Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1864-10-29
THE HARRISBURG TRIALS.


The Patriot and Onion of Oct 26th
contains the plea Of JOHN RANTS, to the
jurisdiction Of the military Commission
before which he is tried. We shall print
this most able and conclusive paper 10 our
next number. IL shows most plain and
imperative provisions Of the Constitution
Of the United States against the jurisdic-
ton oil the Commission over the case, and
also two clear and positive acts of Con-
gress 10 tho same purpose, one passed in
1868 and the other 10 1864,
/ And the wisdom Of The Constitution
and laws in respect to the trial of
citizens by the Court, is open to no
question or doubt, and is indispensable 10
justice aud the public peace. To be just
aod 10 satisfy free people trials must be
pu5l'c, must be by jury, must be in the
district Of The alledgsd offence, before la,o
JUICE trained TO judicial Investigations
and responsible 10 public and professional
opinion, and under all the other guarau u
ties established by British and American
law. This is the most precious principle
OF liberty, consecratcd by the labors and
efforts Of atriots from the time of Nag"a
CAdrta to this day, and it is not to be
tamely surrendered, mi uch less tramp led
down under the armed heel Of power.
A military Commission for citizens &C.
cused of conspiracy or sedtiou! And
how appointed And how held I And
under what. securities against injustice,
whether arising from inco' petency or
passion ! These are questions which 60
to the very found alton of this unusual
and por,entious jurisdiction, and they
mus. be answered before the acquiescenco
Of freemen can be expected,
The Commission is selected by some
General or military official, not directly
responsible to the people; there is no
right of peremptory challenge for the
accused the trial may be remote from
his residence and witnesses tho proceed.
ings more or less secret; there is no ap-
peal to a competent court for the CORE cion
Of error or wrong in the proceedings; no
rapid oral examination Of witnesses to ex-
pose craft or falsehood no speeches by
counsel; no preliminary examination be.
fore magistrate or judge enabling the
Defendant to know who are the witnesses
against him, and the character OF the evil
dence he is to meet no bail taken for his
appearance enabling him to 60 at large for
a time and prepare fully and fairly for his
trial I; no certainty of legal knowledge and
impar,ality in the tribunal which tries
the ease DO precision aud exactness in
f the charges to be met such as is required
in an indictment in court; no provision for
costs in case of acqnttal, or any legal
certainty as to the qaant,m or character
Of tho punishment iu case of conviction.
Such are some Of the startling aud uu.
answerable objections to citizen triala be-
fore military Commissions or Courts, were
they even permitted by the Constitution
| and authorized by the laws. But they are
plainly jorbioaen by both, and these objec.
tions are mentioned only to show the
wisdom and justice of the prohibition.
We must get back to the Constitution
and laws, aud to the true principle. OF lib
erty and justice, by the election Of Gen
Mcclellan. After that event trials for
Sedilion will DO more be heard Of than
, they were after the defeat of JOHN Adams
, the elder for reelection in 1900. He,
. like Lincoln, was troubled with seoi-
ito US subjects, and for the same reason,
because he sought to bring in arbi-
trary Government upon the people
But bad as was his system, he gave his
, political Fris oners trials in the Courts
, and many were acq uittcd, and the system
r was exposed and broke down. Lincoln
does not trust the Courts. He adroitIy
improves upon the example Of Adams --
lie sends his cases OF sedition to Military
ComnsisSi0nS and The only pity is that he
is compelled to do it not only in contemp,
Y of the Constitution but in Cat violation o
l the laws passed by Republican Congress
r and signed by himself!
Farmers, andhOlders, Attend.