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Rh of a tremendous welcome, and the papers burst forth into pæans of thanksgiving. The miraculous had happened. The arch rebels were caught. The right had been vindicated and everybody was happy.

Not only that, but the national legislature in all-but-unanimous vote declared the capture a splendid achievement. In the heat of a civil war the great legal lights of the country, men like William Evarts and Senator Hale, maintained with vehemence that it was not only justifiable but that any other course would have been degrading. And every editorial writer with hardly an exception swore that he would die in abject poverty fighting all Europe before he would give up the scoundrels.

To this solid body of popular opinion and enthusiasm were added the cold, calculating and deliberately treasonable propaganda and efforts of Vallandigham in the House of Representatives, who worked on the public passion with all his might, in the hope of bringing on war, and so helping the Confederates. Very