The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1865-12-13
Mack on Military Commits sions
How a Military Board Would
Try Jefferson Davis. .

~-dOW d military DOafu Woulu
Try Jefferson Davis. ,,,-,,.,,..
From a late letter Of "Nrack" to the Gin
einnati Commercial, we take the following
It may be all very well to work ones pa
teiotism up TO the, point of demanding the
Hood of Jefferson Davis as an atonement
for the wrongs :of the nation, though it is
taking q rather narrow-minded view OF the
contest, and an enlarged one of Jefferson
Davis influence, and paying very bad
compliment to the intelligence and nlorali-
ty Of the American people, to suppose that
the death of any one man, even ofJeferson
Davis, can, to the smallest possible extent,
atone for the wreck and suffering of the
past four years. If blood is wanted, a mil
itary commission is the very thing to draw
IS But if it is desirable to settle q pointof
law, the veriest pettifogging police court in
the land is infinitely superior to the most
grandly imposing array of military talent
that ever sat upon a court-martiai. In the
first place no lawyer worthy the name will
consent to the humiliation Of arguing a case
OF treason before a court in the compost
ton of which, brass buttons take the place
Of brains, and a knowledge of tactics is
laore important than a knowledge OF law. q
Think Of James t. Brady examining a
witness, and Lew. Wallace deciding whether
his questions are pertinent or not. The
General overrules MIR. Brady, and, Mr..
Brady falls back upon asome quaint and
curious volume Of forgotten lore,a to show
that heis not tiansoending the license Of a
counsel for the defence. Its all Greek to
Lew, and he says in effect, ~ don't care
what Mr.. Erskine; or Mr.. Vattell, II or Mr..
Kent may have said. They were very good
men, in their way, and for their time, but |
want you to understand that the prisoners
at the bar took up arms against the best
Government that the sun Of Heaven ever
shone upon, The Union must be preserved,
by the Eternal, and the witness will stand
aside" -
Then Mr.. Brady attempts to show that
there have always been conflicting opinions
among American statesmen as to the right
of secession. Here some gentleman, sur
mounted by eagles on either shoulder, great
in the titular atlix of half the alphabet to
his name, as, for instance, Col. Comdg.
17tfU. s. G. l., and Supt. f. b." jumps
up and enters demurrer, rich in patriot
ism, but poor in law, that there has been an
Atlantic Of blood spilled, and perfect
Himaiaya Of bones piled up, to settle this
accused and hated doctrine of State Rights,
and he turns to; the presiding General to
know if treason is to be spoken defantly
in this Court? Of course not; and Mr.
Brady gets gentle hint if he doesn't keep
shy of the Resolutions Of '98, and other
bad things, he'll be PIT in Old Capitol. q
Pretty soon the defeneepropose to show
that in 1860 and 81 many who are now of
floating as high priests in the Temple of
Loyalty believed in the right of secession;
that Greeley wanted ito tear down. the
Haunting lie; that Mr.. Banks wanted the
Union to take unto itself skates and slide;
that Gen. Scott desired the hayward sisters
TO depart in peace; and that even the divine
Stanton congratulated Mr.. Albert Gallatin
Brown upon the secession Of Mississippi.
Up jumps Captain and A. A. g., holding
the American eagle by the tail, metaphoric-
ally, in one, hand, and humping the counsel
to order with the other, demands to know
if the American flag doesn't float trium-
phant from the rock-ribbed coast of Maine
to the golden shores of California, and
whether this great nation is now to be in
: suited and its gallant defenders sIandered
in this way in a loyal court. Through a
quotation from ,Beadle's Dime Speaker, he
touches the heart of the Court, and Black
stone again gives way to Casey. n
--- Next it is proposed to show that Mr..
Davis was not the leader but the follower
Of the Southern people in the, work of re-
.bellion; that instead Of having volunteered
to be their Moses and lead them out Of alb
clifton bondage, he was Mosesedgby them
into secession and finally into Fortress
Monroe. Gen. Wallace objects that this
is not pertinent. In vulgar parlance, he
doesn't give a d--n whether jeff Davis
led or followed the rebellion. What he
deems proper for the Court to inquire is,
whether this great and glorious Union,
handed down to us by our fathers for our
chldren's children's children. is to be bro
ken up or not. If so, all right; if not, then
let's know it in time.
Mr.. Brady insists that tits an established
maxim that nations cannot be convicted Of
treason, and he proceeds to argue that if
the States were separate soysfelgnties--
"We'll have none of this treason talked
in this Court" cries Commissary of Sub
sistence. ~ 90 sh
:, ''Great God, has it come to this!' ejacu-
hates an Inspector General. I'll !.
q. If ] hear another word about State SOW
ereignty out of your mouth I'll call the cor
poral of guard and have you arrested" vt
tiers the General commanding the Court.
Finally the trial comes to an end. The
Court finds JEFF. a most fit man for the gal
lows, and he is ordered to be hung without
delay. s4i5a4j sii Il 95t 81 fI
vi But where's the settlement of the CUES
ton as to what constitutes the crime OIL
treason? I'm my minds eye, Hotatio."
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