The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-01-07
JEFF. DAVIS.
The Reason OF The PubIle Feeling

The Reason OF the Public Feeling
Against Him.
The st. Louis Republican Is not able to
understand why the public sentiment Of
the North that forgaye Lee and stonewall
jackson, and even camo at last to acknowl.
edge and admire their private virtues, and
that takes Alex. II, Stephens, the former
Vice President Of the Coniederacy, by the
hand, and that has embraced Iongstreet and
Mosby, and that permitted General Joe
johnson to become the Chairman Of Mill.
tary Affairs in the House, should still hold
out so unrelentingly against jeff Davis.
The Kansas City Journal, a very able pa.
per, undertakes to vouchsafe some enllght-
eminent to the Republican, by submitting
To 1t the following solution Of It's difficulty;
"If the Republican understood the Union
sentiment OF the country-ii it>had any
real appreciation Of the deep devotion Of
the Northern people 10 their country, it
would not be 80 amazed at the contempt
they have always felt for the venerable"
head OF the deiunct ConiederaCy. The
Union men OF the country never had any
hatred for the Southern people, and have
none now. They most cordially hated the
institution OF slavery which existed in the
Southern States. Their fOye Of liberty and
opposition to every form Of oppression
caused that hatred. They fully appreciated
the influence Of the institution Of slavery
on the people OF the South, and generally
allowed for tho false education which they
jmbibed. They could readily forgive men
who were led into wrong from impulse,
and by reason Of their surround.
ings, whenever they acknowledged
their wrong and promised loyalty to the
country for the future. But JEFF Davis was
not Of this kind. He was from his youth
traitor in his heart, only wanting an or
pOrtunity TO destroy the republic and es.
tablish an empire whose corner stone
should be slavery. Fer this he plotted for
years, first in his state, and afterwards
while member OF the Senate Ofth United
States. Among all the plotters and traitors
he was the arch fiend, and when he had
succeeded in dragging thousands Of delu-
ded men into an army to fight their coun-
try, and became the head OF another gov
eminent, he sanctioned the most barbarous
modes Of warfare and the most cruel treat
men Of prisoners. Throughout the entire
war which he waged upon his country,
there seemed to be no 8 bark of humanity
left in his soul. and il the ghosts Of thou.
sands starved by his orders do not continu.
ally haunt his sleep, then it is only because
spirits never return to earth from the other
world. Why, indeed, should creature be
forgiven who still boasts Of his treason and
Cherishes the most intense hatred to the
Government under which he lives? He
has never asked forgiveness; he has never
acknowledged his sin he has never re-
perted Of It, and is not therefore entitled
to any consideration or respect from any
honest lover OF his country. A place in
the soil, six feet by four is all that JEFF
Davis can rightfully claim, and that is ac-
corded to the vilest Of criminals. Once
covered by the sod it were well that all
traces Of the spot were obliterated, and he
might well now wish that all recollection
Of him could pass from the minds Of men,
for history will preserve his record only to
teach lesson from his crime.