The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1866-07-14

JOHN a. LOGAN, IN dis attn CT July eOOli-
ton speech at Salem, in this state, mentioned
Us one thng he wanted to see done before
the southern states were allowed to return
with their representatives to congress,-the
trial and hanging of JEFF. Daviss. We can
scarcely open g religious newspaper OF a
certain class but we Cad in it a furious
editorial, or sermon, or The resolutions CT
some religious conYention," demanding
that Jeff. Davis ard ether leading rebels
shall be hanged-that treason may be
" n,ads ct..,ous, So.'
We'll, al We and Democrat generally have
p5int tc say to TIE radicals on that is, why
don'tvou try jeff Davis and hang him? You
have all the courts, all the riarshals--you
have congress and the cabinet, tie President
Is willing and anxious to have Davis tried
why don't you give him ATRIAL? Judge Under
wood is "loyar' enough in all conscience
Bat you say Chase isn't willing. Who is
Chief Justice Chase ? Is he not the grand
Mogul of your party? Dare airy of you
challenge word or act Of Chase? And We
sing reans to Chase while ye cry the more
,'hang jeff Davis!' But what is the trou>
BE with Chase?
Til. Rock Island Argus make. few
points on this head that undoubtedly show
what's he matter with Chase. We copy:
1t may seem queer that the radicals must
.acquit jeff. DAVIS of treason, in order to
|, oh he
fact Treason against the United States can
not be committed By a, alien. Making war
against the United States b. Mexican or
British subject IS not treason. Treason
against the United States can only be CONS
ri;ted BIZ citizen OF the United States
JEFF Davis is aud for years has been a citi-
zen OF the State of Mississippi, and if the
State Of Mississippi, either by virtue of Der
ordinance of secession, or by reason of a
majority Of her people having Joined in re-
l,,iiiou and made war, csased to be one of the
CaEei .Stttcs, under and according to the
constitution of the United States. then her
citizens ceased to be citizens Of the United
States, and owed no allegiance to the United
States, and therefore cotiG not commit trca-
son against the United States.
When this thing is scanned closely it is
not difficult to see why Chief Justice Chase
should seek to avoid the task of trying jeff.
Davis, and resort 10 one subterfuge after
another Il escape or postpone II. lie cannot
hold JET. DA5is to be guilty Of treason with
G.; holding that, at tie time of the acts com
planned of. he lras citizen Of tie LHIte1
.>tatis: aud this Cannot he unless Mississippi
and Virginia, a tie time, bad not ceased to
&c states of this Union unisr t,se constitu>
tor of the United State.. That ruling
would he death to the radical party, who live
alone on The spirit of disunion, which ass
sunes that they are out of the Union AID
need re-adulission by congress.
On the other hand, if he should hold that
these states had, al the time ceased to b
states OF this Union, he wolld. of course,
have to hold that JEFF Davis had ceased TO
be a citizen OF the United States, owed no
al,e-iaLce to the United States, and could
not he guilty Cf treason; and that ruling
would be life to the radical party, and life to
JEFF Davis.
Qseer as It may seem, tie salvation of the
radical party and the salvation Of jeff. Davis
r,st upon the same hinge and are secured or
lost by the same course Of reasoning.
Another corollary suggests itself from this
doctrine, by which the radicals propose to
save the neck Of jeff Davis to save them
selves. If the southern states, by their own
acts, ceased 10 he states Of the Union, and
can be legally held as conquered provinces,
then the L. s. become liable for their debts
1t Is law Of nations that conquered terrific
r. must be taksn by the conqueror cum
oncre-that is, with all It's debt. ana opign>
tons. May NOT this account for the eager,
ness with which the radicals desire to have a
clause against paying the rebel debt inserted
in the constitution, notwithstanding all the
southern states have repudiated that debt?