The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1869-11-05
Better than Peace.


ion, are at once resented in som
form by democratic" papers. Til
mildest form which such resentmen
takes is that of complaint that thes
''unpleasant' comments tend to keel
up spirit of hatred and strife at
time when all peace-lOving men ar,
endeavoring to allay passion anC
restore good feeling among thos,
who lately confronted each othel
on the field of battle. The inference
is,that he who unfavOrably comments
upon the late rebels and traitors in
arms is, in moral sense at least, 9
disturber of the peace, vicious agi
tatOr, a malevOlent mischief maker.
We are sorry to see that too many
loyal journals give a sort Of taclt
assent and some of them positive,
emphatic endorsement to such cen
sures.
A desire for peace is cOmmendable
All right-mlnded men desire that
pesce and quietness shall resume con
troll everywhere, in all portions of
the country; and every genuine
patriot will make all reasonable
efforts to bring about such condi-
tioE of things. But surely there is 3
price too dear to pay even for peace
and quetude. Patriots thought SO,
when the rebels only asked to be ''let
alone' in their scheme to disrupt the
Union. All honest men must think
SO, when required TO maintain peace
at the expense of confounding right
and wrong, by letting a great crime
tacitly pass as peccadillo or palm
itself off as an act CT noble heroism
which only lacked success TO elevate
it into moral grandeur.
A crime of immense magnitude
and of enormous wickedness has
been perpetrated; complicated
crime, involving theft, arson, treason,
murder, assassination crime of
enormous and varied evil results,
town and country, con
Tulsing society, wasting thousands of
and destroying hundreds
Of thousands of lives stupendous,
vIllful, deliberate crime and yet.
when this crime has been checked by
iorce, and its perpetrators have been
to desist from their pur-
pose, which, if accomplished, would
nave multiplied the evils of their
xrong-doing they and their coadjutors
md advocates turn about and ask the
world not only to refrain from In
iicting deserved punishment, but
20 refrain, for peace sake, from init
mating that they have committed
crime at all nay, more, to let pass
without rejoinder their claim that
hey were engaged in worthy and
work, for which they
deserve the approval and commenda-
ion of mankind.
Sincere patriots, honest Christians,
Ill men of moral instincts and right
motives, owe it to their children, to
heir country, to all pOsterity, to
heir God, to confront this brazen
with firm, constant, decid
ID denunciation. They owe it to
and the cause OF right to
Keep before mems eyes and espec
ally before the eyes of the rising
generation, the criminality--Lhe enor-
nous turpitude-of the shareholders
Rebellion, and to designate, define,
the guilt of those respon-
,ible for its inception and persistent
The history of Bene-
lict Arnold has been a valuable
esson TO many a youth the history
,f Judas Iscariot has afforded warn
ng and safeguard to many Chris
ian. So the history of Lee and
Davis, of the Jacksons and Beaure
cards and Breckenridges, will, i'll
.ruthfully handed down by tradition,
give better assurance Of peace and
Iuiet-lasting, stable, honorable
han any cowardly, mercenary,
wicked compromise which historic
ustice and high moral right can pos
'ihly give. .elEEfE--
We do not advocate the employ
nent of ruflianly personalities. Men
10 not rudely cry thief whenever
hey see known thief on the streets,
even though they teach their children
% shun him so far as possible and
give him every appropriate evidence
hat they disapprove of his roguery.
The actors in the Rebellion, however,
nave no more reason to complain OF
he public reprobation of their crime
han the thief has to complain that
people who treat him civilly in
.he ordinary routine of life neverthe-
ess manifest their disapprobation of
he wrong doing from which he re-
rains only by sheer compulsion OF
'orce. ChiAicothe { Mo.) Tribune.