National Republican., 1880-08-14
A MYSTERY.

MYSTERY.
One of the mysteries of the working Of
the human mind is to be found in the mud
die some people have wrought themselves
into in relation to the moral nature of the
late rebellion. 1t is really marvel q curl
osity, strange reversal of reasoning and
conclusions by which the acts that were de-
nounced as the vilest treason and the high
est crime person could commit have come
to be regarded as nothing but q mild un-
Pleasantness, which TO remember and speak
Of in terms Of censure is in itself criminal
and worthy Of the severest condemnation.
There are many crimes far inferior in their
effects rs compared with treason which are
never overlooked, apologized for or con-
doned. According to Mr.. TILDEH and
CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS, fraud is q crime
never no, never, to be condoned while the
world stands. According to the New York
Sun, the charge of having taken lawyers
fee under circumstances of bare suspicion
should be followed by the lash of scorpions
year in and year out forever, and every body
that does not take the same view of the
transaction becomes partner in the guilt
and an enemy Of the cause of righteousness
and truth.
But the gentlemen who led whole peo.
pie to rise and attempt the destruction of
our country, the gentlemen who perjured
their souls in plotting for the overthrow of
the constitution they had solemnly again
and again sworn to defend; gentlemen who
stole forts, and arsenals, and navy. yards,
and ships, and millions Of war material, and
saddled the labor of generations with debt,
deprivation and poverty; gentle beings who
shot and MANNED, and murdered the flower
Of the youth Of great nation and peace
loving people, sending mourning into every
family and desolation into every heart, are
not only to be forgiven for theft, perjury,
murder and treason, but, according to these
authorities, it is more than impolite to speak
Of it and to urge it as disqualification for
Office while still unrepented of is in itself
an oifense and n disqualification.
The history of the world furnishes no in
stance of like character Our statesmen,
on their heads and viewing everything up.
side down, to this day pursue old BENEDICT
ARNOLD with fury that knows no cessation
for a treason of the mildest form compared
with the hell let loose by DAVIS, LEE and
the confederate brigadiers now holding the
reins Of management in congress and guild
ing the policy Of the democratic party, and
with them the treason of DAVIS is treated
as of less disrepute than the attempt of the
visiting statesmen TO settle an election dis
pute peacefully and according to the GUS
toms and laws Of the land. This is so, and
every column Of every democratic news
paper furnishes abundant proof of what we
are saying.
And what is to be the outcome of this
topsy-turyy, inconsistent, illogical and mys-
terious muddle? We hardly know. There
ore some evidences that the evil is deeper
than has been imagined, and its extent is
alarming. The hot haste to forgive crime
before repented of, and such disastrous, far.
reaching crime Ns the rebellion, has had an
insidious effect upon large masses of people
as regards their views of other crimes. II
has told fearfully upon the consciences of
the south aud removed the barrier of con-
science altogether in many quarters as re-
lates to fraud, assault, intimidation and
murder. The llu klux, the midnight assas.
sinations, the butchering at polling places,
and later the tissue ballots, are the natural
growth of the relaxed notions concerning
the moral nature Of the great rebellion, and
no less can be said of the complacency to-
ward these denominations, which is mani.
tested by the universal democratic party
and the apostates from the republican party
who have walked into the democratic camp
with their heels in the air, as has been done
by GEORGE w, JULIAN, CHARLES FRANCIS
ADAMS, JOHN w. FORNEY and q few
others of too little note to mention
That party and the apostotes who cooperate
with it look upon the solid south and
the intimidation and fraud by which il has
been made solid either with uncOncern OF
positive approval and we have yet to henl
from the first man of any note, from ADAMS
to HoApLY, from TILDEN down to HAN.
COCK, who has publicly and emphatically
condemned it or the way it was attained
Nor have they objected to the proceeding
of CRoNIN and GARCELoN, which were o.
the same nature as the proceedings south
and designed to nullify the will of the pco
pie and render voting a solemn farce
1t comes mainly from the wrong step
taken to restore the union while the unior
as yet had no value in the estimation of tn,
men who were TO be restored, but partly
from an original sympathy which the demo
Gratis had for the rebellion growing out o.
their connection with its authors. 1t wa.
rebellion gotten up by democratic leaders
It was the natural outcome Of democratic
doctrine and teaching for many long years
BUCHANAN, BLACK, ENGLIsH VALLAN-
DIGHAM aud PESDLEToN had been in uni