Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1865-11-13
Shall naYis he Triad2

We print, in another place, an extract
from leading editorial in the Wash
ington Republican Of the 9th instant
which was telegraphed to the Indiana
polls Jot;rnoI-although it may be re-
garded as sensational. The article in
the Republican charges Chief Justice
Chase with being responsible for the de.
lay that has occurred in bringing JEFF.
Davis to trial and punishment Presi-
dent johnson, it afirms, has made siren
uous efforts to have the rebel President
brought to speedy trial, but that the
Chief Justice has as persistently thrown
objections and obstacles in his way,
thereby thwarting his wishes and pre-
venting the contamination he seeks.
We do not place much confidence in
the Republicans story. There is too
much spite against the Chief Justice
manifested in it to allow us to acceptit
as truth, written more in SORROW than
anger But we regard it as unfortunate
that JEFF. Davis is not brought to trial;
and, if he escapes punishment, shall al
ways look upon the trial and death of
Wirz, his pitiable tool, as a reproach to
American criminal jurisprudence. The
very language of Wirz's Indictment
eliminates others. He was charged and
found guilty Of combining, confedera-
ting and conspiring with Jefferson Davis,
j, A. Seldom, Howell Cobb, John Ell.
Winder, Isaac White, W. s. Winder, w.
Shelby Read, R. R. Stephenson" -and
others whose names are given and
unknown-"maliciously, traitorously and
in violation of the laws of war, to i'm
pair and injure the health and destroy
the lives by subjecting to great suffer-
ing," &C., Union prisope:g. Oar readers,
no doubt, read the indictment in Sat.
urday's JOURNAL. A large amount
of evidence introduced in the tri-
al of Wirz, went to show that he
was not acting in violation of orders, but
that, on the contrary, the more cruel and
atrocious his conduct, the more heartily
was it approved by his superior officers.
Hog Winder was promoted after his
cruelty to prisoners confined in Libby
and on Belle Isle was well known. In
fact, no historical truth is better estab-
ished than that the cruelty practiced
upon Union prisoners was part of a
well matured, devilish plan to disgust
Union soldiers with the war, and for
ever render them incapable of further
service in the army.
We shall regret exceedingly to see
precedent established by our Govern
ment to the effectthat high official posi-
ton gives immunity to crime. Such a
precedent will be laid down if Jefferson
Davis is allowed to go free, without even
the form of trial Already the theory
has been advanced in several quarters
that he cannot be tried, because our
courts and laws are so constituted as TO
be unable to afford him an impartial
trial 1t is alleged that his crimes are
of so notorious a character that every
qualified juror in the land has formed
and expressed an opinion as to his guilt
or innocence, and therefore it would be
impossible to impannel jury. This is
a monstrous theory-that the greater the
crime the less liability of punishment.
Our courts, we think, are not SO utterly
helpless; but, should Davis not be
brought to trial, they would be SO re-
garded by large portion of the peo-
pie, whose veneration of law and JUS
tice, and faith in the power and integ-
rity of our courts, would receive wound
from which they would never fully re-
cover.
We observe that in Indianapolis and
other cities protests against the pardon
or parole of JEFF. Davis without a trial
are being circulated and extensively
signed. These are intended to assn-a
President johnson that the people do
not favor the discharge of Davis, the
responsible author of all the horrors of
all the rebel prisons il which our brave
boys suffered and died. We think such
"a protest should be circulated in our
city and county. We should like to see
it circulated either by those who endured
the torsures of Libby, Belle Isle and
Salisbury, or by the parents of some of
the boys whose lives were sacrificed to
abe internal policy inaHgursted by the