Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-02-01
Union and American.
Reading Matter on Each Page.


nI-GONES.
Ills known TO our readers that military
orders have been issued BY Gen's Grant and
Thomas that no proceedings should be instr
tuted in the courts of this or any other Of
the Southern States, against persons for acts
done while in the employ Of the Federal
Government during the late war On We'd
nesday the Governor of this State transmits
ted message to the Legislature, recommen-
ding TO that body to frame Law embracing
the classes Of cases reeited in these orders,
prohibiting the courts from taking any cog
nizance ofthem- Wehave no sort of objec-
ton to this message, or to tho orders ON
which it is based. While they operate
hardly, in some cases, upon innocent and
unfortunate people, we are willing that the
sacrifice should becheerfnIly and fully made
for the sake of that which the country above
all things stands in need OLA real and sub
stantial peace.
But inasmuch as there were hpo parties to
the late war, We beg leave to inquire If it is
designed to apply the same rule TO both? Is
one party 10 be protected for acts done in It's
prosecution, while the other is.to be pursued
and hunted down, prosecuted and punished
for deeds as fairly and legitimately done on
their part? The Governor says that, all
experience has shown that military courts
are alone competent TO punish military Of
lenses" Did the surrender of the 'rebel'
armies confer upon their late enemies the
right to establish er post faeto courts or com
missions, to punish them for acts legitimately
done, while in a recognised attitude of war?
If not why not extend this act of oblivion
to all who were engaged in acts of legitimate
warfare? When the ragged rebels" were
driving Mcclellan from Richmond, and
threatening the Capitol at Washington, they
were soldiers entitled to all the rights and
privileges of soldiers in war recog-
missed by the United States and by the
nations of the earth as legitimate. In
such war it would seem that when it
was ended the soldiers upon each side should
receive the same treatment But the Gov
ervor states that "rebel lawyers and rebel
grand juries persist in fomenting prosecu-
tons and damage suits for acts done by SOL
diers or army employees, and done too,
under military orders and in the line of
| duty" But does not cur well-informed
Governor know that Confederate soldiers
have been subjected to the same sort of
trials, and are now undergoing degrading
punishment in the State penitentiary under
sentences by civil tribunals for acts done
"under military orders and in the line
ofduty? ?" If hedoes not, he does not know as
much as his people give him credit for. We
beg leave to jog the memory, or stimulate the
investigation of the Executive of Tennessee
upon these subjects And if it is his desire
to protect one class of our people and pun
ish another for similar acts, done under sim
liar circumstances, we especially desire that
| the fact should be made known. His views
on this subject are pretermitted in his spec
ial message of Wednesday, and as it was an
oversight We suggest that he send in an
other
An exchange says: The opinion of Attor-
ney General Speed, that the Constitution and
laws compel the trial of JEFF. Davis, by Civil
Court, and in Virginia, displeases very much
the hanging party. They say, plumply,
that he cannot be hung by civil law-only
by those beauties called Military Commits
sions-and they profess great indignation
that he is not then forthwith hung. To hang
him would be but to make Southern John
Brown martyr of him--another Marshal
Ney, who, when hung, the underworld would
sympathise with. Hanging for political rea-
sons, after wars are over. is not popular in
this age. Nevertheless, cry the rope men,
"Hang," Hang" Hang" Chief Justice
Chase does not want to try him, and Presi-
dent johnson will never hang him. The
hero of the Radicals, and of the Conserva-
tive Republicans, both shrink from the job.
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A REAL TRAGEDY.-On Tuesday night,
at the theatre in indianapolis, while Miss
Heron was narrowing up the feelings of the
audience with the fictitious griefs of Media"
a real tragedy was being enacted in the par
quette. A young, beautiful and accom-
plished lady, who resides on Tennessee street,
in company with male friend, was OBJ
served to take vial from her pocket, and
hastily swallowed its contents. Noticing
something strange and wild in her manner,
the young man asked her what it was she
had taken, when she replied it was only
little cough mixture. In short time, how
ever, she became deadly i'll, and was taken
home, where she confessed that she had
taken poison mixture Of exalic acid and
opium. The affair is enveloped in mystery,
no cause being assigned for the rash act.
CONSIDERATION OF BISHOP KERFooT.-
The Rev. John Barrett Kerfoot, Bishop elect
Of the new dioceseof Pittsburg, of the Pro-
testant Episcopal Church, was consecrated
on the 18th inst, in Trinity Chueb, in the
presence Of large congregation. Bishop
Hopkins, of Vermont, presided, assisted by
Bishops MacIlvane, of Ohio: Nottingham,
of Maryland; Williams, Connecticut; Tai
bot, of Indiana; Clarkson, of Nebraska,
and Coke, of Western Pennsylvania The
services were deeply impressive. Bishop
Coke peeached the charge to the new
Bishop.
JAMES BELGER. late Captain in the
Union army, brought an action against the
Adams Express Company, to recover the
value Of trunk and its contents, estimated
at $500. The cause came on for trial re-
Gently in the Supreme Court, Circuit, before
Justice Balcolm and jury. One of the
defences set up was, that in any event the
plaintiff could not recover more than $50,
for the reason that in their receipt Of the