Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1885-01-31
LET REASON PREVAIL.

LET REASON Pk6VAlI'
While broad minded statesmen like
Senator Hawley testify to the patriot
ism and moderation under prov"catlon
q ,,c .on.nsr.l sc o the Iowa
>LGts Register ana other radical repub-
l;can newspapers thus attempt to i'll
fame the minds of their readers against
the people of the south:-''The south
ern democratic papers r out In even
more fiery terms than the southern
senator's, telling the people of the north
that they will not longer stand it to
have JEFF. Davis called "a traitor If it
keeps on at the pace 1t has been going
since Nov. 4, the old traitor and butch.
Or insarnate will be called the patriot
and Abraham Lincoln be cast down
from his high and immortal estate.
Isn't the south, with it, hundreds OF
thousands of guilty but unhung rebels,
going a little toe fast2 No Limitation
of statute can run against the crime OF
treason. Why not try JEFF. Davis and
hang him YETI"
Sensible republicans must blush to
read such unpatriotic trash; but, then,
there are whole sections of this country
where war prejudices run 80 high that
calm reason has but little sway.
During the war, while the north was
singing, "Ws'l hang JEFF. Davis on a
Sour Apple Tree" the south had the
idea that Abraham Lincoln was q very
bad man, and they wrote satires upon
him; the ignorant made faces at the
mention of his name, and hurled cpl
thets and curses at hint was a time
of war and passion-but all that has
passed away, and there is no southern
man to-day whose opinion is worth g
baubee who does not recognize Lin
coins patriotism, his ability, his geniaI
| bon-homnie.
The union of the states can be of but
little account unless there is a union O
sentiment between their people upon
the essentials of patriotism.
The time has passed when one half Of
the country a with impunity cast i'm
putations upon either the courage OF
the patriotism of the other half-and il
matters not from which side the attach
comes. Publicists in the north have
come to speak IS freely, and with al
much pride, of the %generalship of Let
and Jackson as they do of that of Gran
and Sherman and Sheridan, and Thorn
as and Hooker. Traitor is an ugly ep.
tibet; treason is q crime defined by
law. When the United States failed
either because it could not or would
not, to try Jefferson Davis for Treason
it was estopped from further alleging
that he was a traitor, and no more goot
can arise from q revival upon the par
of the north of its war passions and wa
epithets than would ensue from q revi'
val of the same sort of thing upon thu
part Of the south. No dispute between
Gen. Sherman and Nj. Davis shoult
be permitted to bring about such IN
wise action. The one is not q god
nor the other a demon; both are men
and both, we hope, are gentlemen. Th'
question of veracity between them cal
only be settled by recorded facts.
1t would be monstrous to say tina
falsehood in Shsrman's mouth i
more sacred than truth in that of Da
Wis. Yet in effect that is what some o
Gen. Sherman's o~ver-zealous defender
seem to assert. The issue 10 a simpl
one. Gen. Sherman said, as reported
by the Globe Democrat: 81 have seeI
a letter from Jefferson Davis to q ma
whose name l cannot mention, becaus
he il a United States senator. l kno,
Dsvis' handwriting and saw his sigma
ture, and in that letter he said h
would turn Lees army against al
state that might attempt to secsde fror
the southern confederacy."
Mr.. Davis answered.: "The alleys
ton of my ever having written such
letter as is described is unqualified
false, and the assertion that / had all
purpose or wish to destroy the Iibert
and equal rights of anv state, eithe
north or south, is q reckless, shameless
falsehood, especially because it wa
generally known that for many yeal
before, as we'll as during the war b.
tween the states, l was an earnest &C
vocate of the strict construction state
rights theory of MIR. Jefferson. Wins
motive other than personal malignit
can be conceived for SO gross q libe
If General Sherman has access to an
letters p%urporting to have been write
by me which will sustain his accuse
! ton, let him produce them, OF wes
: the brand of a base slanderer."
] There the matter rests. Gen. Shel
man has 10 far failed to produce tt
letter, or the senator to whom it is q
legged to have been addressed.
Tons of denunciation of Jetferso
Davis, volumes of attacks upon hi
, by enemies from within the confeder,
cy or without, cannot alter this recort
take from or add to it one jot Of little
And the great American people
great no more in wealth and pows
than in their love for the immutab
principles of justice, will not, beean'
one man is humbled and prescribe
and the other exalted and petted, gi,
? q false judgment between the two.
-----
Hon. w. H. Carter, on last Tuesda,
offered in the house of representiv'
the following:-"Resolyed, That it
with sorrow, mingled with great il
j dignation, that the house of represel
D tatives has heard of the attempt to d.
3 stroy the house of parliament and IL
public buildings In London, thus gi,
4. ing expression to a sentiment of disr
l gard for the law and human life thai
. destructive Of the best interests of g
classes of society,"" The motion wa
2 by consent of the mover, iaidoyer uni
Thursday, for debate, the house beil
poorly attended when it was offere.
Thara hau haon eama odzorsa or;t;ois