The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-08-13
The Case of EllB. Ice.

Cie1elInd Leader, August ..
with a maynanimity unparalleled in
history, the Republican party has pardon
ed those who sought to destroy the ma.
tlonal life, and has even removed the
political disabilities from those Of them
who asked for such relief. Excepting a
few assassins no one has been punished
for treason. Within a few months, JEFF
Davis himself, the man who before all
others was responsible for the tortures
and death endured by thousands OF Union
soldiers in the prison pens OF the South,
has been lauded to the skies on the floor
Of 1.-The United States Senate by Democrats,
for "heroism, fortitude, patriotism and de.
votion unequalled in this worlds history"
Chalmers, the Fort Pillow butcher, leads
the Southern Democracy in Congress;
even Blackburn, who would have intro.
duced pestilence into New York city and
slain thousands upon thousands Of un.
offending men, women and children by
the most horrible diseases, lives to be hon.
ored by the Democracy with election as
Governor Of Kentucky. This is one side
of the picture.
There is another.
AT Moundsville, In West Virginia, there
IS a State penitentiary in which man
named Eli Ice is immuted under a sen.
ience for life. The pardons OF the Demo.
S7atic Governor, ike those Of the imbecile
Governor Bishop, Of Ohio, flow out thick
and fast to burglars, robbers and other
pests 10 society, but none issues for Ell
Ice. He is held to be guilty Of the unpar-
Ionable sin.
What was it?
In 1862, while on guard over some rebel
prisoners, oneotthem attempted to escape.
Ice c.Nlled to him to halt. He kept on his
flight. Ice fred upon him and he fell
dead. Ice did his duty as soldier Had
he done less he would have subjected
himself to severe punishment under the
laws OF war. A court.martial investigated
the case and honorably acquitted him.
lie served in his company honorably
till the war ended. Then he
went back to West Virginia, was
arrested, tried for the murder Of his escap-
ing prisoner, found guilty, and sentenced
to the penitentiary for life. How would 1t
have been had he been a rebel guard and
killed Yankee prisoner? How II he had
been rebel bushwhacker and had fred
the cabins and shot them
by the light OF their homes as they fed
from them? How II he had lain in am.
bush and taken the lives OF unsuspecting
Union men on the highway? Why, then
he would have been hero in the eyes Of
Southern Democrats. Then Senators Coke
and Maxey, and Harris and Lamar, and
Ill the rest on the roll, would have eulo-
gi2ed him as they do "the battle SCARED
kniShtly Jefferson Davis" Then they
would have extolled his manhood, talent,
purity OF personal character, patriotism
and what not. But he wore the hated
blue. He did his duty as Union soldier.
He fills ielon's cell in the penitentiary
for life. LAG
lfthereis Union soldier who has for a
moment entertained d the thought Of voting
the Democratic ticket, Of elevating to
place and power the associates and apollo
gists OF those who eulogtze JEFF Davis, and
make political idols Of Chalmers and
Blackburn, let him sit down for q mo-
ment and think OF the scot.tsee murderers
who kept guard at Andersonvllle, Belle
lle, Salisbury, Cahawba-the list Is too
long to name-and then Of Eli Ice, lii his
cell at Moundsville, West Virgins, and ask
himself II he can it. II he can, then it
is salying proverb that "blood is thicker
than HateFn