Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1879-10-09
Boston Journal of Oct. sth.l
A Serious Business to Jest About.

"A serious Business TO Jest About.
The renewed attention which has been
lately directed to the yellow fever episode
In the career of Gov. Blackburn OF Ken
tncky has not had the effect of eliciting
from that gentleman any explanation or
apology. Such . project as that tor the
deliberate sowing OF the seeds Of pesti-
lence among the peaceful and def.Dcelcss
populations OF Northern cities seen afro
ci0us enough 1T any time. hut viewed a,
this distance from the passions and ant
mosities occasioned by the war, Il l. hardly
conceivable that any human being could
have formed a plot So utterly cruel aud
hendish. But II this Is hardly conceivable.
how much more incredible does IL appear
that the people OF a great State should
elect a man guilty. OF such an awful crime
to be their chief magistrate. The testimony
taken al Toronto at the trial OF DR.. Luke
L. Blackburn oi he1tueky Tor this crlrue
against humanity y matter OF official
record. bat from the silence of Gov. Black
burn and his friends some chsrfabIy dis-
posed people have tried TO believe thst
there was q mistake in the identity oi the
man. and that the DR.. Blackburn who
I shipped infected clothing tn Northern Cit
les and hired agents to distribute II, Is not
the same mAn Who Is now Governor OF
Kentucky.
Those who have retained this hope are
now compelled To sbsndon It. Gov. Black
burn. to be sure. stil remaibs silent, but
the Louisville CoErler-JgMTEaI has at leHgth
toand it, voice. and speaks Tor him. Aud
1 it IL significant OF the feeling which siili
animAtes southern men aud the Southern
press that the C0Hrl<r-JoarAal speaks, no,
| to explain. or apologize. but to excuse aud
justify. IL treats the yellow fever plot. 10
connection with which the name of Gov.
| Blackburn will 60 down TO infaf3y, rather
A. a stroke OF hpuor than as an enormiiy
OF crime. II assails with coarse and pas
sisnaie abuse the Northern papers which
have been investigating Gov. Blackburn
record. They are narrow. ignorant"
guided By the "rankcst, smug-fsced hyp-
ocri.y." subsisting as the organs OF sham
patriotism, sham piety. sham morality.
sham culture" bot as to Dr.. Blackburn,
no man 10 the State stands higher. And
yet II does no, attempt to veil his identity.
bot admits that 1.-The man detained. a. IL
calls him, the self-same DIR. Blackburn,
IL po~ Governor Of Kentucky" Having
thus admitted the main fact al issue. aud
abused 10 its hearts content the venom
Gus sectional press OF the North for direct
ing attention To II, the CograeT-JoNrsai
proceeds TO say:
DIR. Blackburn 10 a great tslker. Few men
arc more oopioUs, entertaining, humorous aud
daring. He WAS younger then. more whimsi-
cal and more coustyikl than be 10 now or has
bccn Ia many yer. Their used To b. az
esiotal rivalry between him and hi. old friend
Col. Richard Winicr-mih and when the one
unfoded scheme for burning NJ al the oitse.
Of the North, the other not to b. outd0nc went
him 20 much better In . scheme Of total ARni-
histion. War time. war talk and elaborated
prufusey. Al Of Us. and on both sides. said
deal We DID not mean and would never have
dreamed Of executing 10 fat"
There Is certain Ingenuity 10 ihis sort
Of response. The reader IL len 10 Infer that
Gov. BlAckburu's yellow fever project "a.
altogether 4 matter Of eccentric talk. lac
much that was said on both side. which
we did not mean and would never have
dreamed OF executing 10 fact" IL VAS be-
cause he MAS ~ hitnsicAl" and "coBsiv!.l."
entertaining" and humorous that Dr.
Blackburn conceived bis plan tor dcpopa-
lAung Northern ciiies by yellow fever in
fiction. 4 very genial aud charming man.
a practical joker Of rare brilliapcy. accord
ing TO the C0gricr-JosrAai. i he who form
e. this murGerous design. This jocose
treatment OF the case nigh, answer II Il
we're true that The affair Was only a matter
OF 'SnecdotAl rivalry" But. a. It happens,
ihere 10 The Official record OF the Torouto
Court silll open TO Inspection. which shows
that pr. Blackburn not only meant TO exc
cute rs plan, bat Attempted 10 DO 30
There = the sworn testimony OF Tie man
bon hc hired 10 distribute the clo,htng.
and the evidence Of The Ingenuity With
which the work OF infection WAS coniriyed
There arc points which the C0Erier-foIrnal
fails 20 notice, fot the excellent reason that
they cannot De disposed OF. II Or. Black
burn represents the type OF man whom
Kentucky delights TO honor. the FAC; = al
least significant and interesting. Bu, the
airocliy OF Blackburn's scheme il too great
To be disposed OF by jest, and the Coar.sr-
JoErAgl. Ia the mAuncr 10 which i di.cGs-
ses II, only affords a fresh Illustration OF