The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-12-24
Observation-Disclosures.

sletter to General Butler" through the COL
umns of the New York Tribune, and maulS
the hero of New Orleans and Bermuda Hun
dreds, because he is still unwillingto enfran-
chise any but the man "who has fully repen-
'ted or the part he took in the rebellion.
General Butler, it must be said, did not
mince matters in replying to the first letter
of the philosopher of the Tribune. He said:
81 think now that had an example been made
"of some half-dozen, more or less, OF the
sIeading traitors of the South" at this day
call matters in the rebel States which now
s'disturb public peace" would have been
settled. Again, sit is not the ex-rebel to
"whom am opposed, but the present rebel,
"who is only restrained by the strong arm
"of the government from showing the inten-
'sity of his hate and the bitterness OF his
"malignity toward the Union" And, with
a great deal of truth, ''It is but justice to
stsay that have found but few such in the
Confederate army. 1t has been among the
'bomb-proofs' who found safe and soft
"places at home in the Confederacy, and
especially the newspaper editors of the
''South, in whom 1 find such hatred of all
'that is loyal and patriotic-men who seem
"to feel themselves obliged to make up for
"their want OF activity during the war by
"the exhibition of their malignity since the
"war-precisely as in the North some Of the
sssame class seem in like manner endeavor-
''ing to atone for the bitterness with which
"they required the war to be prosecuted by
"urging universal amnesty since"
This home thrust brings US back to Mr..
Greeley and his eloquent denunciation OF vi
carious punlshments. He says:
81 shall differ from you then as differ from
you now. l believe the killing OF many, or
few, or one, Of the Confederate chiefs at any
time after the complete overthrow and COL
lapse of their revolt would have been q fearful,
ghaStly blunder, sowing seeds of bitterness
and wrath that must have borne evil fruit
throughout future ages. l dislike vlcarlous
punishments altogether; and realize that In
this case they would convey to the spared
rebels this monltion: you, too, deserve hang
ing; but then you are Insignificant, and hemp
is DEAR 1t would have been patent of no.
bilty for generations at the South to be able to
claim kinship with one who was tried, con-
victed and executed as one Of the Confederate
leaders Their death would have opened a
deep abyss between those who fought for and
those who fought against the Union. One life
thus taken aoould haue ranked more and longer
than hundred thousand sacrificed in fair,
manly collision on the field Of battle"
This Is all that we care to quote; for 1t is
evident that Mr.. Greeley does not dream that
there are punishments more terrible than
the cord or the bullet, which are still 'fear-
"ful ghastly blunders," which have ranked
and do rankle more than hundred thou
sand lives sacrificed in battle. To Mr. Gree
ley it may seem that all is gained when the
right to exist is won. This feeling suits not
this Southern cline In South Carolina
there is such thing as personal dishonor,
apart from physical suffering; and what is
felt in the Caro;nas is felt in Virginia and
in every State of the South. The hemp
which was ''too DEAR to be usod would have
been no shame, no disgrace. They who had
faced the glnting steel and singing bullet,
while Mr.. Grocley wrote leaders in safety in
Gotham, could meet and overcome the gal
lows. Ii they failed; if they could bear the
steel and not the rope; if death for the
South was glory or shame US it came On
tented field or in prison yard; these men
were not soldiers, not Southern men-and
Mr.. Greeley is heartily welcome to them.
The votes Of men who betrayed their own
people may be gain to Radcalism, but are
no loss to u.s.
And for what have we to thank even the
Greeley faction of the Radical party? They
did not hang our leaders, they did not con-
tiscate all our property, they did not thrust
every man WHO wore the gray into loath
some dungeons. This they dared not do
They contentod themselves with camping
outside Of the constitution, with ruling sov-
ercign States as military satrapies, with
manipulating the Suites to the greater profit
and advantage Of the grand Radical party.
This was what they imposed upon u; as
people. They wen. further. They tore the