The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1895-09-11
QUALITY OF MERCY. -
John u. HOrner Believes in Liber-
ating Political Prisoners.

tcc cplIlI VI CODCllldIlOH dDIOdu
among the people and in the Gov
eminent for dealing with our polit-
zeal prisoners | don't believe any
clemency wisely extended to them
will be regretted. 1t must act with
happy effect upon all prisoners and
those who are not prisoners.
General Grant proposed to General
Lee, when he surrendered the army
of Northern Virginia, to allow call
officers to retain their side-arms,
their private horses and baggage,
and go home and stay until ex-
changed" Lee, upon reading this
generous proposal to a fallen foe,
remarked, This will have happy
effect upon my army" When Lee
Informed General Grant that "the
cavalrymen and artillerists own
their horses in our army its Or
ganization in this respect differs
from that of the United States"
General Grant without urging said,
We'll, the subject is quite new to
me. Of course / did not know that
any private soldiers owned their
animals, but l think this will be
the last battle of the war. / sin
.cerely hope so and I
take it most of the men in the
ranks are small farmers. f
will arrange TO let all
who claim to own a horse or mule
to take the animal home with
them to work their little farms"
Lee looked greatly relieved at
these merciful concessions, and OBJ
served, This will have the best |
possible effect upon the men. It |
will be very gratifying and will do |
much toward conciliating our peo-
pIe." Knowing the effects of these
concessions and that no harm ever
came Of them, who will not say,
God bless the merciful man?
The Master says, BLESSED are
the merciful, for they shall obtain
mercy" The thought is well illus
trated practically by one incident
in the life of the Master. When
before Him was brought certain
trembling sinner, her life forfeited
according to the law, and when the
accusations rained from all sides,
He sorrowfully bent down toward
the earth, tracing His thoughts in
the sand before Him, as in contem-
plation of the vast problem involved
in the work which was His-to save
that which was lost. The accusers
were as eager for her blood as was
He to redeem that in her nature
not yet beyond redemption. And
ever since, the story has been re-
peated. 1t is contest be-
tween stern, revengeful JUS
tice and sweet mercy, not to
be ended satisfactorily to the
divine Judge until both can triumph
together. The foregoing is a fair
sample of the master carrying out
his own teaching.
Several of our political prisoners,
like the woman above referred to,
have forfeited their lives according
to the law, were tried, convicted
and sentenced; but instead of exc
cutting stern justice upon them, the
authorities have extended mercy
and the act will be applauded by
the world. We are pleased to
know the authorities are contem-
plating further act of clemency to-
wards them and are being encour-
aged to do so by the loyal clubs
and the community. Should they
release all, the act
would be commended by our peo-
pie and be a heavenly lesson for !
reyengeful man to initiate, as it
would tend as General Lee said,
''This will have the best possible
effect upon the men. 1t will be {
very gratifying and will do much
conciliating our people"
"Sgeet mercy" will do more to- ]
wards conciliating enemies, than
stern Justice, not only to prisoners, I
but to the prisoners friends, and I
they are many.
As General Grant said, The war q
Is over the rebels are our country !
men again" As soon as 1t is wise $
to do so they should be so treated,
as they were our associates and t
neighbors as we'll as fellow citizens 9
and may again become so If not /
made revengeful enemies by stern =
Justice" Do 1 mean the exiles as Z Z
we'll as prisoners? Certainly, as
they can and will do more injury :
abroad as enemies, than they would !
do at home if conciliated as above. =
The ex-queen has taken the oath 5
and no doubt will stand by 1t, as