Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1871-06-07
Mistaken Mercy.

FROM the New York Times.
The course which Mr.. Jefferson Davis
is now pursuing is well calculated to revive
and strengthen those doubts which have
all along existed, as to the wisdom of the
| policy adopted by the Government in its
| treatment of the authors of the late rebel
! lion. There is no Disgusting the fact that
a very large portion of the loyal people of
this country-and by no means the least re-
! Elective and intelligent portion-have never
been satisfied with the manner in which
that terrible drama was brought to close
The common sense of justice, which is as
old as creation, and as universal as man.
seemed to be violated in permitting the
authors of so much misery, and such
widespread ruin, to go altogether I'M
punished. For the Shareholders rebel
lion was no ordinary civil war, where one
faction strives with another for the mas
terry, and the masses have no interest in
either. 1t was blow struck by an aristo-
cratic oligarchy against the rights of man
1t was an attempt to break up a Govern
ment 'of the people, by the people and for
the people, and substitute in its place n
government founded on human slavery as
its cornerstone. The rebellion thus be-
came crime against humanity, and the
war for its suppression, as Mr.. Evarts
truly said in his speech at the Academy of
Music on Tuesday evening, was 1.-THE war
of an intelligent and honest people who
were lighting for what they owned and for
what they valued. They fought for the
country in which all were equal-all had
an equal share. A personal patriotism a
personal honor, formed their motives and
led their steps to the battle"
After achieving the victory in such
contest, it was not unreasonable to
expect that the leading rebels who
had provoked it for their own sell
fish ends, and who had conducted
it in the most inhuman and barbarous
manner, would at least receive some
punishment for their double treason against
their country and against liberty. The
loyal people of the country certainly had
right to demand, after their beloved and
chosen leader had been laid in his grave
by the hands of a rebel assassin, that the
chief of the rebellion should not be allow
ed to roam at will over the country, and
finally be permitted. after q lapse of six
years, to renew his reasonable utterances,
and try to incite another rebellion among
his people.
,Magnanimity, generosity and mercy are
all very well in their place, but they should
never be INDUCED in at the expense of JUS
tice or the public safety and events have
proved that they never should have been
wasted upon such a man as JEFF. Davis at
all. His is one of those natures that con-
strue magnanimity as evidence only of
weakness and fear. Thus we find him
FILLED with that jealousy which springs
from the knowledge of their inferiority,
and of the justice of our pretensions, and
conscious of broken covenants and a vio-
lated Constitution, they 1.-THE loyal men of
the North mistrust every movement, and
tremble with fear when they think that
right may again prevail"
| 1t seems almost like mockery for the 10y
al people of the country to strew flowers
upon the graves of Union soldiers, while
they permit this monstrous traitor and
coward thus to insult their memories. 1t
may be- as this petticoat hero says, that
punishment for him is played out" This
is what John Real, far lesser criminal
than jeff. Davis, thought; but he was
hanged, nevertheless. If the Ex-Presi-
dent of the Confederacy keeps on in the
way he has commenced, he may yet finish
his career at the end of rope. 1t is lit
tie too much to expect the people to stand
by quietly while the ring-leader in the late
rebellion goes about the country trying to
fan flame wherever he sees little