Year: 1879

VINO was on the UnlOn side during the


late war to make any reference to that


important period of history without be


ing accused of a malignant purpose to


rake among the embers of the past. But


those who are so ready with this accuse


tion appear to see no objection whatever


to the most profound and painful re-
searches into that troubled era, when


prosecuted by men who were rebels, and


when the object is the defamation OF


loyal officers. The sacredness of the


grave is an entirely one-sided affair, in


the minds of these critics. 1t is brutal


thing to say that Robert Lee was traitor


to his flag, but to defle with foul and


ingenious calumny the graves Of Lincoln


and Stanton and Sumner is, they think,


vindicating the truth of history. Now


it is not pleasing for any right feeling


person to dwell overmuch upon the


crimes and misfortunes of the past, but


it must not be taken for granted that we


all agree with the sentiments of the


Democratic newspapers and statesmen OF


the present day, when they assert or


inslnuate that all the virtue was on the


beaten side, and all the remorse should


be loaded on the consciences of the vic


tors. 1t seems necessary to say. once in


a while, to keep the historical muse


ITO" U0COLuluR UeWllu0EGu ny lOOllSu


clamor, that the Rebellion was crime,


that the men engaged in it were crimi


nails, that those who died in it died in a


wrong cause, that those VINO survived
owed their lives to the clemency of the
Nation, and that in estimating the
moral value of persons who were engaged
in that struggle, the side on which they
labored is an essential circumstance, and
raises at once presumption for or against
them.


One of the men who labored hardest
and most efficiently in that controversy
on the side of the Union was Mr.. Stan
ton, and it is, therefore, natural that he
should be subject to some very savage
but it is little curious that the
precise incident for which he, in COM
mon with other distinguished officers, is
most belabored, at this moment, is the
of the acconplices of
Wilkes Booth, after the murder of Mr.. |
Lincoln. A CHASTITY story, which would |
be simply ridiculous if it were not so |
atrociously malignant, has recently made
it's progress through the Democratic |
papers, relating how all the persons re-
sponsible for the execution of Mrs Sur.
ratt have miserably perished. Secretary
Stanton had committed suicide, Judge |
Holt had disappeared from public view,
and Congressman Bingham had sought
refuge in exile. We printed the other
day a letter of Surgeon General Barnes
lisposing of the SANDER on the memory
Of Mr.. Stanton, showing that he died of
heart disease, literally with his harness
On, hs wing made an exhaustive argument
n coart on the last day he was out of
nis house. The exile of Mr. Bingham
nay be terrible punishment, but we
,hink we could point out any fine day
some hundreds Of Con federate brigadiers
who would be delighted to replace him
1t the Court of Japan. AS to the case of
Judge H olt, the honorable retii ement in
which he lives, attended by the love of
1is friends and the praise and reverence
IF lis ellow-citizens, may seem extremely
lismal to his malgners. but they might
liscreetly pray for such a tranquil and
blessed evening of life as that which is
lssured to Mr.. Holt as fitting reward
or his great services to the country.


A woman on the gallows is not an
lgreeable spectacle-nor is it pleasant to
woman engaged liz acts
which lawfully bring her there. A court
If experienced and capable officers tried
Mrs Surratt. and after due deliberation
ound her guilty of completely in the
murder of Mr.. Lincoln. Most people, at
he time, thought the sentence Just and
ully warranted by the evidence. The
,nly theory of the defense was that she
lid not know Lincoln was to be muir
lered and that the conspiracy organized
It her house, and with her full concur
'ence, involved originally merely the
capture of the President with the view
IF taking him to Richmond This inten
,ion-which in the execution after the
capture of Richmond became murder
seems to her apologists perfectly inno-
cent. They can see nothing worthy of
punishment in a scheme, concocted in
Washington by spies and rebels, to seize
The Commander in-C Chief of our Army
and Navy in time of war. and hand him
over to the enemy. 1t will seem to most
candid people a matter of indifference
which of these crimes she plotted. The
one was as black as the other; each in
Volved actual t. eason and potential MUIR
der, and each, by the laws of any civil
zed nation, was properly punishable by
death, after summary trial. The Trib-
une does not believe in hanging men or
women either SO long as any better use |
can be found for them; but if hanging is
ever demanded by law and justice, this
was such case.


1t is curious proof of the diseased !
state of mind with which the Democrats |
of to-day regard the recent history of the |
that they print without COM
ment the eulogies of Jefferson Davis
delivered in the Senate. the announce
ment of men like Blackburn that they
intend to wipe out the last vestige of the
war legislation of the Republicans, and |
greedily seize and publish the most
senseless and childish ISLANDERS against
men whose character and fame are
among the possessions of the Nation.
The wanton wickedness of these outrages
does not seem so fagrant as their i'm
policy.