Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1865-06-17
RICHMOND WING.
WIN. IRA SMITH, Proprietor.
SATURDAY MORNING...JUNE II, 1865.
The Trial at Washington.

The Trial at Washington.
In few days we shall know tue result Of the
trial Of the alleged cOnspiratOrs with Booth kr
the assassination Of the late President and his
Secretary Of state. The testimony has all been
taken, and as the arguments are to be in writing
they viii not occupy great deal OF time. The
findings u the court will we suppose, as IS usual
With military courts, remain secret until the Pres
idsnt approves or disapIrOyes them. IL has not
been made clear by the testimony that there was
any necessity for employing an extraordinary
tribu aal for the trial Of the accused. Washing
ton Is By this tine without doubt, a. the Gin
ciDnau Enquirer says "loyar enough; and the
general devotion OF is people TO the Government
Is hardly % be questioned. Il there was any
relson 10 appreheni undue bias Of the popular
nind touching the case in question, the sppre-
hension, a. that Journal continues TO say, would
naturally be upol the eide OF the prisoners, who
are charged with an offence Of the grayest charac-
ser, and which none has ventured even to attempt
10 justify.
We say that it IS not made very clear that JUS
tice has gained much BY this departure from the
rules which have heretofore governed its admin
istration. We have thus far, failed TO detect the
evidence OF any peculiar vigor or ssgacily on the
part Of the prosecuting officer, or any especial
fitness fer Judicial pur-uits on the part OF the
Cour;. An average County or District Attorney
would have been FULLY competent 10 the develop
ment Of al the essential facts bearing upon the
ease and any District Court eq lally so to decide
al points legitimatey arising on the trial. In it.
self considered the case ia not difficult one
81. l.
facts, nor demanding such new applications Of
established principles Of law Ortules Of evidence
Is ale sometimes rendered necessary by impor.
taut revolutions in social or economical Affair."
ana which, now and then, ally the DEGREES Of the
tribunal 10 the gnactmea,s Of the Legislature
and so far as the published proceedings allow US
70 judge we feel constrained to believe that an
ordinary civil Cou-t, acting under the impulson
OF the ordinary obligation Of duty, would have
made full disposal Of the case, by complete de-
yeiopuent OF all the actual evidence, and a IA.
- tional verdict one way or the other, in three or
tour days, or in a week az farthest.
UgOn the question Of the guilt or innocence of
the parties on Trial We have no opinion to pro.
uounte. 10 We hal an opicion it would NOT be
fitting Tor u,-Jhat ia = say, admitting the ap.
pIcability OF civil maXims 10 military facts-t5
express 70. Nor, beyond the desire that they, In
common with all who stand charged with crimes
shall c9Joy the benefit Of the utmost fairness on
the tyial, have We any feelings upon the sub.
Ject Il they are quilts, they should be pom
ished according 10 the provisions Of the law
agains; which they have offended. But they are
entitled as human beings, to fair trial at the
hands OF their lelloW-men He who does auVht.
IN any measure 10 deprive them Of this only doe,
50 because be fears that upon a fair trial, they
cannot be convicted. he seeks for something
different from Justice and is, BY every rule OF
moral conduct, as criminal as they would be
had they committed the act, 10 answer for which
they sre IN bondage. he who through party
hatred, or Official zeal or blind prejudice, hunts
an innocsct man 70 death, is a murderer.
One feature OF the proceeding cannot have
failed to attract the apprehension Of all fair
minded men. We mean the trial Of men who are
not under arrest who are not parties TO the record
aud are not represented in the defense. This Is a
thing which Courts organized upon the civil plan
do not permit and il may Be possible, though
VIC hope d. IS not true that the latitude which
military tribuuals-either through the ignorance
Of their officers Of the rules Of evidence or their
Indifference 70 them-givs to such Investigations.
was the reason Tor the choice Of ore Of that Kind
10 the case under consideration. II this Is true.
It Is not q high compliment paid to the officers
constituting the Commission. Legally, this STYLE
Of floating testimony Is called scandal" Ia
elect Is to disturb and unsette society, andes.
pesialy when It's allowance Is accompsuied by
che use Of paid spies aud professional inforners-
70 create reign Of terror. The Court which
lends itseli to such service becomes an i'm element
OF intense social torture
Whatever else the records Of the Court may
contain, Il will not Dc Jeaied that they embody
an abundance OF scandal The characters OF
men, far distant and at large, have been freely
dealt with, and creatures who, by their own con
LESSONS, are infamous, have been encouraged 20
blacken the names Of citizens heretofore above
reproach and upon whose honor malice even
never dared 20 cast an imputation. Il seems TO
be one ofths things to be accomplished, to couple
the names Of men against whom nothing has
Deen formally alleged, with those who stand &C.
cused Of infamous crime and thus 70 SOW the
seeds Of dIstrust aud spread the materials Of
Islander as widely as possible through society.
Withthose who have such a mission TO perform,
we confess we feel no sympathy. Having no re-
sPect for the thing TO be done, We have no admi-
ration for the zeal with which it Is performed.
With the evils and wrongs which are iuseparab G
from it, war is bad enough 50 bad that any
elaborate and forced devices TO throw our social
system into permanent anarchy are entirely IN.
necessary.