Just thought I would add a note concerning the practice of "Tarring and Feathering". This was a form of mob punishment that pre-dated the formation of the USA, in which burning hot tar was applied to the bare skin of the victim. It usually caused painful blistering and efforts to remove it often made the condition worse. Though the tarring was not usually fatal, it is described by at least one source as being "extremely unpleasant".

After many years of study of the Civil War, it seems very easy to gloss over terms like "tar and feather" without much thought as to the human suffering caused by such an act. Those that have had the misfortune of suffering extensive burns to the skin know the extreme pain that this editor must have experienced, for simply having the audacity to exercise his Constitutional Rights.