Year: 1864

where, without distinction Of party. But what
change for the better can we expect while the adj
minstration of the law is in the hands of men who
show by their conduct that they suppose them
selves to be wiser and better than the laws set for
their guidance? The innocent publishers of this
forged proclamation were damaged in their proper
ty without law. The guilty forger himself is
shielded from punishment by Executive favor
against law How these things strike thoughtful
and conscientious citizens may be read in the fol-
lowing comments Of that influential religious jour
nal, the New York Observer


From the Ne,0 York Obserper


The author of the blssphemous Fast-day hoax, and
spurious call for volunteers has been suffered to go at
large unwhpt Justice TO boast Of his triumph the
Government and to practise with increased vsor aud m-
punity his vsnous art to the injury Of tie country and
in aid Of the rebellion The daily papers give the follow
ing stateme aa


HOW He WAS RELEASED
Mr. Howard sen the father of Howard it appears was
allowed the rare privilege of visiting his great
number of occasions He had not been long in prison
when petition sent the President begging his
lease. This petition with others newly presented by the
father, remained unanswered up to last week.


Mr.. Howard, however. persistent in his efforts to
procure the release of his He went back end for





it stated that promised the President that his
should be kept strict secret il 1T was granted. 81
The petition it is further stated, signed by Henry
Ward Beecher and large number ge enieen in Brook
and New York Under these circumstances the President
promised his pardon. .'se .#a
Yesterday despatch received by Gen. Dix direct
ing him to release Joseph Howard r the author of the
gus procamatel Mr. Howard, SEN, was in the Office
after 1T arrived and he at took it to Fort La
yete presented TO the commander there and returned
to Brooklyn with bis Joe---havrg thus effected his
T. mdda aVlrf IN hapn
the matter secret but it leaked out after Howard
left the fort. He is at his fathers residence in
Brooklyn.


How many of these details are true we cannot say tut
the one great and sckenDg fact is TOO true that the
Government, having in its hands, time of war, man
who has struck the deepest darkest and most vital blow
at the heart of the country and having the evidence its
hands of his guilt and the purely mercsnary motive by
which he nstgated, and having opportunity to
show to the country its of the magnitude of bis
crime which only less than that of high ITSELF
has nevertheless been prevailed upon to open the door
the prison where the criminal awaiting his trial. and
to let him go Free Upon this abortion of justice have
few plain words to say:


J. The parties all Of them prolessedy religious peo-
pe and of the religious press therefore called upon
to be faithful in the uterance of our feelings on the cub
ject The crime took gious aspect beng the perpe-
tration of blasphemou- forgery Of call to observe
day of prayer account 4 the failure of arms when





specially desrous to have known TO the secular press
aud the world at large, that regard the refusal
the Government to bring the to trial grevous
error of Judgment and greatly to DO depored by every
friend Of vittue.


The country has been msde the victim of fIse news
manufactured reports exaggerated statements fictitious
accounts sent by mail and by telegraph every week since
the began These false reports made for the pur
pose Of sc ing the price uf gold and stocks. Bad
sell the life blood If their fellows to make money by fraud
Howard admits that he fabricated hs forgery dsheten
he and n he m
at an ad vance. Here the worst OF all these manuac
caught at last BY such deeds his the of
the Union has suffered the rebellion has been
The Government has sought opportunity to show it's
power and justice publishing the authors One OF them
the worst of them is caught and his guilt established
but he is set at y ty without the penalty Of pal
try fine being ihtiJrsd an. -a as&
3 No crime has perperated in this country awak
enng wider aud deeper OF just indignation than
the feeling of public insult aud wrong at the time of It's
commission, that If the criminal had been hung tree,
shot in the park by squad of sodiers the people would
have pronounced the punishment just We would have
garded such punishment unnecessarily and the
fruit of popular indignation rather than Judicial opinion
But the pubic voicethe sober righteous opinion ot this
intelligent peopledemau ded that ihe offender should be
fairly tried under the laws OF his Country by military
civil tribunal and such Of penalty meted ont to
hm would mark the greatness of his osnce and the
solemn determination of The 70 De nst and
impartial in it's administration of power That penalty
should have been iIexiby exaced AID = consisted in
the deprivation of liberty, the Imprisonment should have
been continued until the war is over, and only then ter
minated by the most solemn exercise Of the pardonng
power. His release without trial is premium upon
crime, egregous ri6ng with justice and fatal stab 10
the vals of public virtue We regret it account Of it's
Injury to the good name Of our Government; regret it
because widely known minister is reported to bave aided
in its accomplishments we regret il because the founda
tions of pubic justice removed and all distinctions be-
tween and obedience to law abolished by suffering
such offences to 90 unpunshed when for far essv deeds
soldiers shot 10 death in the Of their
rades. .N&s.1#l ni lt..M I'LL f.Dtns hEH.H w
The old Romans had motto Of which we forcibly
reminded: .ss t-.


"Uhcn The guilty acquitted The judge is oondemnGd"