Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1865-03-09
4aiIg Glltpire.
Military COurts-martialo OF o.
villains,

villains,
The practice of military courts-martial in
trying civilians in the States where there il
no obstruction to the law and to the civi
Courts, is elicting the deepest indignation
even in the ranks OF the Administration party
Henry Winter Davis, of Maryland, the most
talented Republican in the House of Rspre
sentatives lately offered an amendment to thu
Civil Appropriation Bill, iorbdding the prac
tice. In the course of his remarks on thi,
subject, he said
When the voice OF Liberty ceased to be
heard, it would be too late to agitate this cues
ton. Letthe bill before them perish n thou
sand times rather than the liberty of the cit.
izen be destroyed General Mcclellan was
the first to put his name to a paper suspend
ing the writ of hdbeas corpus in Maryland. He
was glad to refer to this, because it showed
1t was not party question, but an American
9ueston--one of public liberty There must
be stop put to arrests by irresponsible bod.
les, otherwise there would be no law in the
land. In New York, Boston, Baltimore, and
elsewhere, men have turned gray under perse.
cution, and in Baltimore a man has been SEN
fenced to imprisonment for forging jeff Da.
Wis currency He wanted the representa-
tives of the people to declare the nulity of the
military tribunals in the trial of civilians.
He was sustained by anotaer leading and
active Republican
Mr. Dawes (Mass.) said that, having been,
on special committee to examine into frauds.
in contracts, he had united in reporting BILL
which became n law, subjecting such often.
ders to trial by court martial. 1t was an ex q.
trcme measure, but he felt that it was neces-
sary TO check what seemed to be q great evil
lie, at the time thought the law would be ad.
minlstered With reason, but he was sorry to
say, from his observation, that the admins
tratlon OF the law had been such during the
past year as to compel him to support the
amendment We had lost sight of the guar.
antees of the Constitution, and seem to forget
that any man has right to trial by Jury, or
even to be furnished with the knowledge of
the offense with which he is charged. Courts
martial appeared to be formed with a view to
convict and many of the proceedings we're
not only reproach to the administration of
justice, but shame and disgrace He al
luded to the trial Of the Messrs Smith, ofI
Boston, contractors for tho navy, as without
a parallel in infamy since the days ofI
Jeffries
In the United States Senate, Mr. John p.
Hale, for many years Republican United
States Senator from New Hampshire, said:
If trial by jury is overthrown in this coun.
try, take the rest | would not lift my hand
nor open my mouth, nor counsel one of my
constituents to shed drop of blood, or pay a |
dollar of treasure, il the Constitution is to be |
preserved emasculated of this great safeguard
of liberty. In these times, when so much is
demanded, and so much is at stake with
generous confidence would give to the Ad |
ministratiOn almost everything that they want.
would consent and have consented, that
the hd6edS corpus may be suspended, and
these extraordinary tribunals may be erected
and instituted for the trial Of everybody that
voluntarily comes forward aud connects him
self with the public service But, sir, If you
are going to throw dragnet over the land,
II you are going to bring in this whole people,
and subject them to the penalties that may be
inflicted by military tribunals and these courts
martial then the last step in the humiliation
and degradation of the country is takeH, and
we shall be left fit instruments for any despot-
ism that the bold and lawless may see proper
to establish over us.
The House Of Representatives adopted the
amendment of Mr.. Davis by decided vote,
and though it failed to become law in the
Senate, a MANIFESTATION has been made that
will probably arrest these tribunals hereafter
Cincinnati Enquirer.