New-York tribune., 1895-06-13
CrOPGTi FiCT-SLiPPER.
probable.

an and no real fighting. there's nothing 'h1t SUITS
thc blood and kindlcs the emotion INTO rap'urou-
sensations So much as language; particularly II
il Is hot and cncrs rsciic. br>tling with threatening
nuncfuation and glowing with red c"rpuscics'
+, l. IN such times that really courageous ana
hirh.snirit,,l pcrsons take it upon themselves 10
r,r,cvo the monotony and break the prevailing
calm with the audible or lcglblc expression of
,.iuiurness q, do violence 10 somebody upon any
convenient opportunity. Inasmuch as they DIN
der intellectual stagnailon. and not infrclu"niy
aver, from jhe communities in which they owen
,h. corroIinr effect Of the cankcr Of a long
pcacc." they are not undcscrving Of praise such
a bcncfactor. from this point Of view, i Inc
Editor Of Tile Atlanta 0;al Commercial. which
newspaper. We perceive 10y headline. * INC
official organ Of the city Of Atlanta. by another
headline It appears that the editors name j.
Hcniamin NJ. Blackburn. We congratulate the
city II Atlanta OH having m Official organ '""''
bv Mr. Blackburn. who appears from recent
editorial uttcranccs 10 be- a gentleman "i HSh
spirf. indomiablc courage great command "'
language and a warm heart. MIR biackpnfh
had occasion recently 10 comment upon Memo
rial DAY address delivered ~ Marietta. Ga, 10y
General Warner II Iowa. who fought on The
Union side In the late unplcasaninrss. He did
II with great courage and no little severity
General Warner. having "culogzcd the Chris
"tan manncss and hcroism of Lee and Jackson
"and paid "A high tribute 10 Johnston and Long
street" made the mistake Of alludlng TO JcHcr-
son Davis as "lhc arch-acgrcssor IN 'h' WAT "i
secession and n man who had never SPOKEN
single word In favor Of reconciliation. Inns i'
Mr. Blackburn 10 say that "ihc Sou'h wants u"
"crlogy from lips that are polluted win venom
and inslncerIty for her glorious Lee ana ihcom-
.parable Jackson. 80 long as there ~ i''lhs
"in the breasts of such speakers "f dallnapl'
hatred toward her lor1llcS' son. the greatest
'patrlot that ever graccd the "arih. Jefferson
"Dayis" From this mild beginning he proceeds
70 say that III General Warner meant what l.
"In tho hearts Of thousands-ycS tens OF tholi-
sands: yea an overwhelming majority Of North
.crnors-'hat jefferson Davis WAS an arch
TRAITOR then he and they are a set of low, cow
"ardlv liars who would have covered Ike In"
"cravcns that they are before his sublime cour-
age and devotion to the right" This Is iriilc
sweeDlng but II will be observed that II has me
merit of being definite and direct and somewhat
saturated with emotion Lest, however, II may
he objected TO as being rather general In It's
lzcd reopcning Of the late war. Mr. Blackburn,
with unshrnking courage assumes personal re-
snousibIlity for II In these stirring words:
The Editor Of THE Commercial" Is willing to re-
,urn Kindness with kindness. but whenever a man.
I'm any station alluics TO Jefferson Davis a. an
rch-traitor. We propose to publicly denounce him
as a liar II his reference s made In public and
literally slap him in the face II the speech Is made
to us personally We pledge our life TO thus reward
the insolencc for such dastards
In order that there may be no mistake about 1t
anywhere on the face of the globe, hc adds with
the consciousness which such man cannot help
feeling that hc has arrested attention and pos
sby caused a depression in business and drop
in stocks by the iinmlncncc of Il new war: This
"is our position. and we want 1t universally I'M
"dorsioOd" And this. we may say In passing,
Is the sole reason for the present article; that
The position Of Mr.. Benjamin VI. Blackburn, of
Atlanta Ga, editor Of the official organ Of that
city, may be universally understood. In view Of
It's importance The Tribune desires 10 give IL
the most extensive circulation. The war ended
some thirty years ago. II bcgan-rccurring TO
datcs-a little mere than thirty-four years ago.
jefferson Davis. having repeatedly taken the
customary oath 10 support the Constitution Of
the United States. in 1s6l was the head Of Il
new Government making war against the United
States That was-wcll. nobody. least Of all we
tmd creatures who would have covered be-
fore Jefferson Daviss sublime courage and
devotion 10 the right" dares now take the risk
Of Shaping by calling II trcason-but what
on the whole was Il: 1t came near being Il dead
issue until Mr.. Blackburn's new declaration Of
war: but now it assumes vitality. What will
Mr. Blackburn permit II 10 be- called without
slapping anybodys face? And suppose Mr.
Blackburn does slap somebody's face who tx
presses IN honest opinion contrary 10 his own
upon what Mr. Blackburn considers coniro
ver1 point Of constitutional law; would that
settle the law point or define the act! Or sup
pose the slappcc in such ease should slap back
for we have known persons born far North as
Vermont or Maine who would be- foolhardy
as 10 slap back even II the slappcr were the
editor Of an official newspaper endowed with a
warm heart and high spirit and great command
Of language-wou!d that settle anything definite
ly! Or even If the slapper should there upon pro
ceed to shoot the slappec full Of holes In conclu