National Republican., 1873-06-04
FRA DIAvOLo IN HIS LITTLE LAVA
BED.

The grim hamor OF subdued sarcasm is dis |
cernable in the press kilograms announcing |
the capture OF Captain Jack, and, grave rs
the victory may be with all it, scfious pre-
ludes, the news provokes outright laughter. |
We learn that the "wily warrior sat upon
rock" as Fra Dlavolo did, aud that the rock |
was located "in the centre Of little lava |
bed" The Shack Nasty family surrounded |
him, but he was taciturn and sulky. In this |
respect only did he differ materially from the |
Italian Fra Dlavolo. Mllord Allcash's jewell |
box was probably hidden In some secret nook |
of the "littlc bed, " aud Jack was not so hand |
Eomcly dressed as We are accustomed to sec |
his counterpart on tho operatic stage, but |
arrayod In an old army blanket, his head
buried In his hands, we arc told that he
looked every inch chief. Then he silently
stole away like Modoc Jack-o lantern, az he |
Ia, and did not surrender until after his sister
had stood before him, every inch chieftess,
we suppose, with tears in her eyes, to beg him
TO forego his waywardness. His two remain
ing henchmcn, faithful so long rs faithfulness
avallcd anything, sent their squaws forward
to bear the white hag OF cnpltnlatinn. Thoae
gushing children Of nature, the Warm Spring
Indians, who are so civilized that they reyel
in the delight Of risking their own scalps that
they may ornament their belts with the now-
ing locks Of others, were, as usual, In the fore
ground They viewed the squaws, children,
and warriors with hasty shakes Of their cop
per-tlnged digits. Subsequently Jack came
forward himself, cautiously, but crcstfallen,
no doubt, and the play ended. We imagine
the refrain OF the chorus from Fra Diavolo as
an In fnll tho atnrinH.
"on yonder rock reclining,
Sat Captain Jack, his head In his hands,
Ills raggedy old blanket all faded and torn,
His waist-belt all filled with scalps."
And now comes the question, what shall we
do with our prisonersi Unfeollng and un-
thinking cynics may suggest that they should
he sent to the Harrisburg Legislature; but
advice Of this kind VIC cannot accept, In view
Of our protests against the English butchery
Of Sepoys. Nor can we afford to turn them
over again TO the tender mercies Of the
frontiersmen, who are 30 well acquainted
with their habits and character as to be will
ing TO provide safe reservations for them un.
derneath the ground. In short, being civil
lied, VIC cannot afford TO treat them as they
deserve 10 be treated. II they had not sur
rendered, this difficulty would have been
obyiated but, unfortunately, we arc Oom-
PEELED to treat them as prlsoners-oi-war, and
cannot even % lose them In tho woods" After
oil, there is something traglcally heroic in
Jacks beastly saVagery. Defying the power
of nation among the most powerful In the
world, defying civilization Itself, his very
cruelty partakcs Of romance, and his mur-
derous treachery alone robs him Of the glory
of tho true hero. Pursued from point to
point, battling for life at every step, and baf-
fling his pursuers with almost superhuman
ingenuity, he Is at last taken, and while Bos-
ton Charley and schouchln eagerly ask what
Is TO be done with them, he Is "sullen, aud
has little to say" The savage nature In him
is subducd, not conquered.
Yet there Is something Of the craven In the
fact Of his surrender after his boastful
declarations that he would die 10 the last
canon, and his faded army blanket recalls
the tabloaux Of JEFF Davis In q hoop-skirt
skipping over the last ditch. Never befor,
have we been forced to consider q question
embracingsuch hodgc-podge Of tragedy and
farce, Of the sublime and the ridiculous, al
this one does. No doubt Jack will suffer the
extreme penalty Of the law which he has
NlOlutNut uNh ny Mr.
of war he has escaped the immediate fate
which he deserves, and, unless Gen. Dayis
resorts TO extreme measures, he will be COM
PEELED to 60 through the form Of q trial BY
the State courts of Oregon. Ills insanity
dodge, copied from the customs Of his fellow
murderers among the whites OF the East, or
possibly from the example Of Laura Fair on
the Pacific slope, will be unayaillng. Our
first impulse, when we read that the Modocs
say Jack Is insane" was to ask II he had en-.
ployed New York lawyer for counsel, but
we are persuaded that his case will be one Of
ready rope and short shrift."
Seriously speaking, the country has cause
for SongratulatIon over the result, and, how
ever liable General Davis policy may hav.
been to the criticisms OF tho Indian nghtOrs
Of the country, who drive editorial IuillI
through imaginary scalps, we have to thank
him for vanquishlng the Modocs without
shedding civilized blood unnecessarily.