, 1866-05-13
THE COURT THAT TRIES JEFF.
d: DAVIS.

The AAsemb1aee nt Norfolk, Te.-JndEe |
. Underwood k'TeAIdlnE in Tho Absence /
:: oil Judge Chnse-A Jury Empanel1ed |
: -CbnFEe toThem by the heJudee-Trca.
500 to be PuntAhcd-An Indictment for
Treason AEainAt Jef. Davis. to be
Filed, Ac., &c.
From the New York Herald. 10Th snstl
Fou1REHs MoSRoE, Nay s, 1ee6-
The United States Circuit court for Virginia
has At length lraugurnted its labors. Tbs
court wns to have opeEed yesterday, but
Judge Underwood failed 10 arrive till this
morning. A. noon he opened the court at
Norfolk, IN the old courtroom n n the Clty
Ing IN attendance, an adjournment took place
Til halfpast thrre O'Clock At the latter
session twenty Of the Jury, au excess Of the
quorum required, answered to their names.
The following are the names 2f The jurors: :,
Fairfax; John Tavlor; Of ALexandna: q; Gultng~
ban. Of Fairfa1; Georcs G. Dens, =. Hpde ektns, L
De- ordT. Geo. VI. s,nairton. John I. Daniels, John
d. Bornme. WIN. q. Mebber, e: +. COZ; Wfl.sm
Ha1T.son, ei Norfolk !; Mm: y. Ensley, Wn. F,J,
Busnhsm WaruMeI. r. Dudley. 5r.' buIah.m ps.
The Judge appointed Mr.. Gl1linghan fore
man, and thereupon 31r- VIM. H.: Barry. the
Clerk, administered 10 them the usual oaths
that is one oath not to nst targngh msnSe
and the other that they had not aided In the
sII,,htest decree the, rebel cause in the late
war, and would support the Constitution oi
| the United States. Then followed The Judges
charge to the Jury; Most Clearly ana ,hp pei1tt T.
whom it was addressed, ~ Interpreted
bv the Judge. After referring to the
! absence Of Chief Justice Chase, upon whom be
won1d have greatly preferred had fallen the
task OF tnstruciing them in the line OF their
duties, he described the changes that had
] br fhn NJ IN afn13t{StfN-
tion Of Justice, aud the unusual crimes, such
Us treason and dlsloyalsy, they were now
compelled to ad]udicate upon. In this CON
uectfon be adrerted to Els charge to the
Grand jury preceding them, and would not
repeat himself now, oeneFlog suey aii h4eM y,
since then peace Ind been declared, and the
writ OF Aa6eas eo.7,tes had been restored. Re
Gently President johnson expressed desire
TINT not such sub0rdEales as Harz should VI
brought to punishment Tor treason, bnt M ~
offenders he would have them act, and puu
ish the principals and not the tools. Il tat
! been decided TINT such offenders mus
be tried in yirginia. At the North there hat
been much complaint OF the tardlnes
shown in bringing them them t9 9r trial II b
need Of further delay, and he hoped the tim
had come when It would be shown here tha
treason was held as crime and mcrittng III
highest punishment. He urged that the mas
Of The people Of this State who sided with III
rebellion, ind took up arms TO aid 1t, Goul
was no such general education md INTEL
, ! eeuce here Us at the North. In proof Of th
! &c drew parallel between the First Congre
: slonal District Of Virginia aud Rhode lslan'
Though the former had given birth 10 fot
q Presidents Of the United States and posscsss
!. twice the acres Of Rhode Island, 1t has u
: o1c 1.-THE the wealth and intelligence. In Mn
teen COMMITTEES OF the district there was not
!, | paper published, and three -fourths Of Il
- . men and women could not read and writ
? This decree Of ignorance he traced !
: crcdulity and ignorance OF the masses In
p citing them TO rebellion against the Goger
| mcnt, be would have punished. There "
,r no obstacle now in the way he iusisted,
bringing indictments against all the leaders
lc this rebellion; the paro:ed pstsons,s - well
- remember their duty in this regard and fait
= fully aud fearless1y discharge 1t. Their fdeli
" might bring them euemies, might lead
Il their being murdcfonaly assaulted, as b
re been number Of the tpry but hc urged II
v mnrtyrdom. the martyrdom Of Llncolnt !
tn,f vas vastly preferable to few years add
se life Of ignobte ease. He spoke at length
re the rights Of freedmen. and charged that
i. same rights Of person and propcfF Z sh1n.d aa !.
b. defence IL court as to white personk The 81
aa ject OF dsloyal newspapers also came m
n i portion Of his charge. 1t WAS bis View Il
40 they could do but Little harm, Their circn
" tions were BRIEF and Influence limited.
III | thought it best they shouldnot be lnter1e1
n with By the courts or tho military. as '
er now done. In conclusion, he referred to
rc duties Of the jury in connection with VIC
It tious Of the revenue and postal lava aud
" oountcrfeitlng. The charge ended, the j.
~ were discharged Till ten o'clock to-motT
n morning. It is thought that the pres
Of court viii not p1olract It's session over a Vt
es. l or ten daya- Judge Underwood anDoun
e. | tnat nc shOuEut JLH!lct NuAso "on!u oe ~
l. ! tendance 10 preside in the course OF q mon
It IL confidently believed that this jury ,
)r- ,HipE IN true bills Of Indictment against ]
ne Davis and the most prominent lesden |
IT. Generals on the rebel sidc during the
Ial I war