Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1867-05-29
Wendell Phillips Oh Jefferson Davis
and Horace Greeley.
I From the Anti-Slavery standard.


From the l>nt-Slavery standard
Mr.. jefferson Davis is released Horace
Greeley gives bail for his temperance when
called for. Mr.. Davis has started on his
/ travels. to return. no doubt. whenever the
farce of trial NAV still further disgrace the
nation.
Unless we are grossly mistaken there is
deep-seated, indispensable ind gnation in the
hearts of the people at this act The pro-
test may not be loud-mouthed but all loyal
hearts swell in secret with bitter hate which
bides its time
What more could the government have
done To encourage another REASONABLE out
break? What more to bring aw itself into
disgrace To bring. indeed, republican gov
eminent into disgrace? For, if this be all
Republics can do to punish treason. on how
insecure tenure We hold peac, If such be
the easy path Of traitors, why should not any
disappointed and bafllcd pariv chief thus
achieve world wide notorietv? Surely. az
they say in England, :. High treason is one
OF the cheapest amusemcnts can now in
dulge in
But there is another side 10 the medal
Manned and wounded men viii not thus pa
tiently drag out bitter years -hildlcss faith
crs, or, harder still, those whore sons suryiv-
cd Libby Prison and Anderson'illc in a state
more pittiahlc than mere dca h. will leave
bloody instructions for those Who come after
them. If law l. thus a sham the recourse
Will be To- the Mexican method and let rival
chiefs shoot each other after a drum-head
court martial. If this be all the law can do
To punish treason. the next jefferson Davis
who attempts In escape. Will he ruthleSslv
shot, before his last time Ia lit his disguise
or attain the safe shelter ola pro>titutcd
court. Mr.. Greeley thinks he lesson the
people will learn from this dIsgraceful exhi-
bition. viii be one of forgiveness. The
tawnIng spaniel l. no emblem or teacher of
forgiveness. The survivors IL the army Of
the Potomac-thc men who remember Nc
Cook. Memphis, Fort Pillow, md the muir
ders of Belle Isle-will read this act in
different and reddcr light. They will resolve
To- settle their own wrongs the next time
and prevent being cheated hy law. When.
during the war. soldiers found that ruerillas
and other rebels, their hands dripping blood.
had only 10 take the oath and get Immediate
liberty. they did not learn the Greeley lesson
to forgive murdercrs they simply brought
m no prisoners. No arrests were rtpurted al
headquarters only rumors reached it of
men shot in the attcmp TO bring them in
We think our batied boys in blue will Law
up some such lesson from this occurrence.
in case they have another call To arms.
To beat down law does not always mean
makes room for anarchy. Toward that gulf
Mr.. Greeley calls the nation to take the first
step, and himself leads the way
There Is such thing a. right or wrong.
Honest men and knavcs are not identical.
The government from knavishness and Mr..
Greeley from unthinking follv-tIc dupc Of
catch-words confusing the moral sense
of this nation. lis bad sccd->owng Heav-
en- grant we may not have fearful harvest
The nation which pardonS criminals because
it has not virtue enough to punish them. is
on the highway To ruin but the ration that
opens it's prison-doors on the pretcnce that
there is little difference between traitors and
honest men. has plished more than
half that journey
The manner of this sad deed is as signifi-
cant as the deed itself Grant if YOU will
that such Is our form of government. such
the dlfhcultts of our position that we can
not punish Davis, but must release him. still
he is traitor the wretch who sought to
crush the most bcnefcent government in the
world. deliberately did what he could TO kill
freedom and perEctuate slavery; still he is
the chief cause why thousands are childless
and hundreds of thousands are orphans He
is the man who turned a happy land into
field OF blood, and made the name of Ameri-
can hIdeous with the murders of Anderson
vile. This murderer Of thousands stands
covered with blood. Who then, is this that
PUSHES forward to snatch that bloody hand
and offer congratulations " hat decent man
dares to stand up clasping hands. in the face
of the world, with the bloodiest. most
heartless and selfish villain of the century
On what absurd prete1t does the leader of
the dominant and loyal party Justify this
fraternizing with crime? If Booths trial
had been long delayed, and at last he had
been brought face to face with jury. would
Mr.. Greeley have been found grasping his
murderous hand and offering congratulate
tions?
All the reasons brought forward to excuse
this national infamy are hollow shams. Those
who offer them do not, in their hearts. be
lievc Davis criminal. This is the saddest
feature of the hour-a nation whose moral
sense slavery has poisoned that it no long
or discriminatcs between right or wrong. We
have So far mere law goes, abolished sla-
very but generations must pass away before
we get rid of its poison. Half million muir
ders committed in it's behalf, only make the
murderer worthy of an ovation OF MIR.
C'rcelcys part in this melancholy farce, we
want words to express our opinion. Sorrow
masters indignation. He has done many
things to try the patience of his friends but
we think nothing has proved SO conclu-
sively his entire lack of Judgment and com
mon sense, his utter inability to comprehend
the epoch. the struggle through which the
nation has passed, or the state in which it
stands. Generally obtusc in his moral sense
we confess we are obliged to believe him
more lacking in the power to discriminate
between right and wrong then we had fan
cicd, in order to preserve our faith in his hon
csty of intention. If his friends can make
out his claim to average intelligence in polit-
zeal matters, then is he responsible for an
amount of guilt in this etfort-vain. we
trust, to mislead and confuse the nation
which all his well-mcant efforts in times past
can hardly outweigh
WENDELL PHILLIPS.