The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-05-19
Copperheadism Of the 6 Press -

Copperheadisna Of the Sc Press
The editor of the Press has been read
ing the amendments of 1898 to the Con-
stitution of the United States, and has
learned that the people have some rights
that eYen Secretary STANTON sis bound TO
respect This hypothesis is suggested
from arguments to which we referred yes
terday, against the unauthorized seizure
and destruction of private property IN new
York. and the order for the trial OF, the
assassination conspirators by court mar
sal. which is in direct violation OF the
Constitution. We warn our contemporary
that be is treading on dangerous ground,
and that unless he retraces his steps, he
will sink into the mire Of copperheadism.
At one stride be has placed himself on
our platform,-the constitution and the
)aws--for the supremacy of which we have
always commended. ,aaf'i' t.d .,.I ''9
In regard to the trial Of the conspira-
tors by military Law, the Press ssys: e; +.
BEFORE the Government proposes oaths of
a,leo lance TO the disarmed. rebels, let 1t mani.
fest Its own subordination to the authority OF
the Constitution by laying down its arms
those iron symbols OF military die'a.orsnlR
and by yielding loyal obedience TO the civil
Law - = y The hands of these as
sassins were raised against the majesty Of the
civil law In the person of its official embodi.
ment and by the civil law they should be tried
and punished. To turn the criminals over to
military court is to declare to all the world
either that the civil law was not violated IN the
assassination of the President, or that: is not
strong enough or just enough 70 punish inc ne
Such declarations, expressed or implied, is
a libel upon the American courts and the Am.
erican people. By military process the trial
may be more speedy, and the punishment
more sure but nothing can so detract from
the terrible impressiveness of the lesson 1t Is
meant to teach to evil-dOers, as the humiliat-
ing confession implied in the anomalous forms
of trial, borrowed from code unknown to the
Constitution, that the civil authority Is lncom-
tent to it's own vildication. ',, 'T
No one who is not q fanatical disciple of
the "higher law " will dissent from the
above, but to show that the trial of the
oonspirators by military law is in direct
contravention of the Constitution, we
quote the following paragraph from article
fifth of the amendments Iaa.fs'Eao 49,.
No person shall be held TO answer for a
capital or otherwise infamous crime, unless on
q presentment or indictment of 8 grand jury,
except in cases arising in the land or naval
forces, or in the militia, when in actual service,
in time of war or public danger. brrs,a ,.!3 Go
And article sixth says: ."apos as. ina
In all criminal prosecutions the accused shall
enjoy the right to speedy and public trial, by
an impartial jury of the State and district
wherein the crime shall have been committed,
&C. 80
Now, these alleged conspirators have
not been presented by grand jury; are
not to be tried by a jury; and are not even
allowed public trial before the court
martial. The telegraph informs us that
the commission "sits with closed doors,
but it is believed the Secretary Of War will
send an abstract of the trial to Gen. Dix. y
Was the Constitution ever more. palpably
violated. gay.r.sas III t9"laE- sgr.
It's stated, and we presume correctly,
that when WnLIAM of Orange was assas-
sinated, when HENRY the Fourth was muir
dered, when GEoRaE the Third was shot at
by an assassin, and when NAPOLEON nearly
fell victim to the plot of ORs1NI, the
offenders were tried by the civil tribunals
but in free America scores Of men are
subjected to trial for life before a secret
military tribunal, without the aid of legal
counsel, and that, too, in section of
country where all the machinery of civil
judicature is in full operation! -,..,
Such an invasion Of constitutional rights
should not be allowed to pass without
strong remonstranoe. The people should
be aroused to sense Of the danger which
threatens them from such acts. A series
of precedents like this will eventually con-
stitute law, from which there can be no
appeal. AN the persons arrested may be
guilty and deserving ingnominious death,
but the presumption of the law is that
they are innocent until they are convicted
by due process of law. ..a -
.s.H O.