Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1861-08-21
Presentnent.

Il will be seen by the annexed proceedings,
that three daily papers in this city rand one 10
Brooklyn, together with several weeklies, have
been presented by the Grand Jury Of the United
States Circuit Court whereof Charles Gould is
Foreman. We do not complain Of this, but
rather congratulate ourselves and the commu-
nifty, that legal and constitutional course has
been adopted TO determine whether in any thing
we have transcended our rights as public jour.
nalists-instead Of resorting to mob violence,
as has been done in the case Of several journals
elsewhere in defiance OF law, and of the Con-
stitutiou. If the Presentment should lead; 10
an indictment and trial, it will then be seen
whether the allegations OF the Grand Jury can
be sustained by any fair construction OF our
language. or whether the allegations them
selves, II made by an individual not shielded by
his official position, would not afford valid
ground Of action against him in any court OF
Justice. We shall be ready to dispose of them
effsctualy when the proper time comes. We
will only remark now, upon an expression which
the Grand Jury quote apparently as Gaping the
climax OF our offense, viz, "the present nn-
holy war" Although the paragraph in which
this expression occurs, was copied from another
paper, and by mere accident Jailed to be credit
ed to it, we do not see wherein the expression is
30 Objectionable IL will hardly be contended that
the war is holy one, at least on both sides; and
the more just 1t is on one eide, the more uDjust and
wicked it must be on the other. The paragraph
did not attempt to arporton the right and wrong
of the war between the parties. but In general
terms declared il to be an "unhOly war; In
our opinion 1t ID even 30. Indeed, Ii is difficult
to imagine war where greater guilt must ne.
cessayily be incurred on one side or the other,
or on both, than the present one; tory the con-
tending parties were bound to each other by 0
thousand sacred ties, and all these ties they
have broken; they owed each other thousand
obligations, and all these they have discarded.
Their plighted faith to each other they have re-
nounced. Instead Of doing to, each other all
the good they can, they are trying to distress
and destroy each other. Already thousands
have fallen on the field Of battle; and II the war
continues, the number will be increased to tens
of thousands, and then to hundreds Of thou.
sands, including those who will have perished
by disease and exhaustion.a Each of these vic
Tins will represent Q desoated home; each will
have felt In his own person the pangs OF death.
And how many Of them will have been hurried
into eternity uDprepared! Tell US that this is q
holy war7 or that it Is not "an unho1y war7"
No authority short Of the Almighty can con.
vince Us that II is not an unhoiy war. But we
have not said, and we do not believe, that the
guilt OF lis all on one side. We are far from
believing that the North is guiltless In the case,
or that the South les neither hayewe any dis
position, IL we had the power, to measure the
relative proportion Of guilt on each side. Our
opinion is, thai il is sufficient on
both sides to provoke the wrath Of Heaven,
and bring severe and terrible judgments
upon both, unless they repent. When
therefore We ask for peace, we simply ask that
this monstrous wickedDess may cease on both
sides; our appeal Is to the South as well as to
the North. We aek that rational men will
listen TO reason; that Christian men will be
guided'by the principles Of their religion; that
this great disgrace TO republicanism and to civ.
ilization be done away; and that the peaceful
reign of justice, order, law, the Constitution, I
fraternity and Union may be restored. "If this
10 treason, make the most of it.
In answer to an inquiry by Judge Shipman,
whether the Grand Jury now deaired instrue-.
tions on the subject OF their presentment, or
whether they wished to have the Court call the
attention Of their successors to the matter; the
foreman replied that the latter was what they
wished. Accordingly, Judge 6hipmanq an
nounced that at the next session of the Court,
in October, when Judge Nelson would preside,
q copy Of the presentment would be handed to
him for bis consideration. eiig
Great events may occur before 0ctober-but
whatever they are, we shah be found, tas ever
in time past, battling for the best Interests Of
our country, whose Independence most Of our
ancestors Of the Revolutionary period aided In
achieving, and for which one OF them gave his
life. We shall do this, so long us Providence
shall enable 10, even though our only reward
(except the consciousness Of endeavoring TO do
onr duty) 10 misrepresentation geproach, PEI
cuniary loss, personal inconyenience, The alien.
alton Of friends, and other nsmeless and num-
berless lie connected with course Of npAppte-
ciated self-denial for the public good Journal
Of Commerce. tes1s si6sst tsfss71i