The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-05


and of all the patriots who sought TO set up
an independent government, based on slavery,
Jefferson Davis alone remains unpardoned
We must apologize for the bitterness of the
feeling exhibited by loyal men during and inn
mediately succeeding the war; At that time
they thought service in the war for the Union
patriotic duty, and rebellion mistake, if
not crime, and of course they could
not at that time regard Jefferson Davis as the
apotheosis Of purity and patriotism. 1t was
not favorable time to move for his pardon.
That the President should be appealed to to
remove the taint-'if faint it attaching
to Jefferson Davis's status only shows that
those making such application are ignorant of
the fact that he is powerlesa to do SO, though
there is little doubt that he would if he could
The PEA made for jeff Davis, that pardon
should be granted because Of his greatness
and patriotism should damn it forever His
record shows that he is not and never was
great man nor patriot. 1t shows that
since the war he has never given
uttercnce to an unqualified loyal sentiment;
never sought to reunite the sections made by
the war he helped set in motion. OF all the
leaders in the rebellion Jefferson Davis has
proved himself the smallest the most con-
temptible. A victim of the moral dyspepsia
of hn hacr hoo Ill IL
its symptoms, and has never failed, when
opportunity offered, to reafirm ''the imperish-
able principles for which the South fought"
as if the Soath had not been and was not then
in possession of every right enjoyed by States
of the North and West For twenty-five years
he has nursed and petted the doctrine of
secession, and believes in it as much to-day as
he did when at the head of the Rebellion He
has no place in the affairs of the Union because
he wants no place and deserves no place. In
all the twenty years that have elapsed since
1865 Jefferson Davis has given no encourage
ment to such men of the South as came to
realize the mistake that had been made, or
who, while still thinking that the South had
cause for its appeal to arms, are now glad to
resume their places in an undivided
Union. The war for the Union was
unqualifedly right, or it was, as
the advocates of Jefferson Davis main
tanned, gigantic crime, ga gross and bloody
violation of public right" If the latter, every
man who led men against the South, and ev-
cry one that marched in the ranks was engaged
in an unjust and tyrannical war. If such be
the truth of history the government cannot
too quickly grant amnesty to Mr.. Davis. If,
on the contrary, Davis and his champions are
mistaken, and the war for the Union was just
and imperative, it would be most shameless
humiliation for the government to go out of
its way to placate this implacable, querulous
old man, the victim of an accident that kept
him from sharing in President Johnson's am
nesty proclamation. The mistake made by
"Col." Horn and by the Dallas Herald is in
imagining that Davis is the victim of national
hatred. But for the contemplate spirit he
has manifested Jefferson Davis might long
since have been restored to all the privileges
of citizenship. The government could not
have afforded to erect him into the dignity of
so contemplate, can it prostitute itself to
crawl to his feet with pardon. Self-respect-
ing ex- Confederates are content to leave JEFF
ferson Davis exactly where he is.