The daily clarion. [volume] (Meridian, Miss.) 1863-1866, 1865-12-13
Absurdi,ic- Of Military Commission

/ Absurdlttf- OF "a NkRiftaFF commission
The Washington correspondents OF the
Cincinnati Commercial writes the follow
ing criticism upon military commissions
There Is sound sense, as we'll as satire
and humor, IN it
Ii may be all very well 10 work ones
patriotism up to the point of demanding
the blood of j eff Davis as an atonemeut
for the wrongs OF the nation, though it Is
taking rather narrow minded view o.
the contest, and an enlarged one OF
jeff Davis influence. and paying very
bad compliment TO the intelligence and
morality of the American people, 10 sup
pose that the death Of any one man, even
Of jefferson Davis. can, 10 the smallest
possible extent, atone tor the wreck and
suffering OF the past four years. If blood
is wanted, q military conn Ission Is the
very thing 10 draw It. Bat If II Is de
sirable TO settle point OF law, the verlest
petifogging police court IN the land Is in
fiuiteIy superior to the most grandIy im-
| posing array Of military talent that ever
sat upon a court martial. In the first
place, no lawyer worthy the name will
consent TO the humiliation of arguing q
case of treason before q court IN the
composition of which brass buttons take
the place of brains, ana knowledge OF
tactics is more important than knows
edge of law.
Think Of James 7. Brady examining a
witness. and Lew. Wallace deciding
whether his questions ar pertinent or
not The General oyeTrules Mr.. Brady,
and Mr. Brady fall, back upon some
quaint and curious volume of forgotten
! lore, to show that he Is not transcend
ing the license OF counsel for the de
Tense. Its all Greek TO Lew, and he says
| in effect. Il dom care what Mr.. ErskIne,
or Mr.. Vattel or Mr.. Kent may have
said. They were very good men In then
way, and for their time, but want you TO
understand that the prisoners at the bar
| took up arms against tie best Govern
ment that the sun OF heaven ever shoue
upon. The Union must be preserved, 10y
the Eternal, and the witness Will stand
aside"
Then Mr. Brady attempts to show that
| there have always been conflicting opln-
! ions among American statesmen as 10 the
/ right OF secession. Here some gentle
man, surmounted by eagles on either
shoulder, great in the tItular athx OF halt
| the alphabet TO his name, as, tor IN
stance, ''CoI. Comd' Z 71Jn u. 5. Z. |,
and Supt. f. B., jumps up and enters a
demurrer, rich IL palrousnl, but poor IN
w,
! blood spilled, and perfect HImalaya oi
bones plied up, TO settle this accursed
and hated doctrine OF State Rights, ana
he turns to the presiding General to
| know If treason Is 10 be spoken dehantly
| IN the Court? OF course not and Mr..
| Brady gets gentle hint II he dosen't
! keen shy of the Resolutions OF '9o, and
| other bad things, he'll be put IN the OId
| Capitol.
Pretty soon the defense propose to
| show that in 1860 and 'Gl many VINO are
now officiating as high priests IN the
| temple OF loyalty believed In the right OF
| secession that Greedy wanted To tear
down the Haunting he; that Mr.. Banks
| wanted the Union TO take unto Itself
skates and snde that Gen. Scott desired
the Maynard sisters to depart 10 peace
! and that even the divine Stanton con-
graduated Mr.. Albert GaiIaIn Brown
upon the secession OF Mississippi. Up
! Jumps a captain and A. 4. u, holding
| the American eagle by the tail, met
aphoucaLy, ia one hand, ana humping
| the counsel TO order with the other, de
mands to know it the American flag
doesn't float triumphant from the rock
| ribbed coast OF Maine TO the golden shores
OF California, and whether this great ma
| ton is now to be Insulted ana It's gal
! liant defenders slandered IN this way IN
| loyal court. Through quotation trom
| Beadle's Dime Speaker, he touches the
hears of the Court, and blackstone again
| gives way TO Casey.
! Next it Is proposed to show that Mr..
Davis was not the leader but the follower
ef the Southern people IN the work OF re
| belllon; that instead OF having volunteer
ed TO be their Moses md lead them out OF
Abolition bondage, he was Aosesed by
them into secession, and finally into For
tress Monroe.
Gen. Wallace objects that this is not
pertinent In vul gar parlance, be doesn' t
give a d---n whether jeff. Davis led or
followed the rebellion. What he deems
proper for the Court 10 inquire is, whether
this great and glorious Union, handed
down to US by our fathers for our child
rend's children children, Is to be broken
UP or not. If so, all right; if not, then
let's know it in time.
Mr. Brady insists that it is an establish
ed maxim that nations cannot be con-
victed of treason, and ne proceeds to ar
que that if the States were parate SOW
ereigntles-
Wen have none Of this treason talked
in this Court" cries Commlssary OF Sub
| SlstenCe.
Great God, hiss it come to this" eJac'
ulates,an Inspector General.
IF hear another word about state
sovereignty out oil your mouth I'll call the
corporal OF the guard and have you ar
rested" utters the General commanding
! the Court.
Finally the trial comes to an end. IN
Court finds jeff. most tit man for th'
oaIIovve and he il ordered to be huns
without delay.
But where's the settlement OF the que5
ton as to what constitutes the crime 0
treason? "In my minds eye, Horauo."
MACK.
& few nights ago person IN RochesIei
/, New York, hearing some one about al
d house, listened few minutes and cam
TO the conclusion that somebody wa
irving to break in. Accordingly h