The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1861-05-24
Charge OF Judge Huntington to the
Grand Jury.
Her1fLe1nel of The Grand I,lrn

Charge OF Judge Huntington to the
Grand Jury.
Gentlemen Of the Grand Jury:
We meet here on this occasion to perform
our part in the administration Of the GRIM
inal laws of the United States, under cir
cumstances of the most solemn interest
When this Court was in session SIX months
ago, at this Capitol, no country on the
face of the globe presented the spectacle of
so much general prosperity as ours-peace
and happiness reigned throughout our Dor
ders, and from ocean to ocean, from the
great lakes to the Gulf of Mexico, every
where, north, south, east and west, the
great agricultural, mining, manufacturing,
and commercial interests of the country
were in the most fourishing condition. In
the short period of three quarters of a CEN
fury, under the influence of free institutions,
and under the protection and wise admins
tratiOn of the Federal Government, the
United States of America became one of the
first powers of the earth. A few short
months ago our institutions were the admi-
ration and our prosperity the envy of the
world-we were united and happy people.
To-day, we present the humiliatng specta-
Gle of States discovered and beligerent,
and of people of the same lineage, laws,
language and religion, already engaged in
the bloody work of mutual slaughter. / need
not refer in detail to the series of startling
events, following each other in quick sue
cession, which have brought US to this con-
dition. 1t is enough to say, that scarcely
had the result of the Presidential election of
last November been announced by the teIe-
graph, when one of the old thirteen States
of the Union proclaimed her determination
to withdraw from that Union, and assume
the attitude of an Independent power. That
she carried out her purpose and was after
wards joined by several other States, and
that they proceeded to form a separate con-
federacy, are facts familiar to US all. These
acts of secession were generally preceded by
the forcible seizure of the public property
within such States, such as forts, arsenas,
arms, and munitions of war of every descrip-
| ton; vessels engaged in the revenue service
/ of the United States, and even the minis
and custom houses with all their treasures !;
sometimes by the authority of the States,
sometimes by selforganized forces, raised
for such purpose, and sometimes by the
treachery of the Federal officers. The pow
er to enforce the authority of the United
States, within the seeded States, was COM
pletely annihilated, for every officer of the
United STAKES, judicial or otherwise, either
resigned his commission or held it for the
benefit of the seeding States. Up to the
| 18th of March, when the new administration
came into power, no step was taken by the
| Federal Government to resist or even check
this movement, but on the contrary, as sub
sequent developments have proved, it seems
to have received distinct encouragement
and support from those departments Of the
Government which had the most power to
aid or to thwart it.
While the whole country stood aghast at
what had transpired, and each succeeding
day developed some new sign of further dis
solution nothing was done either by Con-
gress or the Executive, to arrest the tide of
revolution, either by Cancellation or the en-
ployment of force. For long time, the
policy of the new administration, if policy
it had, was withheld from the public and
kept among the arcana inlpe7ii of the Wash
ington Cabinet, until the great body of the
people had made up their minds that some
plan would be adopted by which peaceful
adjustment would be secured. Cultivating
a religious veneraton for the Union, they
dreaded an appeal to the sword, and would
have chosen peace at the expense even OF
the Union itself. But almost in the twink
ling of an eye, the aspect of the whole diff
ficulty was changed. and the sound of the
| firs1 hostile gun aimed at Fort Sumter
seemed to reach every ear, and rouse every
have been wiser in the Government to have
abandoned Fort Sumter as military neces-
sity, or as an act of Cancellation toward the
seeding States, is no longer a question of
any Importance, and if it were, we have
nothing to do with it here. We are now
in state of war, and l have referred to
these events in order that you may the
more clearly comprehend the true nature of
certain political offences to which l shall
presently call your attention.
We who live under the Constitution of
the United States owe 1t not only allegiance,
but we are bound to defend it, if need be,
with our lives. 1t is impossible to realize
the appalling proportions of the impending
struggled struggle between sections-each
section united and maddened to the heigh-
est point of frenzy, each with colossal forces
in the field eager for the strife. And what
has brought upon this, the fairest land un-
der the sun-the best government known
to the civilized world, and the most pros
porous and happy people on the globes sur
face-this most terrible and unnatu-
raj contest? Alas will not the fu-
ture historian be puzzled to discov-
| er any adequate cause for it? But
leave these questions for another tribunal.
Our government is in a state of war with
certain disaffected States, which have form
ed and put in operation another and indie
pendent government, under the name Of
| " The Confederate States of America" 1t
is by no means strange that there should be
some persons among US who are opposed to
this war, and whose sympathies, growing
out of ties of blood and BIRTH should be
with the Confederate States, and ] would
say to this class of persons, that if they can
not cordially support the government, they
should avoid saying or doing anything cal
cuIated to invite popular resentment, for in
such cases, we know, from many examples,
both North and South, that the most inno-
cent people have been subjected to insult
and frequently to violence. To another
class, if any such there be, desire to give
a more serious warning. To levy war
against the United States, or to adhere to
their enemies, giving them aid and com
fort" is treason the highest crime known
to our laws, and punishable with death
This is the constitutional definition, and
you will perceive that however hostile may
be a mans intentions towards the Govern
ment, unless he is guilty of some overt act of
HlsYying war or adhering to the enemies of
$50 TTuifad States Civino then, oil apd