The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-08-28
HENDRIoKs saw A BIG DIFFERENCE.

The excuse made Tor the PARDON OIL bno OeaI
isles by Governor Hendricks is that the muir
der Of which they were convicted, and for
which they were sent to one of our peniten-
tiaries, was an outgrowth of the enmities OF
the war; and was really sort Of guerrilla fight,
or retaliation, provoked by some previous col
lision, and ought to be viewed in the light OF
the times His lenity was little else than re-
leasing prisoners of war convicted by the
prejudices and punished by the spite OF
enemies, among whom their unfortunate in
diligence of warlike temper happened to be
exhibited. No one who knows anything of
the opinions or conduct of Governor Hendricks
during the war needs any assurance that a
rebel would be very unlikely to make vain
appeal to his sympathy. 'He would not go
into the army he told his friends in Shelby
vile, "and he could not consistently advise
anybody else to co. He preserved his con-
sistency, kept everybody out of the army that
his example could influence, and cordially CO
operated with the spirit of the Legislature of
1868, that elected him to the Senate and tried
to displace Morton from the governorship;
that tried to force the State into re-
pudiation, and entertained, in one
form or another, some twenty odd propositions
to make State truce with the rebels and
leave the Union to take care of itself So
when he became Governor, in 1873, by the aid
of prohibition votes the fall before, he was
in admirable moral and political condition to
receive a rebel appeal graciously The pri-
vate letters Of two or three prominent Ken
lucky Republicans, laying the motive of the
murder upon the enmities Of the war, fur
nished precisely the pretext that his melting
iquefy in tears enough to blot out the offense
If the Carlisles had been Union men, con-
victed of numbering rebel or two on the In
diana bank of the Ohio, and had appealed to
the Governor for mercy, the case would have
been changed. So shows the record And
that is what we want especially to direct at
tention to.
Shortly after the close of the war, about
the time that the Carlisles murdered Lieuten-
ant Hampton in Indiana, Thomas Langsdale,
Kentuckien, who had served in the Union
army, and was living in Gallatin county, Ken
lucky, was assailed by rebel mob for his
loyal sympathies and services. He was warned
to leave the State on pain Of death, and not
being disposed to abandon his property and
civil rights at the lawless order of rebel mob,
he resisted. They gathered in force enough
to make resistance useless, and he tried to
escape. He was pursued, shot at repeatedly,
put in peril of his life every step of his fight,
till he finally killed one of his pursuers, who
would surely have killed him, and escaped to
this State. He was indicted in Gallatin county
for murder, and requisition sent here by
the rebel Kentucky Governor for his sur
render. He had fought in defense of his life
only when assailed by the "enmities growing
out of the war1-had done nothing to break
the law or offend any right; and Governor
Morton, holding him guiltless, would not give
him up It was a party feud, mistimed out
break of war feeling, and to surrender him
was to assure his death without trial, or with
trial of the Jed Wood fashion-hang first
and try afterwards. A similar effort was
made, we believe, on Governor Baker, with a
similar result. Then, on the Goth Of June,
1873, when Governor Hendricks had been in
Office little over FIVE months, a requisition
was made on him, and was granted, Of course.
He was out Of the city at the time,
but his secretary acted on his
order. Langsdale gave notice that
his surrender was certain death at
the hands of a mob, and he would kill the
first man that attempted his arrest No In
diana officer would trouble him. for he was
guilty of no crime. No Kentuckian would
take the risk. So ne was left undisturbed.
About year ago fourth requisition came to
Governor Porter. He examined the record,
came to the same conclusion as Morton and
Baker, and refused the arrest Governor Hen
bricks was prompt to try and send a Union
soldier to certain death by mob for killing q
rebel in self-defense, and as ready to pardon
two rebels who had murdered Union soldier
without any pretense Of defense or danger
That is the difference he sees, or did see, be-
tween Union man and rebel.
The report Of the State Geologist, just
issued, shows that there are 2O6 coal mines II