Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1865-05-24
Remarkable Article from Republican
Payer.

Brevei Major General.
Remarkable Article from a Republican
PAPER
SECRET COURTS THE TRIAL OF rHE AssAssINs
From the New York Times, NJ. Seward 0rgaI
May llth
llt is very possible the publication Of th,
evidence taken on the trial Of the conspira
tors at Washington might prevent the ar
rest OF some persons implicated IN the
crime Of assassination who are now at large
but their arrest must be Of great inpor
tance indeed, if the fear Of their escaping
is sufficient to justify The profound secre
cy with which it has been determined tc
surround the proceedings. The chief O
Booths accomplices it is fair TO conlude
are those for whose apprehension re-
ward has been offered-Davis, Tucker, San
ders d; Co. and it is not pretended tba
Anything which may transpire at the tria
al Washington, will, in the least degree,
offset the chance of their escape. They
and their friends have certainly been as
much put on their guard by the Presi'
dents proclamation as they are likely 10
be by anything else that can occur.
~ Is uON W SOhIiuuc, NdVs cl'iV'
tbat tho parties who may escape, should
publicity be given to the proceeding" are
''parties" Of AN inferior degree of guilt,
md now within the limits of the United
States, and ifso, we cannot help saying
that it is for various weighty reasons TO be
regretted that their capture should be
deemed either so important or difficult, as
10 be male the pretext or occasion OF in
(ro,iucing iuto our criminal procedure 80
extraordinary an anomaly as trial by a
military commission for carital otfense
with closed doors, and with an
oath of secrecy imposed on all persons
taking part in the proceedings, We
think it would have been infinitely better
TO have postponed the trisi till all pubiici.
.iy could do no harm, even il that period
we're likely to be six months distant, than
introduce into this country SO novel g tri-
bunal, and one so repugDsut TO the sp,r,
of our institutions, as that which is nov
sitting at Washington. II is one for
which no precedent is to be found in the
history OF any free country, aud TO which
The worst European despotisms have rare
~ venture d, even ia Poland or Hungary
10 resort. Even the unhappy victims pi
thb iTlsU ItDelllOu Nclt cN lOA tlf
gallows in open court, and IN the light OF
day.
Moreover, there are strong doubts enter
fained by III affected persons at the
North as the existence OF any good foun-
dation for the charges made sgains. Davit
in the late proclamation. Abcoad, all the
enemies Of the government viii cortainly
receive them with incredu,ity and 'ieris-
ion; and there is no question that under
all the circumstances. it wouId be difficult
to imagine a position more h0miIia,ing
and embarrassing thai that ia which the
government ~ill stand, fit should ap-
pear that those charges were lightly Oh
friyoiolsiy made. Nothing wait prevent,
however, the spread Of sHek presu mp
.tion. except the proiuctioa IN open court
of the evidence on which they were based
and lis s4bslissloa to the scrUtipy of the
prisoners counsel and OF the public at
large. Those who fatter taen, selves that
public opinion, either al igoule or abroad
will be much Influenced 10y version of il
which has been edited and expurgated by
The Judge Advocate, must ba very simple
lpesplo indeed. Nobody will permit HIM
eelf, whatever MS lean.ugs may be, TO at
tach any vsiue TO revelations made under
conditions in whfch every rule of evidenc,
is set at nausht, eud even the experienc,
OF everyday life treated with contempt.
What makes the matter worse is, that
on The very day on which this tribunal
besius its proceedings, the state Of thing
which sioue could justify it i anything
could jes,ifl 1t, had been formally declar.
ed at an end by proclamation, under the
-. II EAun,rA
ers were warned that the war was over a
the very moment that tribunal was AS
semblng, for whose constitution aud pro
cedure nothing but overwhelming and
Imminent danger TO the national existence
would be sufficient warrant. Will they
really believe thai peace has been res,or
cd whea most Strocious crime has to be
tried aud punished by a military cour
sitting in secret in the national capital
and in country in which all secret
things, and above all, secret trials, have al
ways beer held 10 abhorrenceP
Hear the Tribune on the same subject
The Tribune (Gree ly's paper is ever
more severe than the Times. The follow
ing ia an extract from one Of its leaders
IL it any wonder that the managers OF thi'
Military Court found it convenient tt
yield obedience, go far as TO permit tht
proceedings TO be published:
I'VE warn sll who take any voluntary
part in these strange proceedings tha
the rebellion is suppressed, the war at ar
end, and the right TO suspend the privil
ege Of habeas corpus, and make the viii
of Secretary of War the supreme law o.
the land, has expired. If the present
Secretary can not be made to realiz,
these grave truths, IL is high time be lac
a successor and il our Attorney-Gener
believes the assalant OF SecretarySewart
now legally triable before military com
mission he badly needs his own time 70
the completion Of his legal studies, whil
the Government needs q different Law
officer. There may be politer ways of set
ting forth these convictions, but none o
Il ;,al.aa 10