Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-05-27
non,t Ahnfe J, Particle.


Doubtless, the opinion prevailed at Wash
ington city, when The Chronicle attempted
classification of the trial Of the Assassin
conspirators by military Commisson and
secretly, and undertook to brow-beat the
New York Administration press into ac-
quiescence, that the Administration presses
that had inveighed against such trial
would either recant what they had said, ol
abate their opposition. Events have proven
that this opinion was founded on error
The Ne,o York Times is the only journal that
changed its tone, and from denouncer OF
the trial became its justifier. The other
Administration presses have not abated
their opposition particle; but they con-
tinue to deal trials of that sort sturdy blows
Among the journals who are untiring In
this righteous work is The New York Eoen-
ina Post, one of the most able and respect
ably edited Administration journals in the
country. From its leader of the 22d inst,
responding to laudatory editorial of such
trials in The Times of that morning, we
"Singular as 1t may seem, it 1.-THE Tines]
ignores entirely-as much so as If the insti7
tuition had never existed-the existence of
the Grand Jury, which has been expressly
devised to trace criminal plots and conspir-,
acies, and which has been celebrated by the
clearest and loftiest minds, for five centuries
or more, as enc of the grandest civil con-
quests of the Anglo-Saxon race, as the
pledge and security of its liberties, as the
surest protection of society, and, coupled
with the trial by jury, as the palladium of
individual rights. All that English and
American lawyers and judges have written
in vindication of the immense superiority
of our common law processes is utterly for
gotten in this fresh outDurst OF admiration
for the military processes of times long since
gone by.
"It is true the writer does refer to an
tiquity in proof of his position. He says
that Cicero, in his first Grafton against
Cataline, charges him with plot to burn
the city. The French Emperor of to-day,
in his recent book, discredits these charges.
It is pity that some staunch Roman tri-
bunal, like thatn sitting at Washington,
did not establish the real facts. The arch
conspirator was not caught, but some of his
confederate3 were; and their trial, with a
free range of testimony, would have settled
the whole truth forever ,.'-'
.But his learning is quite as novel as his
enthusiasm, and no less unfortunate. The
arch cOnspirator was not caught of course
not; but he was hunted down as Booth was,
and died as desperately as he did, though
on the battlefield. But some of his con-
federates were caught Yes, and they were
tried as the confederates of Booth are tried.
by tribunal unknown to the law, and
sentenced to punishments unknown to law.
To learn the consequences, the writer for
The Times need not wait for the forthcom-
ing volumes of Louis Napoleon's apology
forusurpation. He can find them told with
sufficient detail in Middleton's Lite of Cice-
ro and In Merivale's History of the Caesars,
supposing him not to have leisure to con-
suit the original authorities. 1t was the re-
action upon that very crime which precip-
itated the public affairs of the Roman re- !
public into rapid and terrible decline, and
finally led to its convulsive and awful over
throw by the blood-stained hands of des-
pot. When, in times of peace, the Govern
ment itself violates law and Constitution, it
is not by oaths of allegiance or oaths of any
kind that Constitution and laws can be
kept sacred"
We notice. that The Catholic Telegraph (also
an Administration journa) views these
proceedings with grave apprehension, and
claims, that '.as used by the Government,
these courts are unknown to the Constitu-
tion, are imminently dangerous" 1t like
wise expresses the "regret that a statesman,
learned in the law, is not in Washington,
to wrest the accused from the hands of this
illegal tribunal, and place them before a bar
where conviction means lawful punish
ment, and as such has all the moral weight |
designed by the trainers of our Govern
ment."
The fact that SO large portion of the |
Administration press persist in their de-
mands that arbitrary arrests and arbitrary |
trials shall be stopped, is exceedingly graf |
flying. United with the united voice of |
the Democratic press. on this subject it will |
be potential for good. And II the same
press shall pronounce in favor of the prac- /
tice of generous and humane policy to- |
ward the Rebels, it will be difficult to drive
the Administration intothe adoptionof anyr
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