The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1872-05-16


In 1865, after the surrender of the
Southern armies, the fanatical passions
of the North seem TO have caught fresh
inspiration by that result, as the appetite
ofthe tiger for blood is renewed by tasting
it. By the hands of demented person,
who, to make his name famous, was pre-
pared for the consequences of despe-
rate crime, Mr. Lincoln was assassinated.
The deed for which the Southern people
were no more responsible than the inhab-
itants Of the moon, was made a pretext
for a loud demand for blood. Andrew
johnson had issued his proclamation
slanderously associating the names of
Jefferson Davis and other representative
Southern men with the crime, and offer
ing a reward for their heads. He had
published his letter to Holden, declaring
that the Southern men who had failed in
their effort to establish separate govern
ment Unjust meet their fate" In reply
to a committee-chiming in with the
popular clamor-he had uttered the
words which at once stamped the sicken-
ing idea Of chains and dungeons, guillo-
tines, and gallows, confscation and exile
ON the Southern mind, TRAITORS
Unjust be punished and treason made
"odious.,
1t was at this period, when the penal
ties not only Of confscation and the politi-
cal prescriptions which have since been
imposed, but death punishment, were
thought of by the triumphant party, that
Horace Greeley appeared as a grand
actor in the grandest scene which the
world has ever witnessed. A great jour
nalist, with tens of thousands of daily
readers TO listen to his teachings, while
this carnival of blood was preparing, he
threw out the white banner Of peace and
rebuked the cry for blood 1t was then
that he proclaimed the creed from which
he has never departed, and which has
had fit apotheOsis in his nomination for
the Presidency-UNIvERsAL SUFFRAGE
AND UNIVERSAL AMNESTY.
History records but one act which
parallels the conduct of the illustrious
journalist, though but private citizen,
was the peer Of Presidents and Cabinets.
In describing the act of grace proclaimed
by King William in 1890, covering with
a general oblivion the political offences
of those who had been the adherents of
James, Macauley writes From the
commencement of the civil troubles of
''the seventeenth century down to the
Revolution, every victory gained by
'either party had been followed by a
"sanguinary prescription. When the
''Roundheads triumphed over the Cava-
''liers, when the Cavaliers triumphed
cover the Roundheads, when the fable
''of the Popish Plot gave the ascendency
''to the Wings, when the detection of
''the Rye House Plot transferred the as
tendency to the Tories, blood and more
''blOod, and still more blood had followed
I" x x x Nothing stood between
''the triumphant party and their victims
''but Williams immutable resolution
g that his victory should not be tar
"nished by cruelty X x x 70 dreao on
''him the sauage inUectiUes of those
'',chose naaleoolent passions he refused to
'sdtisfg !; x But none of these
''things moved him. He had done well.
He had risked has popularity acith men
"uclto had been his toarmest admirers IN
''order to gipe security and repOse to men
''by 1chons his name a0Gs ,aeUer mentioned
E'toitl,Out a curse. x x If his people
"did ut appreciate his policy, so much
''the worse for them. He had discharged
Ibis duty. He feared no obloqoty, he
"tcanted no thanks
In proof the infexibility with which
Horace Greeley, the brave apostle of
peace, and of magnanimity to fallen
foe-and of what he was willing to risk
in the cause he had undertaken at the
peril of his popularity-we might appro-
priately refer to his pilgrimage to Rich
mond 10 become the surety of Jefferson
Davis and to his answer to the Union
League when called to account for his
conduct on his return to New York
but tile parallel as display of the policy
Of true courage and lofty statemanship,is