Council Bluffs bugle. [volume] (Council Bluffs, Iowa) 1860-1868, 1865-07-20
Murder by Asissars coamissios.


Lincoln. we hase repeatedly declared 10
be, in that ease, engaged in an act Of
lawless violence. The authorities 90
/ which we felt iastised iu making that DE-
nuneiatien Of IN offense which claims the
| sanction Of 50 high digniatsry as the
President Of the United States, We hare
| from time to time cited at such length a.
to leave no doabs that the execution Of
/ the. Sentence Of death on any Of the
/ civilians Under trial before those aficesa,.
will canstitate q crime punishable in law
NJ deliberate murder. A repetition Of
i the grounds of-that vrry grave statement
/ ae ne, Il nos make here at leagth Tat
wih eonfns ourselves, in rroof Of the
Jasfice Of cur language, 10 the following
sTas nereFxiiY Of order ard discipline Il the bn~
III tEtng whieh riTF IA uHtpH4Hee sHa Fflsgesnra
II aasRs aat = ~ permitted N ffnes ef peace.
whFu The Eias CsFfts ara open foY aIt persons Il,
TecSiy e4as 'iee ng 10 thr law af fie lsGa -
tPasa y VEL I. Chiitg's Esackston
! The courts charged with authority In
7 qniescenco 10 fbe crime of military co4a.
mission, which Blackstone declares.
ought not to he sfparmIttsd in times II
1 pnaee." And the crime charged by
/ Blackstone Oh military triSunals in times
of peace is well deEned ia the followsug
srxt OF Lord Hale.
m In IS 4iast Magma cbaFta Es.p as} ard is dens
I by Rurh power ard strength ss Ise psrtr csanat
dstrua himself aud heEs the Law iEaplsth ms:ite,"
The exeeation Of the sentence of death
By the Military Commission at Washing
ton is, therefore. says the law, taking
OF life With malice But this Is not left
"a mere Inference. The I7stitute de-
clares ii err rcsslv in these words:
IFS lieutgu4ut, er athpr, bath commission Of
marital authority fH fine GfPerce and hang OF 9th
erwise execute aay nan Va eo}or q martial latr,
this is E+ar3sT Z"
The officers who have sat upon the tri-
al Of the civilians charged with partiei-
patton in the conspiracy TO kill Air. Lin
coin become, on the execution OF their
sentence ef death on any one Of those
civilians, principals IN an act OF murder.
The Judges, whose duty il was, and still
ia. TO prevent ths commission of that
ccssorics before the fact in deliberate
murder.
The taking of The iiTes Of four citizens
of The United States in defiance Of the
, forms and the provisions of law, is no
subj CT for the language Of violence. 4
crime 40 sprious, directed as it il. against
, popular liberty and the rights of The citi-
gen. is one that ought to be dealt With de-
Lucrative ealmness- Four murders are
about to be committed to-day, in the
blessed light OF Heaven, hv c#rtain
number Of officers Of ahe United States
, army with the judiciary es accessories
before the fact! In the name Of the law
Of the land. in the name Of the sancti;y
, OF human life, in the name Of the sacred
sees ef the Leach, IL The nama Of lthE
! highest Office known to The Constitution,
&c protest solemnls against crime sc
, horrible
/. And tha malice which s'the Law impli,
e etl'' in the case, how truly has it beer
: exhibited in the progress of tha s4trial.'
/ Tbe violence of "the Bench" in its In.
. suits and brow beating Of Witnesses and
= counsel fer the defense, has shown 'mal'
: ice" The conspiracy of false swearins
points TO the prompting of an unseen plar
which shows '.malice.n The order tc
t execute the s4scnienea" on the day neg
: foilowiug its App4oVal aud publication
y shows nalice.n And on evidence oil
j: fact, in addition to an Pxprcss impliea.
I tian Of Law, we repeat therefore our de-
a nunciatian Of the execution Of the foui
. | civilians sentenced to death by the mill
4 tary commission, &c BE-, as taking o.
lite with malice, not only in Law but ii
+ fact, murdc-.
/ The public have been deprived delibsF,
: atsly, by the parties to the murders un
j der our consideration, OF all opportunity
= OF their arrest. RcFaonatranee has beet
T sborn, bY eoli-hloodel design, of il
: mower, for By The time il can reacl
Z | Washington from Rll parts Of the coun
: | Try, the Winds on which it will be bourn
q viii whistle through the gihbets of fou
!. dangling corpsea Swift to take life Al
o the criminal in. these murders have show
@ themsrlyes 10 be. let as ask whether, af
= ter the Accomplishment Of their naiieiou
= purpose, no duty will have remained TO;
i the performance of the lovers OF libCrt.
a and Law throughout the land.
The guilt Of the persons about to b
murdered in Washington is not involve,
in the case presented 10 the public b,
2 their execution. If guilty, anil go de
. rlared by jury OF their eouutrymcn, af
!. ter trial before regularly constitute
y court Of law, then, By al meaHs, let then
die the dealh. Bns here VIC End then
r whether guilty or not guilty is Of vcT,
:, little moment to ns1 about 10 be murder
Il ed in the saEetuary of their rights as cit
II fzens. As the malice which has eharac
II tarizei their sttriaI" has determined I.
d destroy its victims. there remains now fo
Il the public but the yindieaiion OF th
D sanciity of hamsn life; and ef the su
o premacy Of The lar. lfmurierers, II thos
. officers who have dared to order the kill
10 ing of Mrs. Surratt and her alleged as
z soaiates, then let them be, hy MI means
!. ioalt With as mnrdcrtrs. If the Judges
who have leaked on in defiance Of thei
duties wh.la the muFdes was being com
i mlssed be accessories before the fact, le
lc them be impeacbcd or tried eFimlnally a
J. accessories IN murder.
Passion does net apply Ia dealing wit
the crimes of the military commission. :
) Those crimfs, whau carried into effscI
: address themselves to every citizen, De
:, tnaniing that be meet them, az an act Q
" sulemn dats. A great principle Of els
], Government, sacred guarantee OF ia
= lisidual safety remain to be asserted ]
y all cases By an example that shall &
. down 10 posserisy as q warning 10 all fu
= y turc tools af arbitrary powsr. For thi
y purpose va propose that an assosiaaio
ba formed, Immediately, Of msu Of >
!. parties who lore Law and orders ths
!, they cosiecs faada, by small ssbseriE
! lions, throughout tbs country, and whe
! the storm oF violencs, wboad iass blood
= ACT We deal With hare, shaIl hare passs
I. away, taka Steps Is the monons of fl
- - reaction, ID TIaes every man guilt.
!. whether - principAi Or aecessosy Ia Il
infanaous moekary which has act TO ds