The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1865-07-13
The Military Executions.

The Military Executions.
1t was hoped that after the execution
of the four persons pronounced by the
military commission guilty of being ac-
cessories to the murder of President LIN
coin. the whole subject would speedily
be dismissed and the circumstances
whichyehect so little credit upon our ma
tional character would be covered up and
concealed as quickly as possible. But
the contrary seems to be the case and
fresh developments are being made every
day, all tending to keep alive and IN
crease the agitation of the public mind
i'm reference 10 the tragedy which was
enacted in Washington city last Friday.
New facts are being elected which
seem to show that the hasty execution
Of these persons was most unwise
aud create a suspicion that at
least one of the parties who
suffered death was innocent of any crime
meriting punishment so severe. we re-
grct that this is the case, because, deep
IL as we condemned the manner of their
trial, we hoped that only the stain OF vio-
latiug the usual forms of law would he
t..rurred by our authorities, and that no
room would be left for the suspicionthat
either of the condemned pc sons did not
Justly merit death Protest AID repro
hatiou can avail nothing now, not even
the whole power of the United States
Government can restore life to either OF
those persons executed on Friday, and
now nothing remains for us to do but to
learn Alright the lesson which this sad
occurrence has taught, and never again
aa;ler any plea, however spe:ious, throw
aside tho safeguards of civil law and con
StitutiOnal right,
i shameful effort has been made 10y
certain persons, to stigmatize all those
VIII, denounced the manner in which the
a,rnmplices Of BOOTH were tried for
r!.,ii high crime, as sympathizers with
a5sas>ins and focssto the government
Snch an assertion could only emanate
from one whose servility and meanness
are stronger than his reason 1t is not
f,qfe Every American citizen was shock
ed and horrified by the foul crime COM
miIted in the assassination Of President
LINCOLN There is not a citizen to-day
, Who did not desire to see all who were
ruilty of completely in that atrocious
affair punished to the full measure of
their deserts But when it was proposed
10 set aside the forms of law and con-
dcun and execute the accused without
nrsf establishing their guilt by means of
far and legal trial numbers OF
citizens. fearful lest the innocent might
bc put 10 death and dreading
the influence upon our future history
which such a precedent as the late mill
tary commission light afford, were com
pellcd to protest earnestly and tOrcibly
against the course which was adopted
Ii was not through any sympathy with
the guilty parties, or through any ap-
prevail of their hOrrid deed that the mode
of trial was condemned. He who asserts
the contrary says what he 1no'rs to be
false. II is a sad and shameful day for
our republic when the man who dares to
raise his voice in favor of law and JUS
tie and right, in favor of the legal pun
ishnent of the guilty and the protection
# the innocent, is assaulted with oppro-
hyious epithets and denounced rs an
enemy to the government.