Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1866-06-14
Lamdln p. MInigan.

friends at the town of Button, Ind
The occasion was what was termed O
grand ovation to the above named
worthy. The orator improved the
occasion by endorsing the Democratic
party generally, and In denouncing the
leaders Of the Union party in particu-
lar. The following most bitter and
malignant language he Uses toward
President Lincoln, Gov. Brough, and
Gov. Mortoni
God is just; although to us, who do not
understand his providence, that Justice
sometimes seems tardy. | never was prone
to believe in the frequent recurrence Of
special providcnces, but such instances are
distinctly seen in the cases of three Of the
greatest sinners against Gods righteous
will-Lincoln, Brough and Morton.
"One has been summoned to the bar of
retributive justice with his sins unrepented
Of. Another, covered all over with the
mildev of debauchery and wrapped in the
exhalations from which buzzards would turn
their offended noses, carried to tho grave
the impress of infamy; while there yet re.
mains one of the Goddess trio, but tho
plague is on its westward march, his limbs
are smote with the blood Of crime, and
tremble under their load of corruption
But | pray that he may live long to realize
in this world, rather than in the next, that
God is just"
Now it will be recollected that
Lamdin p. Milligan, Bowles, and
Horsey were arraigned and tried during
the fall and winter of 1864, before a
military court in Indiana for high trea.
can aud for N rNnsnirony r,hinh An.
braced the assassination Of Governor
Morton, and the other State officials Of
Indiana. or these charges they were
each found guilty, and sentenced to be
executed. Their sentence was first ap-
proved by President Johnson, but after
wards committed to imprisonment for
life, when they Immediately entered
upon their term of service in the OHIO
Penitentiary, where they remained
until shortly after the first Of April last.
To show the utter recklessness, and
baseness ofthe man, who, under all the
circumstances, could use such language
"a that quoted above toward the late
President Lincoln and Gov. Morton,
I will relate some of the language OF
this l.. p. Milligan, which was used in
q conversation had with him in the
Ohio Penitentiary on Sunday, the first
day Of April last, and only q few days
before he was released from prison. ]
had gone to the prison to hear an old
friend preach to the convicts. After
service the minister and myself, in
company with the Warden. called on
Milligan in the Prison Hospital. where
we found him doing hospital duty
After learning that / was from Belmont
County, where he had studied law and
pretended to practice for a number of
years, he inquired about the people OF
st. Clairsville and some Of the promi-
nent men of the County. The CONVEX
sation then turned upon his present
condition and misfortunes. He first
stated that he expected to he released
from prison in a few days-that he
had assurances from his attornies to
that effect on which he could rely. He
then said, "If President Lincoln had
lived alittle while longer he (Milligan
would never have been in prison
That the evidence in tho case of his
trial, with the points of law submitted
by his attornies, had been forwarded to
Mr.. Lincoln, and by him carefully ex-
nmined, and that he had decided to re
lease him and Horsey, and to hold
Bowles during the war; but before the
official papers, upon which tho Presi-
dent could act, had reached Washing.
ton, MI. Lincoln was assassinated, and
Mr.. johnson inaugurated President
The case then came before President
Johnson, who Immediately without any
examination or investigation what
ever, approved the findings and SEN
tence Of the court. And all three of
them would undoubtedly have been
hung had it not been for the timely eX-
ertions of Governor Morton, who
spared no pains in his efforts to secure
n Communication of sentence, in which
he was finally successful" Milligan
was bitter against President johnson
for the levity and rccklessness with
which he had treated the case, but spoke
in the highest terms of praise of Mr..
Lincoln and Gov, Morton. Governor
Morton had saved him from the gal
lows; Mr.. Lincoln, II he had lived,
would have saved him from both the
gallows and the Penitentiary.
He could feel kindly then toward his
benefactors when he was about to be
released from prison; but after having
time TO mingle with his former associ,
ates Of the Knights of the Golden
Circle, and revive old recollections, he
loses all the finer feelings of graft
tude, as well as the sterner principles
of justice ~inculcated by the wholesome
discipline Of a years service In thePeni.
Tertiary; and at a public meeting Of
his friends, after indorsing. cordially.
the Democratic party, assails with all
his original depravity and bitterness
those whom he admitted had saved
his neck from the gallows. Milligan,
/ learn, Is again under arrest for high
treason, and will doubtless be tried by
the civil courts, where 1t Is to be hoped
he will get o fair trial, II 1t hangs him.
The constitutional Amendment.
After a pro,rscted debate, the Senate has
passed the reconstruction amendment Wear.
lv ma IN was apreaA nm in thu Ranuhl;c.n