New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-06-14

4 PATTY UITHOUT Defence OK HEINON.
We cannot boast as a Nation that we have
reached very high state of civilization when
a great crime against humanity, and against
the fundamental principles of free government
still seems to the successful party a fit subject
for a Jest or sheer. The rebellion was
such n crime. But the party now in
power honors AMI rewards activity in re-
bellion. This course it juslillcs on In"
plea that the crime was prompted
by long cherished theories, and occurred a
great while ago and the Nation ought now to
be willing to forgctit. That i a reason, pos
sibly, for forgctfulmcSS. But II Is not reason
for gratitude, for honor, for bOuntiul reward
or for the measure of vcncration which self
respecting people manifcsts only for Its Tucst
and most patriotic heroes. If the Democratic
party does not insult the Nation by its conduct,
then it was more honorable to have broken an
oath than to have kept it, more honorable to
have fought to destroy the Union than to have
saved it.
But it is not necessary. unhapply, to 20 so
far into the past to find crime against human
itv and self-govcnmcnt which the party III
power now rcwarls and honors. In morals
there is no statute of limiations the murder
W
mcnt was not the less an infamous crime
because il was committed more than twenty
years ago. But the party in power IN
sists that its ancient crime must be ignored
because it was long ago, and claims to
have changed its character. l. it sol Then
what mean these Democratic snccrs when the
Ohio Republican Convention arragns the Dem
orIatic party before the bar of public opinion
for a crime continuing to this day, for having
gained the power by a deliberate suppression
of the ba,lOt1
That is not an ancient crime. The men who
elected MIR. Cleveland by assassnating their
political opponents are even now crcwdng the
White House and the Departments, their hands
yet red with blood, demanding that they
shall be honoreI and rewarded with Office
for that service to the party. Many OF
them the President has already lifted to places
of high trust and honor. Yet the crime OF which
they are formally accused is of all conceivable
crimes the most dastardly the most disloyal,
and the most dangerous to free government.
There can be no mcaner deed than 20 assassi-
nate an unarmed man when he stands dc
lcnceless but heroic among a host Of foes, ask
ing only justice and relying only upon the
manhood and loyalty Of his cOuntIymcn.
Yet this was done to Matthews, Of
Copiah, and to hundreds Of Republicans
at the South, for no other reason than because
they refused to abandon or to use against their
convictions the rights which the Constitution
gave them. They were patriotic heroes, who
were willing to die rather than to fail in duty.
But what name shall be found for those who
assassinated these defenders Of the peoples
rights, or for those who goated over or excused
the crime or for those who now profit by and
reward it
A civilized man does not sneer or Jest when
he is publicly accused of an Infamous crime by
others as reputable as himself. a man who
respects the law does not feel that it IS
a light matter if he Is thus accused OF law
breaking The party which answers only with
a sheer or jest, when thus formally charged
with the mcanest and the basest Of all crimes,
proves that it has no spirit of loyalty, and is
still the party of barbarism.