Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-04-26
1'he Trial of Lee and his Officers
ON u Charge of Treason suS

Imo Ir1al OF Lee ana MS OhnCcHs
ON u Charge of Treason SuS-
gested.
Some people suppose that Gen. LEE, by
the terms of his surrender, has secured for
himself and the officers under him security
against trial, conviction and punishment on
charge of treason. The tone and temper
of President JoHNsoN's addresses, and ut
terances of correspondents that obtain pub
licity through the columns of leading Ad-
ministration journals, are not calculated to
Justify this conclusion. No one need be
surprised if Gen. LEE and his officers shall
be arrested, tried, convicted and punished
as traitors. A correspondent of The Ne,o
York Euening Post raises the inquiry wheth-
crit would not be well to call the attention
of the United States District Attorney for
the District in which the battle of Gettys-
burg was fought, that he may act in the
matter, and bring the subject before the Cir
cult Court of the United States for that Dis
trict. Or, perhaps, fair trial might be
had in the District composed partly of the
State of Ohio. And he expresses himself
thus:
"I presume the necessary proofs could
very easily be made in pennsylvania, show
ing Robert E. Lee guilty of the act of dctu-
aliy levying war against the United States
within that district; and so, also, in regard
to any or all of the officers who acted under
the orders of that rebel chief. And the
same remarks apply to each and every one OF
the officers who accompanied the rebel
Morgan in his raid through or into the State
of Ohio.
"I see no good reason why Davis, or Ben
iamin, or Breckenridge, or any other of th'
rebel chiefs, should not be indicted, ant
tried, and convicted, and punished too
quite as well in Pennsylvania or Ohio, Al
in the District of Columbia or any other o
the semi-loyal districts.
''In Swartwout's case a Cranch, 1861 Chic
Justice Marshall, in his opinion, says
speaking of the necessity of trial in the dis
tricts within which the crime was alleged
to have been committed: 1t Is not the in
tention of the court to say that no individ-
ual can be guilty of this crime who has not
appeared in arms against his country. On
the contrary, if war be actually levied, that
is, II a body of men be actually assembled
for the purpose of effecting by force trea-
sonable purpose, all those who perform any
from the scene of action, and who are actu'
ally leagued in the general conspiracy, are
to be considered as traitors
"Then why not indict and try these arch
traitors, in the loyal State of Pennsylvania
or in Ohio? or even in Vermont, since Davis
avowed that the acts of the raiders in thai
State were done under his orders, and a'
acts of war against the United States, ant
not as acts of pillage and trespass agains
individuals.
II hope you will not suffer this subjec
to rest until beginning, at least, shall b.
made, looking toward the punishment o
some of these arch traitors. l think all in
dietment against Davis, Benjamin, Lee ant
a few Others, in the good old loyal common
wealth of Pennsylvania, would be goot
beginning. d. W."
The Euening Post is among the mostprom
inent and discreetly edited Administration
papers in the country; and it is fair to pre-
sumo that it would not have given place il
Its columns to this communication, withou
dissenting from Its suggestions, did it no
favor the policy indicated. We shall expec
to see these views echoed by at least th'
radical portion of the Administration press
1t may be the proper course to pursue tt
end the war, pacify the country and pre-
vent Rebellion in the future, and it may no
ha