ranklin , Jlk tpoitorg.
Wedged y, mak 10,1565.
TICK DIZASURE OF BETRIBITTIOIV.
War has fulfilled its terrible arbitra
ment. Victor and vanquished are accept
ed terms throughout the whole crimsoned
theatre of the sanguinary strife. The mis
sion' of the sword is ended—that of Paci
fication has begun. What monuments
shall mark its hisiory ,Shall it be fruit
ful of peace and. tranquility ? Shall it
ring tt, 7 cen:keited 'brotherhood made sa
cred hi its fearful i . baptism in fraternal
blood 4 Shall it be peace and union from
sympathy and conviction I—from enmity
schooled by mingled power and magna
nimity to veneration for our common Na
tionality f Or shall it be the calm of
death; the 'sweep of vengeance; the:pain
fal-stilln'ess ofdespotic might, which deep
en hatreds, intensify, the horrors of sub
mission, and plant anew ,Lb seeds bf dis
order and perfidy to weaken the power
and beset the pathway of 64 Republic I
Since the kation was plunged into the
profoundest grief by the assassination of
our venerated Chief Magistrate, we have
purposely refrained from any allusion to
the absorbing question as to the policy of
the government in dealing with its . mil-
lions of etiminalsi 2 We have left to others
the easy task of demanding-the fullest
_xneasure of vengeance. Our own columns
last week gave a warning voice from the
-sacred desk, that the pound of flesh was
so denominated in the bond, and must be
taken; and again to-day a communication
eheiws how easily it is for even intelligent
men to mistake vengeance for the, admin
istration of publib • justice. If we should
prefer to minister to the passions which
the full fruition of treason. as exemplified
in the assassin. haVe naturally engendered.
we would doubtless present views accep
, table to -the major Portion of our readers.
But such is not the mission of the faithful
journalist. Passions and resentments,
-however fierce' and relentless, must 'fade
away. • Sooner or later calm reason,And
etaighteped judgment must assert
their supremacy. The patriotism of the
Nation, so lot.tg pi* so sorely tried, will
find higher aiid holier duties thiurthose
dictated by - vengeance : and justice will
reach its 'grandest twimph as a rescued
- government proclaitat its power and ,per
_
manency by the. generous magnanimity
that will go hand.iri hand with its terrible
punishment. .
Just now the spirit of vengeanceis rife
throughout the laud.- It greets nraievery
step. .It comes from almost everfvoice.
It thundeis from the pulpit. It is appla,ud
ed,in popular a - sPmblages.' ,All breathe
it, feel- it; synipathize with it, bow to it.
The assassin's band has striken the Presi-.
.dent down, and the demon of treason
-:Aioitted its appalling triumph over the-no
ble victim.'
.",hist when lOwisdom and pa:
triotisur had made every knee to bow and
- - every tongue confess—just when in the
- fulness of a Nation's love, he was murder
ed ; and it *as treason:that nerved the
arm and directed the swift instrument of.
- death. For such a crime - lhe Nation ht 4.
-no name, and no penalty ample for
atonement. It has dried up the generous
fountains. of the popular' heart. It has
called forth the crirse of vengeance through
out the loyal
~ States, and every. untimely
grave, everyf*ithered field and every
shadowed-cirele, seems'to join in the de
mand for bloody retribution.
—Let us pause in the midst of this min
gled sorrow and resentment s and look well
at the solemn duties and momentous issues
—interwoven with the Nation's 'treatmeit
of a vanquished foe. Not less than three
—million traitors have given helping hands
Lto the desolation and beAvements of this
wanton war. Ridged by every
moral standard they are murderers—re
' morseless fratricides.' -From their fugitive
chief to the humblest in their ranks—yd
-dier and citizen, father and: soa, Matron
and m aiden,who counceled causeless strife,
conceiVed in perfidy and w s aged against hu
manity and government, are alike authors
,of the broody dPkina justclosed: Treason
swept tot:ROO like over the sunny South,
4- and eugulpbed whole States in its deadly
;embrace. The colossal proportions and
- power of crime gave itconventional digni
The traitor became apublic enemy, and
treason was clothed here and thrOughout
the world,with belligerent rjghts. Neces
sity made it law. For . four years we
warred as with a foreign foe, and at last
the `God of battles ankcifjusticelms scat
---tered the legions of the treacherous usur
-,-- pet, and given decisive victory to Liberty
and Law.
The sword has now performed its cruel
work. Our Nationality is preserved . :' Its
foundation is unshaken; but its imposing
- columns are not unscathed. It- has bro
ken joints; dismantled ornaments. and
gaping - scars Tor time and wisdom to heal..
- 11 has States without .government,-with
out law, without representation, ardlvith
an estranged people, to ga, ther into*
folds ofthe Republic agidri. They were
enemies but yesterday—to-dub they are
integral parts of our common country,
Their ; legions have scattered with the,
. mercy of a benefleat governmapt recal
ling them to fidelity. The army of Lee,
Including its 'commander the great cap
- tain of treason, is disbanded with the
plighted faith of the Nation that they shall
'net;tHi. This Was the last great act
of our rruutyred Presidenti-lt will be re
corded as one of his , tobelist. His sac
cessor takes his place, and declares that
treason is a crime and must have its pen
:salty. But he means justice— l oot ven
geance. While the sorrowinglstation was
bearing its ninrdered ruler to the tomb,
the new Executive accepted the surren
der of Johnston and his army. He de
, mandedjust what Mr. Lincoln demanded
•- - -1 of Lee. , He \vas' magnanimous that he
might the better be just to the guilty and
.to the country lie will pardon freely;
but punish pitileFiNly. - Few, perhaps none,
may give life' to vindicate justice in atone
ment for treason. 'Phil' surrendered ar-
._ndes of crime are saved liy the terms of
capitulation. Those who dealt out death
i n ou r Bl ida, are exempt from the law
that. demands life for life. The deluded
will be forgiven; the weak and erring will
.be-told to - sinno more, while those Who
betrayed them and 'sought to give over a
continent to bloody' anarchy, will drink
the cup of justice, and live and drink its
embittered draught through weary, aim
less, hopeless life. The few who could
not live, will hasten to foreign lands,—
self-bani -hell, self-expatriated. Marked
and shaned by all the world. they will be
without honor, without home, without
country. and still denied the refuge of the
grave,unleis as suicides.
Of those who remain, to whom a merci
ful government has granted life, let no
one dream that justice in its most terrible
form will 'not follow them. Vengeance
will not blot the history of our regenera
ted Nationality : but stern, relentless jus
tice will pursue its even course and end
its inexorable mission only with their
death. Lee 'and Johnston and Beaure
gard and thef t lesser comrades have life ;
but no ".mawkish sentimentality" has
given theta mercy. They are strangers
to their country and its institutions;—
They are aliens to their own bottles mid
preperty. They are ineligible to the
honors .of State or Nation. Their own
boudnien have become-more than their
peers. Thus smitten in fortunes, in pride,
in honor and in citizenship, they are doom
ed to live in pitiless scorn, to teach man
kind how fearful,is the retribution of a
ma - gnanituous and mighty Nation. Inca
pable of good and impotent for evil, it
will be theirs to live and witness the
growing power and measureless blessings •
of a disenthralled Republic, hastened to
its stainless perfection of Freedom by the
madness of their crimes. Such will be the
inflexible course of justice. It will make
no martyrs. It will bring no stain of ven
geance. It will leave no sympathy for
treason. It will estrange mine from fidel
ity. ft will break not the bruised reed;
but it will gatherin toile folds of our proud.
irlleritance all who, misled by the perfidy
and ambition_of others, have - learned the
sad lesson of treason and now give sincere
ant cordial support to the best of civil
governments. •
The stain of the assassin, whether by
act. by counsel, or otherwise, should be the
mark ef:deatli, The world should be too
small to shelter the murderers of a chief
ruler. It is a crime . against the laws of
God. the laws of Nations, and the laws of
War. It has kichhing to plead in extenu
ation of it. `The code of belligerents pro :
flounces it accursed, and there .can be but
one atonement to a bereaved people and
to mankind. • This penalty treason must
pay—it is the author of the atrocious deed.
Thus fand no farther would we crimson
the brit morn of Peace. We would let
justieello.w those who have been clothed
- With potver to bettuy. States and make
people their own and their country's foes.
We would have the retributive arm of the
government teach them that inordinate
ambition for power has made them power
less, citizenless, homeless and friendless—
disinherited in a great Nation's patrimony,
and left as blotted monuments to prove
how basely men may live—how ignobly
die. This is the just measure of the Na
'tion's retribution. It will give peace and
brotherhood to the faithful, whether they
have been unfaltering friends or erring
ifoes. It will so deal justice, inflexible and
and ceaseless in its terrible mission, that
treason and traiterS will .die dishonored ;
and. the Republic of the Western World
'will go onward in mlfilment of its destiny
for generations to come, as the established
citadel of Freedom, regenerated and sus
tained by an enlightened and noble peo
ple, and blessed and protected by a just
and:beneficent *God.
'EXIT MOSBY.
- Johu S. Mosby, who boasted the title
of confederate Colonel when convenient,
and made all free-booters ape past res
pectable by his robberies of all classes and
cadltions of men and things, has faded
out as a brigand chief and employed his
heels to save his neck. For two years past
he has been the pest of the border. He
has committed more robberies, vacated
more ,hen-roosts, emptied more stables and
charged upon more larders than any oth
er guerrilla commander in this war. If,
as Gov. Brovvnlow suggested, every stable
door should have been draped in mourn
ing when Morgan was killed, the exit of
Mosby for more genial climes should be
signalized by an effusion of dupe that
would soften the shrill song of the early
rooster, and make Virginia stables hide
ous with the habilaments of woe.
Mosby has been emphatically an insti
tution on the border. One day he would
sweep into Fairfax and capture a Briga
dier and d score of fresh horses. Another
he would whirl across Gen. Meade's com
munications, capture a train, steal what he
;anted from the cars and pockets of the
luckless persong on board, and end the
scene by a bon-fire. Nest lie would swoop
arm - trill the chain bridge in the very_ orti
fieations of Washington to capture some
one for one for whom, he had m military
attachmeut, and battalioni would hurry
after him in vain. Once in a while he
amused himself by stopping trains on the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, especially
when Pay Masters happened to be on
board. and pocket one or two hundred
thousand of greenbacks to reward him for
his trouble; and woe to the hapless com
mand that guarded important trains to
Winchester when he was about. He would
await a favorable opportunity and between
liberal appropriations to himself and men
and the torch, the destruction would be
c.otuplete. Sometimes. he would amuse
himself by'hanging a score or so of cap
tured Union soldiers foe some imaginary
offense of our commanders, and he would
formally communicate his intentions to our
officers by placards on the swinging bo
dies of his victims. - Occasionally* would
play_ the magnanimous,• and was the
mildest mannered man that ever scuttled
ship or cut a throat. • His haunts by day
were invisible and beyond comprehension.
He would sally out at night with from three
to five hundred men, and by early dawn
his well trained thieves would be the
meekest of farmers or laborers in pursu
ance of their daily vocations at their
homes, and their leader would be secreted
in some fastness. ~
Thus for more than two years this guer-
illjt• /Franklin Bepositorg, thambersbuts, Pa:
rilla robbery and murder have been prac
tised Within a few miles of the border of
Pennsylvania. But if "the mills of the
gods :grind slowly, they grind exceeding
- fine," and the day has come at last when
the petted and honored guerrilla must fly
even from the places which ever affor
ded him a welcome refuge. By thesur
render of Lee and the flight of Davis andl :
his companions in crime, the war was
practically ended, and border robbery
ceased4to be protected by the flimsy pre4-- -
text of a rebel commission , and the conces:-
sion of belligerent rights. The: soldier
and hero of yesterday became a thief and
outlaw to-day, and the same perfidious
wretches:who were his alders and abettors
before became hounds upon his track.' l --
They_wanted safety for themselves, and
more than all wanted the price ttat was,
-upon his guilty head. He thereu
came friendless. .His own trained thieves
became forgetful of the old adage that
their must be honor in their profession..
There was none to trust—none to sticcor ;
and the guerrillasummoned his stragglers
for his fianl command. It was not to
capture some eorrell, demolished a hen
roost, rob women and children on a train,
or hang a few Of his prisoners by way of
a morning's amusement. It was to say
farewell—lto say that he was about to
leave his country for his country's good,
and bid , them lookout for their own necks
and escape justice 'if possible. He deliv
ered his final order—hts command dispers
ed, and the redoubtable, robber Alpsb2,-
lOft for parts unknown.
- The follpwiug is his farewell address
his thieving companions : _
FANUIER, Arni 21., 1865.
Soil - outs—l have summoned you together for
the last time. The vision we have cherished for
a free and independent country bus vanished, and
that country is now the spoil of a conquefor. I
disband your organization in preference to surren
dering to our enemies. lUM no longer your com
mander. After an association of more than two
eventful }eats I part from you with a just pride
in the fame of your achievements and grateful
tecollectillllß of your generous kindness to myself;
and now at this moment of bidding you a final
adieu accept the assurance of iny unchanging con
fidence and regard. Farewell.
J. S Mosul - , Col. core. battalion.
,MONNMENT TO MR. LINCOLN
We have received the proceedings of.a
public meeting held at Springfield. Ills,
the home of President Linimln. on the 25th
ult., for the purpose of organizing the
Lincoln National Monument Association.
Gov. Richard J. Oglesby was made Presi
dent; Hon. Jtimesql. Everidgt> (State
Treasurer), was appointed Treasurer, and
Hon. Sharon Tyndale jiiedetary l of State)
was selected as' Secretary. J,ln olject
of the Association is to erect at` once a
suitable National Monument over the mor
tal remains bf the martyred President, and
contributions are solicited from all bnli
viduals;- associations, churches, and mili
tary organizations without delay. The
resolutions adopted request that all of
ficers and soldiers and marines in the
Ar
my and navy the councils of the loyal
league ; the various boards of trade and
chambers of commerce; the lodges of-ma
sons and odd fellows: all literary. rellg
ous and benevolent associations: all
churches of the various di nominations. and
all individuals, without regard to sex,
condition, class or color, make contribu
tions to this sacred cause according to the
means with which they are °blessed. (lur
ing the second week of May—the present
week. or ars.soott thereafter as they may,
be able to - do so. It is designed to have
the monument as spontaneous as possible,
and the particular week is suggested sm
that' there may be unity of action,on the
subject wherever there are loyal hearts
to respond to the call All National Banks
and Post Masters are authorized to act as;
agents and receive the contributions of
individuals and association 3: Every Post
Master throughout the laud should can t
the attention of the people to this latda
ble enterpfise, and receive the offerings
of a grateful people to the memory of their
slait ruler, however large or small they
may be. °
-We trust that Franklin county will
promptly and generously respond to this
call. We know that our people - need but
be reminded that the work has been un
dertaken by competent and faithful men
at the home of Mr. Lincoln, to insure their
cordial co-operation in the erection' of a
National Monument that shall be worthy
-Of The fame and affJetion of a rescued and
grateful nation. Let our churches, with
one accord, contribute on Sunday next ;
let our lodges and associations of,all kinds
give freely of that which they have. and
iletindividuals, whether opulent , or lowly,
give their much or little as they have been
blessed under our freeriustitutious - ,
convenient to National Rinks, deposite
the sums there-if not, pay to the nearest
Post Master, whci will remit to Him. James
Everidge, Springfield, 111. The circu
lar, ri;fering to the plans of the Monument
Association says, that -"most beautiful
"grounds, already adorned by nature and
embellished by art, near-the centre of the
city of Springfield, have been selected for
his filial resting place." Let the 'Nation
that was guided through the fearful peril
of the past four years to enduring PefiCe
and Unstained Freedom by. his wise aird
unfaltering fidelity, make the Monument
of its noblest Martyr dud Benefactor wor
thy. of the most enlightened and patriotic
people of the earth.
S'pirit, speaking of the proposition
to indict the free•hooters 31'Cansland,
Gilmore and others and demand their ren
dition for trial in the civil courts, says:
"The'District Attorney of Frankhu county will
be'guilty - of no such superlative folly. We are
acquainted with that official, as well as with Rome
of his ancestors, and feel satisfied that there hasn't
been a fool in the family for more than a half
century. If the wretches Early, Gihnore Mc-
Causland,-Smith and others, can be brought to
book for their crimes against our people, it must
be done by and through the national authority.—
County courts are not the proper tribunals to
punish such offenders."
We presume that the Spirit speaks au
thoritatively as the recognized organ of
the District' Attorney, who is also the
chairman of the Democratic county com
mittee; but if thti bombastic announce
ment was authorized that officer may
learn to regret it. Whether McCausland
and his subordinate vandals are belliger
ents in the sense that would shield them
in the criminal coarts of Pennsylvania, is
a question that the court, and not the Dis-
trict Attorney, may assUme_to determine;
and it is not improbable that the court
may differ with the official prosecutor of
the county and instract him to send bills
to the grand jurt against the men who
stand confessedly guilty of the gravest
crimes alike against the laws of the State
and the laws of war.
If there can - be no punishment for the
atrocities committed by ll'Causland and
his command: then we should abolish our
courts of justice.. When •and how Penn
sylvaxda acknowledged them - as belliger
ents so that arson, high-way robbery and
murder committed by them upon unoffen
ding citizens, cannot be regarded as an of
fence- against the peace .and dignity of
-the Commonwealth. and be punished as
such, we are at a loss to know and until
the question is judicially determined—
not by the flash bombast of the article We
quote from the Spirit, but by the proper
legal tribunals,- the people will feel that
it is at least Worthy of the consideration
of our courts.
It may ,be possible, as stated. by the
Spirit, that " there hasn't been a fool in
the family" of the District Attorney "for
more than half a century ;" but if it is au
thority as to his actions in this case, the
.friends would do well tt , remember that
even after fifty " years ot failure," there
may be a - notable eceptiem to the rule.
WE notice that one Jubal A. Early, late
a general in the rebel'army, is now an in
valid in Lynchburg, under the protection
of the old flag. He is the chief vandal
who ordered the burning of Chambers
burg. His written order was exhibited
by Gilmore when he directed the court
house and other buildings to be fired: As,
Early never' Enjoyed the luxury of seeing
the fruits of his order, we entreat the au
thorities to give him transportation to
Cliambersburg, so that he may stee how
well his order was obeyed. Wq assure
Get Early that he will be warmly - gree
ted. If he desires it let him brig with
hint the entire remnant of his army left
by Phil. Sheridan=one orderly and one
'ovate, 'and he shall have a public review
of his forcesin the main street of our town: '
It is now free from the thromrof busineis,
and Early can have room for the evolu
tions of his proud battalions. And while
looking after Early in ;Lynchburg, we beg
the authorities to furnish the,beople of.
Chambersburg. if possible, vitit elist:of
the contributors to the beautiful sword
presented to the free-booter M'qausland'
by certain citizens of that place, as a tes - -
timonlid for-the burning 'and sacking of
our town.. ;We should like, to have the
list for pres`rvatiou in our archives. By
all means let Early come alone, and, let us
have the list !
" Ir I said the horse win; sixteen feet
high, I stand to it," said a .jockey more
dogmatical than wise. and the Editor ',of
the Somerset Democrat, having declared
the war " but four years of 'failure"lbefore
the last election, stands to it in the face of
the surrender of the rebel armies and the
dispersion of the rebel rulers: We admire
pluck, and commend the Democrat for
standing to its sentiments, It wanted the
war to fail—insisted that it had failed, and
it is resolved that it must fail. What a
solace such a journal would be to Jeff.
Davis if he could find one in his flight frem
the retribution his crimes have invited.
He would bless the Democrat, though he
should curse all the rest of mankind. Send
him a copy by Way of Col. Baker's detec
tives''
Here is the liototrat's last consolation
.-„
to the shadoW that is left. of treason :
" Heathen Scull affects surprise ut our declara
tion that the war:has failed to accomplish that for
which it-was professedly prosecuted, namely, the
restoration of the Union. We reaffirm the pro:
position. The war is now confessedly atan end,
and yet there are more States out of the Union
than there were when Fort Sumter was fired upon.
Did the war then restore -the Union 1 Did the
war repeal the ordinances of secession I Did it
send Representatives to the Federal Congress
Did the war add to the Union sentiment at the
South 1 Is there better feeling between the North
and South after than before the war 1 Will it be
an easier task to settle our difficulties now than it
would have beetibefore the war`? If these ques
tions admit of of irmativef answers then we ac
knowledge that the war has been a success."
TriF. only indication we have seen that
therelis anyavant of cordial support of the
administration President Johnson, is the
meeting held at Harrisburg recently to
declare that the administration should be
sustained—just what everybody believes
—and appeititing an immense committee
togo to Washington,and tell the President
what nobody pretends to dispute. Gen.
Cameron Was the chairman, and Thaddeus
Stevens and a score or more others were
sent in fulfilment of the mission. They
called upon the President, told hint their
business. received his thanks as a matter
of course. and then returned home. They
should next call - mee'fing \ and resolve
that they heartily approve of (.4rant':4
threshing administered to the rebel army
in Virginia, and while their hands are in
they might just as well resolve that they
approve the laws of glivitation and Mean
to sustain the present arrangement of the
spheres.
'l'llE President has, by a general order,
released all political prisoners, including .
those who - had been tried and sentenced•
to imprisonment during the war. Over
150 were discharged from Fort WHenry
in one day, on taking the oath of allegi
ance. The President regards the War as
ended, add with it endS _all arbitrary ar
rests and summary punishment, excepting
in the cases of those implicated directly,or
remotely in the murder of President Lin
coln. It is evidently trio purpose of Pres
ident'Jnlmson to give all a chance to be
loyal citizens, and he will doubtless punish
promptly and relentlessly all who violate
the law or the peace of any section of the
Union
Gov. °taunt went to Washington on Friday
last to arrange with the - War Department for the
mustering out of the Pennsylvania troops about to
be discharged. The Pa. regiments in Sherman's
army, it is now understood, will'be brought to
Harrisburg, where they will be Mustered out and
paid. The object of the Governor is to prevent
the delay and embarassment which have hereto.
fore attended the mustering out and payment of
large bodies of troops at that post, rind make a r
rangements by which thb men will be able to
reach their'homes in different parts Of the State
with the'least possible-delay. I •
A Lo:NnOx_Paper, The Morning Advertiser, has
a'report that the Shaperor Napoleon; on receiv
ing the news of the fall of Richmond, offered to
England to conclude a treaty for the nnituarde
fence of Canada and Male° against the United
States. The reporf - iinot reconcilable With the
assurances of friendship recently given by Mr..
Rouheriu the name of the Government 'to the
Legislative Body. This alone would, of course,
be nwargument against the correctness of the re
port, which, however, for other more important
reason!, is not probable. The feeling in the Gov
ernmental circles of Paris, if we may- judge from
the recent attitude of the Legislat;ve Body during
the delivery of a speech by.3lr.'Pelletau on our
successes. is most hostile to ihe Government, the
people, and the United States ; hut the French
Government.will be cautious to'avoid any acts of
open hostility.
WE are pained to record the death of James
Lesley, Jr., Esq. He died at Nice, France. on
the 15th ult. He was a son of i nt'. Lesley,N
the Cashier of the Pauli Chhmbereburg, an
(eaves a widow who is the danOter of 'the late
Judge Thompson of 'this place. Mr. Lesley was
for a number of years a merchant in Philadelphia.
and contributed to many of the leading. journals
of the State. He was - for nearly, two y-ehrS the
Philadelphia correspondent (Jacques) bf the .11r.
FOSITORY, and was informally connected with
the editorial staff of the Press. He was a bril
liant w&r, a mo - 4, accomplished scholar, and a
genial friend. and his death will be widely lamented,
THE State of Maryland has appropriated $7:-
000 as the proportion of that State toward the
erection of a National Cemetery onAntiettim,bat- .
tie-field, and the Maryland Trustees have already
purchased a lot of ten acres, for the purpose. It
is near the village of Shurpsburg and embraces
tbe,ground used by Gen. Leehis w signal station.
It is proposed to inter all those who fell in that
battle—loyalists and rebels occupying different
parts or the-cemeter3. We are glad to see this
humane me, sure adopts d. It is not creditable to
Pennsylvania • that the rebel dead of Gettysburg
have hbt been gathered to some!, resting place,
howover humble.
Ou country exchanges, with Out exception,
,speak of the Prospects: of the coining crops as re
markably flattering. ‘Vheaf and rye pronlise
most abundant yield, and the season has been 'fa
vorable for nuts and corn. So far we have heard
fl:w complaints that thii fruit Has been injured
by fr'o4. The prospect in that the crop of fruit
Will be a full one.
Gov. GUIITIN has issued his'proelatnation fix
ing the Ist of June—the same designated by the
President--for "humiliation and mourning for the
death by assassination of our Bite beloved Pres
ident, Abraham-Lincoln, and for Mimi:ding 'our
twice& before Almighty God, in order that the be
reavement may be sandtified to the nation."
Ttl. Chicago Convention, it will be reineiu
bered, dca not adjourn sine. die. It was said that
its services might lie required again. Would it
hot be a good idea to call it together now fin• the
purpose of re-considering its declaration that the
war to put down rebellion had proved afaiture
STERETT & ARA; long . Editors of the Erie
Ga:ette, have .retired and E. S. Clark, E 4 sue
ce,eds them. The Ga:ettc is one of the oldest and
most influential journals in the State, and it will
he well sustained by its neW
THE Arkansas Legislature has finally got a
quorum. The Constitutional. Amendment was
passed unanimously. The House is busy about a
bill disfranehing all who hold positions in the Re
bel army. . ,
WE have been compelled to postpone for two
weeks past an interesting artier,. on thaprogress
and triumphs of the war bY Rev. Mr. Conrad,
contributed to the Gettysburg Review.
TEXAS has a hard time of it.. Settled by all
the old rascals of the States forty - years ago, she
is to be the receptacle of all the new ones of the
present time.
WE have now five territories -Waiting to
be States. They are : Wyotniitg,Ahzona, Col
orado, Utah. and Washington,
WE are indebted - to Mr. Sinull, 4:;1 the Rouse
for eopie,4 of the general lawsof.the last session
WASHINGTON
The Great Cotripirney—The Chief Assas
sins—The part Assigned to Different
Aetors—Nrunerons Arre_sts a d e—The
Trial, about to Commence—ten-Mher
man. -
•
Correspoteleneß of the Freeklin Repository
WA , FIINGTON C/TT, May .ita, 1565.
The proclamation' issued by President John
son on the 2nd inst., offering reWards for the op.
prehension of leading rebels. indicates the extent
of the plot, yet its meal magnitude and ramifica
tion must remain a sealed book until the trial is
over, and the veil lifted, which now covers the
Many facts already elicitt:d by the officers engag
ed in the investigation. The public have no idea
of the extent of this plot, or I how - far it has al
ready been proved by the afitholjties. What has
been published gives but it faint outline of it. The
public know that the chief actor, John Wilkes
Booth, was tracked,hunted down and died a mis
erable death. But what of these 'still living, who
have been arrested as directly or indirectly im
plicated and are huitibero by hundreds? They
embrace all classes, rich and poor—men and wo
men. Some with beads silvered over with age—
others are youths. There are DoctOrs, Mechan
ics, Actors, Dtmjiies, All the principle ac
tors of the murder, the men I.Nho performed their
allotted portion of the work on the night of April
.14; have been arrested, except John li. Surratt.
The testimony" already obtained is so deep and
damnable against twenty-three of the numbef,
that they cannot possibly escape the penalty of
death.
Paine, or as s.oine call biro Wood, was arrested
at the house of the tub' mniderer, Mrs. Surratt,
in tl;is city. He has beelLidelltiiied as the twos
sM of the Sewards. The proof is positive.
Itzerot, or as lie is called "Port Tobacco,"
was arrested at his uncle's, in Montgethery coun
ty, Md. He was to murder Vice President John
son, having taken a room at the Kirkwood House
near hii. From some cause or other he failed,
and'in his haste to .get away left, concealed be
tween the umttrasses of his bed it large'bowie
knife and a Colt's resolver, Ile aLo left. a coat
belonging to Booth, in , the pocketii of which were
found a map of Maryland, three boxes of cart
ridges, a spur, and a handkerchief with the name
of Booth's mother marked on it. He is believed
to have made a full confession. The iiroof analog
him is positive.
Harrold was Booth's principal assistant through
out; was with him to render assistance on the
night of the murder; fled with him, and never left
him until the barn wits surronaded in which they
- were concealed. Then his courage gave way
and he deserted Booth, amid curses for his cow
ardice, He is implicated in every - way , and has,
it is believed, made a detailed• confession,
Mrs.Surratt should be calle4 the mother of the
plot. She is a large, masculine, self-possessed
woman, with a mind :as stubborn as a mule on
whatever whim she enters. There is probably
no woman that • hns ever lid in this•part of the
country, nut excepting Belle Boyd and- Mrs.
Gr.euhough, who done more service for the re
bels than Mrs. Surratt. Sho has a fine houPe iu
this city, with several accomplished daughters to
grace it; but like the mother, on account of their
extreme disloyalty, are a - curse to the loyal men
of the neighborhood where they live. It is now
known, thatior a long time the hotwi of Mrs.
Surrntt has!been the meeting place,of the assas
sins. In it the detail's for the accomplishment of
the murder and the escape of the perpetrators
_
were arrangtd. • - - •
Mrs. Surratt has also a tavern or country re
sort at Surrattsville, some ten miles.south of this
city. This tavern is kept by a man named John
Lloyd. All through the war this betel has been
the receiving and tstributing Post' Office for the
I tf
great mail flying 1 o Mrs.
Surratt was managing gent, and well she has
done her Work. Lloyd 'as the Postmaster. .
Several weeks ago young Surratt took to this
tavern two carbines in good order and gave them
to Lloyd for safe keeping and to have them beady
when called for. On the day of the murder Mrs.
Surratt went down and informed Lloyd to haVe
everything ready for the two men who.would
call there that Matt, to 'give the carbines, and
the hest the house afforded. About Midnight the •
two—Booth and Harrold stoppedA the hotel—
got refreshments and took away one of the guns.
Four days aftei the murder this detectives had
tracked Booth and Harrold to this hotel. Lloyd
denied positiielY any knowledge of them. He
Was howeVer arrested, and three days after made
a full confession. His neck hr surely in danger:
Dr. Mudd, who is also under arrest, denies all
knowledge of them, yet he•coneealed them in his
house, set the broken bone, received $25 for it,
and furnished a pair of crutches. BOoth coidd
not put on the boot taken from the broken leg and
it had to be left. In the search through Mudd's
house it was found, with the name of John Wilkes
Booth written in it. That hoot will certainly
cost Dr. Mudd's neck.
. _
Sam. Coxe; a rich man I and' noted - rebel, con
cealed the parties four days. Ho denied all'
knowledge of their presence, yet his negro testi
fied that he kept them thre and fed them im the
best that could be .obtained. The statement of
the negro will certainly cost Saw. Cost his
Two other 'families living in the same- neigh
borhood, named Wilson and Adams, also exten
ded shelter and aid to a passage "across the Po
tomac. They also will have a filir chance to test
the quality of hemp, as the proof is positive.
The carpenter of the Theatre w ill have to an
swer the littlepeep hole made in the door en
tering the private box in-which Mr. Lincoln was
assas.inated. Also for the the bar, and notch to
place , bar, so as to secure. Booth's rear while in
the box. The proof against the carpenter is suf
ficient to bi•t on his neck receiving a stretching.
The scene shifter at Ford's Theatre will have
to explain the reason of a clear passage from the
stage to the rear—when on all necasionS this pas
-
sage IN ay is more or less closed up with scenes
not in use, that it is almost impossible. -
Within twenty minutes after the murder, twert
ty-one telegraph wires were severed in different
directions round the eity. They are so distant
apart that there must have been a man for each
wire. That many are now under arrest for the
act and some of them will have a bard time
their wind-pipes from the hang/lea's cord.;
McGlaughlin and Arnold, alias "Sam," Who
Were deeply implictfted in arranging plansbefore
hand. when It came near the time for action ran
off. Their running oft and having no hand in
the affair on the night of the 14th does not show
that they will escape hanging
• The trial ii believed to be set down for corn
mem:rumor early next week.
Mbst of the armies of the Potomac and .4..lher
manare on the march for this city, where there
grand review and then most of them
will Ire discharged. The review cannot take
placalnuch liefore let June. The reg lay army,
veteran reseryes and the colored troops and_:all
the cavalry will for the . present he retained,
The head quarters of Gen. Sherman will be
established at Alexandria. - The General will ar
ri; e in a few days. •
It is believed tliai Jeff. Davis cannot possibly
e.enpe ihrptizh the cavalry new scouring in every
directien to capture him.
The secesh women of Alexandria and this city
are considerably agitated in fear that President
Johnson will tighten the reins on them, requiring
an flail] of allegiance before marriage. s.
FROM THE OIL REGION
Oil City—lts Location—lts Mote—Laylo•
nia—The Imperial 011 Hotel
—Sale
of Lots—ltS Developments and Pros
peets—TheSterling Company—Business
in the Oil Regions,
Corre , pottleiii:or of the Franklin Repository.
'Oil city is located at the junction of Oil Creek
with the . Allegheny River. It, dates Its origin
since 'the oil excitement began, and is growing
with wonderful rapidity. Laytonia, on -.the op
imsite sided the river, may be regarded as a par
thin of the city, and most of the increase must of
necessity be on that side of the- river, as there is
little ground in the city proper available for
building pnrpos. Oil Creek is navigable most
of the year, fir barges carrying 100 barrels of
oil. for a s distance of some 20 miles from its
mouth. The barges float down the stream with ,
the current, and are forced back by horses, who
wade in the edges of the Creek. The-Oil is re
shipped at Oil City into steamboats for Pittsburg,
dt , to Ney York, via the Atlantic and Great Wes
tern Railroad. When the,thl Crek Railroad is
completed from Shaffer's farm, its present ter
milieus, to Oil City, a distance of 12 miles, - the
oil will not accumulate or oil Creek in conse
quence 9f low water in the. summer, or by freez
ing, as was the cause last winter for so long a
period, causing great loss and embarrassment to •
Oil operators. - -
The Hotel accommodations at this point, as
well as in this ream generally, are Iniserable,
and entirely inadequate. The House at which
I am stopping ranks among the best in the town,
and yet there ie not a tavern at any - cross-road
in Franklin County, that is not superior to it in
all the requirements necessary to the comfort of
a traVeller. Imagine a bed chamber, with bare
ly" sufficient room for three double beds of the
coarsest quality, without bolsters, and with pil
lows that could be readily pressed into an over
coat. pocket, without a chair in 'the room, a single
wash basin and towel for the use of the six occu
pants—all strangers to each other—of the three
unsightly beds. and you will have a fair daguereo
type of the whole concern. The charges at.this
and other hotels like it in this region would do no
discredit to the Continental. The best hotel I
have seen, outside of the large cities is the Mc-
Henry House at Meadville. It is a little remote
from the centre of the oil region, but still many
travellers make it suit to stay there over.sun
day.
The Penna. Imperial Oil Company own the
Farm over which Latonia is spreading, and are
selling their lots very freely at full prices, a lot
40x115 feet selling at from 700 to 1200 dollars,
according to advantages of location. Meat of the
farm is available for building puipases, and, from
present indications, the whole property will be
cut up in lute and sold during this- year. George
J. Balsley,Esq., the enterprising Superintendent
of the company, has his otrice on this property.
He is drilling seteral wells with every, indication
of striking oil. The Company have also' leased a
large portion of their property on Cherry Run,
where a number of wells are being drilled by the
lessees.' The prospects of the company are most
flattering. Indeed; from a somewhat extended
trip through Venango County, 1 have seen no
company with brighter prospects. Some.months
will be required to develop the property largely,
and the stockholders must have patience sin the
meantime. one but the initiated know the dif.
&•ally and delay attending the boring of oil wells,
the delay in procuring engines, the detention in
their transportion, the breaking of drilling tools,
and the unreliability of operators, taken together
form about as vexatious an enterprise as can well
be conceived.
The Sterling Oil Company are putting down
two wells on their oWn account on their Cherry
Tree Run tract, and several others are about to
be commenced by lessees. A competent and en
ergetic Superintendent will drive the work night
and day. At least 100 wells are going down on
,
Cherry Tree Rlllll, - and manrinore will be under
way soon. But two wells on this ran, one on the
Dempsay farm and the Big Tank Nell, have been
sunk to the proper depth, and they are both en
tirely successful. Others, in different stages of
advancements, foreshadow favorable results, by
the discharges of gas andoil from the second
sand rock. The Sterling well, which at lifetime
i t cathe _ i pto possession of the compatiy yielded
fronilso to 200 bbls daily, was soon afterwards
, droWned by water, in - c,nsequecee of the heaving
out of the tubing, and other machinery of several
neighboring wells. and altefforts to remove the :
volume of water, by the single engine of the Ster
ling has proved unavailing. The parties owning
the other wells move slowly with their repairs,
but they expect to have them fiuished'in 80 days;
when, with their united power; they are sanguine
of being able to remove the water, and reach the
oil os formerly, and there seems-to be no good rea
son why this will not be the case. Another well
is being put down on the same lot; by the owners
of the Sterling well. - .
The preparations for developing territory- lids
season are or the most gigantic scale, and fain-
dreds of new derricks meet your eyes in all direct
lions. Quite a number of new wells have been,
struck within the •Inst few days, and unabated con
fidence in the butidess is expressed by all. .I..at, P.
to the Editors of de Freptklin Repository:
1u a late number of the New York Tribune, the
Editor says in answer to an inquiry in regard to
the death 'peaky, that he." has earnestly Opposed
the infliction of the death -penalty for tWeaty
years." We think it is high time that the public
should be protected from the baneful influence of
this morbid sensibility which deprecates the cap
ital punishment of those guilty of wilful murder.
When assassination is rife in the land, and when,
for hire, men can be found to pehretrate a cold
4looded murder on an unsuspecting victim, we
think the " tender mercies " of these would-be
benefactors of our race "are cruel" in the ex-
BEI2
Capital punishment is p. divine institution, na
much so as marriage, as government, iss the chureh
or as the rainbow in the firmament of the heavens.
We state our position thus boldly, so that it may
attract the attention of the reader'. and we earn
estly invite the attention of all to the.- " reasons
for the faith that is in us." When God created
man be made him upright, and capital punishment.,
was not needed for the regulation of society While
man remained in that condition. But man fell
and the Bible tells the fearful tale of the effects
on society of this apostaey. " Cairf kills his broth
er.' "The earth was filled with violence," till it
became necessary for God to destroy the earth,
which-was defiled with blood, and . man from the
face of the earth. lip to this period of the world's
history no man was permitted or enjoined to in
flict the death penalty on the murderer. To the -
aurvivors of the deluge, and to Noah as their head .
and representative, God gave the injunction
"-Whosoever sheddeth man's blood, by man shall
his blood be shed." Here we have_ in the very
charter tisocial regulation * oi If you will of hu
man government a divine obligation to - inflict the
death penalty on the ahedder of blood. ,The ques
tion- is, does this obligation rest on us at the pres
ent time or has at been abrogated? Please ex
amine the 9th chapter of Genesis, and you will
find e system, or charter, if you please, - for the
government of man as man, not as Jew, or Gen
tile, or any peculiall class of mankind subsequent
ly formed by the Almighty. It is one of the cat
egory of rules which we all observe to this day.
" Be ye fruitful and multiply and replenish the
earth." "The fear of you and the dread of you
shall be upon every beast of the earth," &c.
"Every - moving thing that liveth shallbe meat for
you." We all look at the rainbow as the token,
to this day, that God will no more destroy the
earth o.itti water. But- as conclusive that capi
tal punishment was designed to be perpetual, we
urge that it is based on a reason which ie coax
leusice with time and existence of humanity upon
the earth, viz: man, is the image of God. "In -
the-image of God made he man." As goon then
es man ceases to bear the image, so soon may
we expect capital punishment to be abrogated.
This image is borne by Jew and Gentile, Chris
tian and Infidel, bond and free. Again. Why
did God destroy man from the face of the earth ?
Gen., 6th chapter, 13th verse: " And God laid
veto Noah, the end of all flesh is come before -
me: for the earth is filled with violence - through
them, and, behold, I will destroy them with the
earth." Ali! the earth itself was defiled with in
nocent blood, for up to this time there was no jaw,
or permit, or injunctionfor man to avenge by death
the innocent blood of the victim, and God by one
fell swoop avenged the blood shed -for centuries.
Henceforth society shall be regulated by govern
ment, and government shall be responsible for suf
fering the land to be defiled with innocent blood.
From this divinely imposed obligation government
cannot escape. - Itmay with a mawkish sentimen
tality- call it mercy to let the guilty' go free, but
the just and righteous regulation of heaven will
subsequently be vindicated by his own special
judgments on-the people. Some one will say I
always thought capital punishment belonged to
the Jewish economy and with it had been abol
ished. It is true that the Jews were a peculiar
'people and many of their regulations were theirs
peculiarly and were abolished with the breaking
down of the wall of 'partition which separated
Jew and Gentile, but this was not one of them.
But their laws on this subject throw Much light
on the nature of the obligation resting on society
and the, reasons therefore. SeeNumbers , 3sth
chapter from the 30th to the 34th verse, inclu
sive; the 33d verse says: "So ye shall-not pollute
the land wherein ye are; fort - moon rr DEFILETH
THE LAND ; and the land cannot be cleansed of
the blood that is shed therein, BET By THE
BLOOD OF TIM THAT SHED IT." Any one
that will follow the Bible history of God's deal
ings with this people and also those that possessed
the land before them will find abundant proof
that innocent blood unarenged was afearful source
"of national calamity. In order to meet an oh
jeetion often urged by well meaning people, one
wrill kink at the relation of governments to the
church. The objection is fairly stated as follows.
"We lice under a new dispensation anteapital_
punishments are not enjoined on us mor'F." To
meet this we must note the - fact that all men do
not accept of the new dispensation, i. e. all do not -
become christians, but christianity did not super
cede Human governments. The'church is a di
vine institution to regulate christians and we ad
mit that it is not authorized to inflict the death
penalty in the administration of christian,
The great christian law-giver says "Render mite
Caesar- the things which are Caesar's." And Paul
knowing that he was a " Roman citizen" tippeal
ed to Caesar in regard to rights as a citizen. The
Apostles knew nothing of the modern sentiment,,
that christians'ean be neither a part or parcel of
a human government. Look at Romans 12th
chapter. "For there in no power but of God,
and the powers that be are ordained of God."
- Human government then is as much a divine in
stitution as the church is—each in its own sphete.
Rulers are God's ministers as much us elders or
deacons of a church. Paul says " th 4 bear not
the sword in vain." What is tbn sword but the
symbol of the power to take life 7 But if the ru
ler has not the power to take life hohears the
sword in vain. Again. Rulers are the ministers of
God to christians for good—verse 4th. But he' is
- also " a minister of God to execute wrath upon
the evil doer." A revenger some-will say. Achris
tian should not desire to take vengeance—that
vengeance belongs to God alone. All true. But
God has human agents to do his work and man
is made a revenger or executioner. Human gov
ernments then are of divine appointment and ev
er since Noah, have been under obligation to visit
the death penalty on the wilful murderer: There
fore the death penalty is a divine institution. We
call the attention of the readers to the palpable
absurdity of the position of the Tribune on this
question and that of war. Iy has been from the
first sound on the prosecution of the war. Now
we 'submit that war grows out of- the power of a
government to take life, and the stream-annot
rise higher than the fountain. If there be' one
culprit to execute one executioner may only be
needed, but iftherh be ten thousand criminals, or
• a hundred thousand, then the whole power of the
government ininen may be needed. If there be
no right in government to inflict death forpaur
der or treason. then in the name of commit dense
how can it be inflicted for the support of a prlnei
ple ? or for the infringment of territorial rights?
If a man invade my house and murder my fam
ily, the government has no power or right to pun
ish him capitally ; but if be and a dozen others
trespass on the territorial rights of a community
the government should call an armed
- force to
shoot them down. What *paradox 1- In coaclu
sign), it is a solemn thought that the chiefmagy
tnite of a people; the judges of courts; or theo
ry in the lox, may, by an ill-timed exercise of
mercy and pity to. the offender 'against life and
state authority, be
"treasuring up wrath against
the day of wrath" for the community of stlich
they are the servants.
On, Crry. May 3, leg.;
May 10, 1865.
CAPITAL PUNLSILXMT.