The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1865-05-15
THE TRIALS.
The Press on Military Law
Demands for Civil Tribunals
L., Our Civil Right. be Restored.


of the land. We have endeayored 10
show tha, the American people could not
be kept divided for any length OF time
| Oh the issue shall We be governed by
law. or by individuals whose will is law!
The following indications OF pnblic SEN
tin.u, cannot be misunderstood. The
| civil law must he restored.
| SECRET MILITARY TRIALS.
From the New York Tribune.
There is curious old document in ex.
| istrnce. known as the Constitution of the
| United States, which formerly had the
| force and efiecI of law in that large por-
| ton of our country not specially domi-
| mated by the Slave Power. Under the
| rule of our present Cabinet. it seems TO
have gone out of fashion; and, since MIR.
| Stantou's accession 10 the control of the
| War Department. it has become practi-
| calIy obsolete Loyal citizens did not
| much mind this while civil war cOnvuls-
| ed the country. threatening the pernla-
neut overthrow of our Liberty and Ma
| tionality; but now that the war Is prac-
| tically ended, il seems high time that the
old parchment were eXhumed and treat
| ed with some show ofrespect. There De-
| ing, apparently, no copy eXtant In the
| Federal city, We quote from Que III our
possession, for the instruction and admo
milton of our magnates. certain amend
| ments proposed by the States when rati-
| fying the instrument, which being duly
approved and adopted, became an lnte-
= tnV .llt Mani "A =lS
| follows:
Art. V. No one shall be held to answer
for capital OF otherwise infamous crime
unless ORd presenfment or indictment O
Grand Jury, ercept IN cases arising IN me
| land or nardl forces, or in the militia leheh
| in actual SetgiCe in time OF war or puDllc
danger. nor shall any person be subject
| for the same offence to be twice put III
| ieopardy of life or limb, nor shall he be
| comselled in any criminal case 10 be
witness against himself, nor be deprived
| of life, liberty or property, rfhoW due
process Of lac, nor shall private property
be taken for public use without just COM
pensation.
Art. VI. In all criminal prosecutions
the accused shall enjoy the right to
speedy and public trial, by an impartial
| .Juyy of the State and district wherein
| the crime shall have been committed,
which district shall have been previously
ascertained 10y law, to he confronted with
| the witnesses against him; to have com
pulsory process for obtaining witnesses
| in his favor, and to have the assistance
of counsel for his defense.
Art. VII. In suits at common law,
| wherein the value in controversy shall
exceed twenty dollars, the right OF trial
! by Jury shall he preserved; and no fact
| tried by a Jury shall be otherwise re-ex-
| amined in any Court of the United
| States than according to the rules of the
common law
| Art. VIII. Excessive bail shall not be
reouired, nor excessive fines imposed,
nor crncl and unusual punishment in
| hicted.
| We have made our citations full, not
merely in Difference 10 the apparent in
accessibility of the document at Wash
| ington, but because we wished every
reader to see that the passages we have
placed in italics are not garbled or pick
ed, but they are of the essence and vi
| tality of the Constitution itself. Being
| so, how can we Justify, or excuse, or even
keep silence with regard to the Military
| Trials lust iniated at Washington A
| miscreant, acting in concert with other
assassins, has attempted the life of the
| Secretary of State, and, though his pur-
pose was defeated, he nevertheless Sc
| vcrrly wounded Gov. Seward and his
| Oldest son. and two or three others who
| uobly resisted him. OF course, this vii
| lain and his confrderates should be stern
| ly dealt with but why not according to
| law What reason, what excuse can be
urged. to Justify the sending of this case
before "a Court Martial and having it
tried in secret? How can such trial
bs reconciled with the plain provisions
of the Constitution above quoted
As the Military trial OF those who con
spired with Booth to assaSsinate the
| President, and aided to achieve that fell
purpose, the outrage is not quite 30 fla
grant but such trial is ut best blum
| der. while enshrouding it in secresy is
| utterly indefensible. To try doctor for
| his life. because he set strangers bro
ken bone and gave, or sold, or lent him
| pair of crutches, may just do; but to
try him in secret allowing no report of
the testimony but such as the prOsecu.
ton sees fit To make, is nothing less than
abomnable Two months ago, il would
have been endured for the country s
sake; now, there is no reason that il
should be We warn all who take any
part in these strange proceedings that
the rebellion is suppressed, the war at
an end, and the right to suspend the
privilege of habeas corpus and make the
will of Secretary of War the supreme
law of the land, has expired -four pres
ent Secretary cannot be made to realize these
qrdre haths, IL is high time he had suoces-
sOr; and if our Attorney General believes
the assailant of Secretary Seward now
legally triable before a military Com
mission he badly needs his OWH time Jor
the com pletiOp Of the legal studies. Thiie the
Government different laU officer. There
may be potter ways Of setting forth
these convictions, but none Of these
would do then justice.
| Gentlemen of the Cabinet, the war
eastward of the Mississippi is ended; the
rebellion is suppressed the Union is re-
established, and Peace virtually restored;
wherefore the people demand Of you o
speedy and thorough return to the safe
and orderly ways of Law and Liberty
DO not compel then, 10 speak ia tones that yoa
cannot refuse TO hear
| SECRET CoORTs-THE TRIAL OF THE AS
sa q sASsINS.
| Cp,-o,o .La Eaxr vork Tirnsa U.nobI,,.,t