they
did not learn the Greeley leSson~to forgive mur-
derers-thcy simply LroRgdt IL no iri.gael3. No
arrests reported at hcadq quarters-; only
mors reached it of men shot in the attempt to
bring them in. We think our bailed boys in
blue will lay up some such lessons tgom this oc-
currcnce in ease they have another call 10 arms.
To beat down law does not always mean That
you set up Christianity; it sometimes makes
room for anarchy. Toward that gulf Nr. Cree
ley calls the nation take TIE first step and HIM
self leads the way.
There is such thing as right or wronr.
Honest nen and knayes are not identical. The
government from knayishness, ana Mc. Greeley
from unthinking tolly-the dupe Of catch-wor4i
are confusing the moral sense Of this nation.
lis a bad seed-sowing. Heaven grant that we
may not have fearful harvest. The nation
which pardons criminals because it has not viz
tue enough to punish them. IS the highway
to ruin; but the nation that opens its prison
doors on the prctcnse THAI there IS little differ
ence between traitors and honest men. las ac-
complishcd more than half that ionraey.
The manner of this sad decd is as Significant
as the deed Itself. Grant, if YOU will that such
Is our form of government, such the difficulties
of our position that cannot puuish D3.s, bat
must release him, still he is traitor, the ST, ch
who sought TO crush the most boneGceut govern
ment in the world, deliberately dl what he
could to kill freedom and pcrpetUate' sls.ecy;
still he is the chief cause why thousands are
chilllcss and hundreds Of thousands are rp',ans.
lie is the man vino turned happy lnnd 4atoEa
field of blood and made the name Of Americ5D
hideous with the murders Of Andersoaville.
This murderer Of thousands stands covered With
blood. Who, then, is this that rushcs forward
to snatch that bloody hand and c&er congratulate
tons ? What decent dlras to stal.l up
clasping hands, in the face Of tie world. wi.A
the bloolirst, most heartless and selfish lain
of the century? On what surd protest does
the leader Of the dominant and loyal party icsti-
fy this fratcrniziog with crime ?? If Booth Trial
had been long delayed, and at last lie had been
brought face to face with jury, would Alf Gree
ley have been found ertsia{ his murLcrods
hands and offeiins congratul4tioas
All the reasons brought forward to excuse
this national inimy are hollow shaias THOSE
who offer them DO not, in,hcirLcarts. bc:ic,eD..
ys criminal. This is the saldost feature Of th.
poisoned that It no longer dis.r.uiinates between
ri-ht anl'wrong. We have, so far as mere l.a
goes. abolished slaverv; but generations mus.
pass away before get rid Of its poison Half
Il million murders committed in its behalf only
make the murderer worthy Of an ovation OF
Mr.. Greeley : part in this melancholy farce we
want words to express opinion. Sorrow
masters Indignation. He has done many things
to try the patience OF, his friends: but we thia%
nothing has proved so c0ncusjyey BIS entire
lack OF judgement and common sense his utter
Inability to comprehend the epoch, the struggle
through which the nation las passed. or the
state in which it stands. Generally oblusc in
his moral sense, confess obliged to
believe him more lacking in the power dis
crlminate between right and wror- than we had
iancied, in order to preserve faith in his hon
es'y of intention. Iftis friends can make out
his claim 10 average intelligence in political
matters, then he is responsible for an amount Of
guilt in this efort-yain, trust, to nislcad
and confuse the nation-which all lis wa-meaut
efforts in times past can hardly outweigh.
WEynrLL PHILLIPS
TRAY FOR Low.-Some boys were playing cards
in hay -mow during terrific thunder-storn.-
When the war of the elements WAS II its hight, q
tree near the barn was struck by linhtnino and