New-York tribune., 1872-09-28
BAILING JEFF. DAVIS.
A REPUBLICAN TO REPUBLICANs-IIL
THE LIBERAL REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE FOR TIE
PRESIDENCY.

SIR: Perhaps no act of Mr.. Greeley's active
life has called forth comment the part OF his e-
publican friends than his signing OF Jef DAVIES pan
bond propose To review that act
The sprngtime OF 1888 the close OF the Reoeon'
Lee had surrendered Davis the President OF the rebel
lious COnederacy, Stephens its Vice President ana
Reagan, its Naval Secretary captured its soldiers
held az prisoners OF war we're discharged Its in arms
paroled and IN early Autumn more than million OF
men, whom tie ear Spring had seen engaged In the
deadly strife OF internecne warfare. had ceased tler
bloody work and q ne back paths of peace. Vice
President stephens, whose prison quarters had oeeh
made comfortable thru gh the interceson OF Senator
Henry Wilson, and Reagan the head OF the Rebel cruiser
service were released parole. Winter. and Spring
and Summer, and Winter passed away, and another
springtime found the worlds foremost Republic with
almost forty millions of people, holding one solitary
prisoner in Its strongest fortress guarded by sol
diers whose served, ike the tick OF the
clock to mark the flight Of time.
During these two years, prOclamatons by the national
Executive had announced the return OF peace the re-
establishment postal and commercial intercourse be-
tween all sections of the country Suspended privileges
were restored recently rebeous States and vacant
chairs in both houses Congress again being oc
cuped; yet the military prisoner continued 10 DC
watched by the armed sentinels OF the nation During
these two years this had by counsel repeatedly
as was his legal right asked for trial, and had been
repeatedly disappointed Inc pcVPio VA '"O
South grew restive at tins treatment OF
their vanquished chief The people OF other
lands remarked on his long imprisonment without any
effort on the part Of the authorities TO bring him 70 trial
speedy trial would have done much to orlhg ABOUT
the true fruits the peace proclamation anu 10 save
Us from the foreign of undue delay Ju0e IT,
ouires speedy trial for any crime charged and sum
mary punishment should follow conviction flhaiy' Oh
the petition Of Mr. Davis, writ OF habeas corpus was
granted by ChiefJustiee Chase, and the Natlonal an
thorties instructed the General in command al FORTRESS
Monroe 10 obey that writ, aud in due time the cuprt
was brought into the United states Court for the btc
OF Virgin IT, and without opposition by the couse Vi tue
Government (the Hon. Wm ". Eyarsl, was released OH
bail have no words of paation for the great onenses
~ Davis Tam Inclined ~ think that II hal been one
or his captors an accidental discharge OF IRE
arfns wo1Id have saved the cost on Ms IN
prisonment and III talk about ma Ddlineu''
II may be proper 10 remark here that many people theh
thought and still tbns, at II Davis had Oeeh
o treason e o1ld have forfeited his life, and therefore
censure Mr. Greeley for cheating the gallowsof Vc,
Tns opinion mad no foundation IN fact, because law
wa. tassed by Congress in 1862 aboishing the dea'h
penav for treason and nstiutng IN It's stead me ana
inpr.onment 20 that Mr. Greeley Is not 70 blame Iof
Davis being yet alive. A Republican Congress anu
Republican President relieved HIM from mat postum
II should also be remembered that DAVIS was ho' AZ
rested for being in rebellion. engaged in treason
i'm the murder OF the martyred Lincoln, and not tu
after il was found that this could not be proved
AGAINST him was an indictment for treason f'hhii
and this was done while he confined IN Fortress
Monroe his arrest ha ng been made by military author
ity after Lees surrender
For more tnan years preceding the K'OeHloh' Iu'
two sections OF the Uuion-I the North and the
sptb or in other words the Free states and the Slave
states-had been gradually yet none the less surely ne
coming antagoustIc their opinions aud interests Inc
Free state pre- and orators charged those Of the slave
states with undue aggression and unjust weight IN
national affairs. The Slave state press and pub
lie meu accused the North Of unIue III
reference in their local Affairs ana an
upiust opposition to their peculiar institutions Among
AN the writers aud speakers in the Free states, there
we're no two men whom the whole people OF The south
had been taught 10 look upon with abhorrcuce and
hatred than Horace Greeley and Gerrt smith Two men
who I'm Southern opinion the incarnation Of North
ern malice. When these two men, occupying prominent
positions IN the North went the South bearing the
olive branch OF peaceful reconciliation. and pledged their
money and characters in behalf OF the Con
federate cheftlin, a greater advance made
toward universal concord throughout the entire Union
than could have made by all the proclamations that
the Federal Executive could issue in lifetime, and
more than could be done by all the Amnesty bills that
Congress might pass generation; because t showed
the southern people that the enmity which they sup
ence in fact. Had no Northern signed that bail
bond the southern people might have justly said that
their hatred " the North founded reason but
when such Northerner. Horace Greeley and Gerrt
smith voluntarily signed that bond, Southern hate
aIayed and brighter Of good feeling between the
sections was inaugurateda better feeling than any y
inc mau has yet seen.
When Davis was before the Court in Richmond and
pending action therein, the District-Attorney, NJ.
Chandler, repeated suggestion that tine bond,men
should come from different section, OF the country and
OF different political opinions. This hint acted on,
and the suggestion fty carried out, far the
North was concerned for that bond dnd from the
old Free states. an Old line AboiitOust, Gerrit
smith and an old line Democrat Augustus scIell,
and an Old line r apubucan, Horace Greeley. Now,
II no men from the North but Democrats, men
whose past party affiliations had always led
them TO favor the South, had sizned that bond. the
southern people nigh. have justly thought and said
that the Old Northern hate and Northern
t.-5u.sm still existed universally before
tie War. Bat when two " tne foremost men
Of the Republican aud old Abolition parties went
into court and sued Mr. DIvis's baibond thts belief
no longer had any ground 10 Fest upon, and there good
reason for saving that longer exists Was 10 right
20 discharge Mr.. DAVIS on ba.i Ianswer, Yes" First,
Because the Court decided % take that Second
Because the counsel for the Government. with
eminent jurst the Hon Wm. NJ Eyarts, at the head dd
not oppose that blimeut Third, Because the Govern
meut has not 10 this day given any evidence " dspea
ure with that act Of the Court or taken the first step
toward bringing Nlr Davis 70 trial though more thau
five year. have passed since he Yas discharged There
fore assert that his bament was right, aud that Mr.
Greeley was justified. Those VINO hold different views
condemn the Court and the counsel Of the
Government and censure the Government itself.
II il outside OF the Mr. Greeley for vol
unteerng 70 sign this bond An act OF this kind to be
productive OF good must be voluntary. signature
willingly given would have produced peace friend
ship in the Southern mind. II Nj Greeley had kept bis
name Of The bond. those who now censure him would
have censured whoever might have taken hs place and
il is well that ne is found on the bond IN company with