West-Jersey pioneer., 1865-06-17
TRIAL OF JEFF. DAVIS.

1t NAV be well for the autlor at Wash
ington to give this arch-traitor a trial by the
civil laws of the land in order to satisfy some
technical points of legal procedure, but that
can be ALL He stands to-day before the nation
as having forfeited his life by his own acts OF
high-handed treason, Self-condemned trai-
tor. AS such, he is even undeserving OF SYM
pathy, of respect and mercy. By his own
choice and acts he set himself against the
rightful authorities of the nation, and dehed
its powers. He lifted the bloody sword OF
rebellion constituted himself the Imperial
leader of a dangerous revolt; and by this con-
duct he has caused the indiscriminate murder
of thousands of more precious lives than his
own, and the loss of millions of dollars worth
of property. With avid frenzy, that prompt
ed him on in his mad career, nc overeaped
the bounds of ordinary traitors, and plunged
an entire nation into war-a war OF the most
wicked and gigantic character. But the in
dictment against him, found BY the Grand
Jury of the District of Columbia, is sufficiently
explicit in enumerating the items OF his guilt.
We need no other evidence of his crimes than
the widespread misery he has inflicted on the
country. Every soldiers grave on the battle
fields of the South; every Hmpins, ~arniiess'
sick. wounded, pale, emaciated veteran, that
meets our view; every widow, orphan, child,
and vacant seat. rise up as rrefutabie accusers
and witnesses against him. Why is 1t, then,
necessary to bother the courts of law with
him? Has he not already been arrested,
charged with murder, incendiarism and trea-
son, and convicted by competent jury Not
only this, but the people themselves have tried
and condemned him. All that is, therefore,
necessary to be done in his case, is, to take
him from his confinement to the proper place
provided for the occasion, put sure moose
about his neck, and elevate him to the position
his own life and conduct have prepared him
for-that of an arch-felon. The simple exc
cution of Jefferson Davis is all that remains to
be done to mete out justice to the insulted
dignity of the nation and its majestic powers.
The sooner this is done the better, and the
sooner will the heart of the nation be satisfied
that the authorities at Washington are deter
mined that no technical quibble shall permit-a
traitor to escape. The law in such cases is
plain and simple-treason in all its forms is
defined in the most lucid manner, and every
intelligent man, at all conversant with legal
points, is satisfied that Jefferson Davis has
transcribed all the constitutional and statutory
definitions of that crime. Yes; Jefferson
Davis is well convinced Of this himself. No
man knows better than he what the laws rela-
tive to treason are and knowing, he arrayed
himself against them. Oh, what must be the
condition of bis feelings, in his lonely cell at
Fortress Monroe, with the criminals shackles
upon his feet, his ambition disappointed, his
hopes of greatness gone! Can it be pleasant
for him to ponder on the ssruin he has
wrought ?"-to reflect upon the prospects
before him, and of those that are past? As
self-assumed president of sef-constituted
confederacy, he can study over his diabolical
schemes to murder President Lincoln, and al
most feel the hangman's rope tickling around
his own accursed neck. With these facts
before us-with the terrible consequences and
results of his crimes still fresh in our memory
we say that enough witnesses have already
been examined = enough evidence already
educed to Justify the authorities in taking Mr..
Davis to the place of execution without further
trial, and there to hang him by the neck until
he is dead-dead. The supremacy of law will
then be vindicated-justice triumphant.