r how bad a man is, he has the
right to be fairly tried; and if he cannot be fairly tried, then
there is anarchy on the bench. So I was opposed to the execution
of these men. I thought it would have been far better to commute
the punishment to imprisonment, and I said so; and I not only said
so, but I wrote a letter to Governor Oglesby, in which I urged the
commutation of the death sentence. In my judgment, a great mistake
was made. I am on the side of mercy, and if I ever make mistakes,
I hope they will all be made on that side. I have not the slightest
sympathy with the feeling of revenge. Neither have I ever admitted,
and I never shall, that every citizen has not the right to give
his opinion on all that may be done by any servant of the people,
by any judge, or by any court, by any officer--however small or
however great. Each man in the United States is a sovereign, and
a king can freely speak his mind.

Words were put in my mouth that I never uttered with regard to the
Anarchists. I never said that they were saints, or that they would
be martyrs. What I said was that they would be regarded as saints
and martyrs by many people if they were executed, and that has
happened which I said would happen. I am, so far as I know, on
the side of the right. I wish, above all things, for the preservation
of human liberty. This Government is the best, and we should not
lose confidence in liberty. Property is of very little value in
comparison with freedom. A civilization that rests on slavery is
utterly worthless. I do not believe in sacrificing all there is
of value in the human heart, or in the human brain, for the
preservation of what is called property, or rather, on account of
the fear that what is called "property" may perish. Property is
in no danger while man is free. It is the freedom of man that
gives value to property. It is the happiness of the human race
that creates what we call value. If we preserve liberty, the spirit
of progress, the conditions of development, property will take care
of itself.

_Question_. The Christian press during the past few months has
been very solicitous as to your health, and has reported you weak
and feeble physically, and not only so, but asserts that there is
a growing disposition on your part to lay down your arms, and even
to join the church.

_Answer_. I do not think the Christian press has been very solicitous
about my _health_. Neither do I think that