Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-06-12
THE CASE OF MIR. DAVIS.

We have already given much space 10 tle
subject Of Mr.. DAVIS Imprisonment and
triol, but know that our readers will bear
with us, for it is a question Of profound i'm
por;ance and Of general interest. On anoth-
er page we give the proceedings Of the court
in regard to it, as reported in the Richmond
papers, and append the following remarks
from a correspondent from that city to a
conservative journal of the North-the New
York TImes:
There was, Of course, no getting beyond
such announcements, and this brought the
whole affair 10 an abrupt termination until
the first Tuesday in October, vixen, accord
ing 10 the Assistant District Attorney, the
prisoner will be brought to trial-he might
have added, if ever brought to trial at all.
Clear-headed men are beginning, by this
time, to see pretty plainly which way the
wind blows There are some questions
which, likeaquagmire, the deeper one plunges
in the more one gets entangled, and this is one
Of them. What il, by any stray possibility,
a civil tribunal should reverse a decion by
that most decisive Of all arbitrators war
Mr. Davis before any fair and upright tri-
bunal. 1t is natural they should, for they
wished 10 be purged, in the face of the civil
lied world, Of the foul names of "felons"
and TRAITORS" for embarking in what their
souls tell them was nothing, on their part,
but unsuccessful revolution. Pledged in
honor 10 abide the arbitration Of war, they
still wish to do so with untainted escutch-
cons. Is the nation as willing to risk the
ripping open Of the whole question, and
testing, upon the broad platform of the Con-
stitution, what war has already decided upon
so many other bloody and costly arrests ?
Many doubt it People begin to see that
there is considerable wisdom in Gerrit
Smiths advice 10 Chief-Justice Chase, and
Abraham Lincoln exhausted the whole sub
ect when he alluded to the escape of Davis
in the shrewd arecdote of the good old dea-
con who could be only be induced to have
anything mixed with his water when little
was put in "unbeknown to him like" Few
dare confess it, but nine out of every ten
thinking men now wish that Jefferson Davis
had managed TO find his way quietly across
the Atlantic.
tell you what-frOm the signs ofthe times
i think may be safely put down as proba-
bilities. The counsel of Mr.. Davis, unable
TO bail him before any court, ard having in
vain appeared to defend him against any ac-
cusers, will have to fall back upon theclen-
ency Of the Executive, who can scarcely
stand longer and see a State prisoner endure
the penalty of a confinement before anything
is proved against him. That clemency will
be exercised, and Mr.. Davis will bespeedily
released on parole. What then? Why,
from that moment old Time commences
with his soothing appliances, aud before
many months are over new and pressing
issues will arise, and few will remember that
there is such State prisoner on the calen-
dar. Public interest will be gone, what lit
tie vengeance may yet remain will have died
out from lack of support, and the trial be al
lowed TO pass away by default of any accu-
ser. We then shall have escaped trying
dilemma-avoided by the re-opening of fast
closing wounds-and throw a veil Of mag
nanimity over the nation. And suppose all
this could happen. Suppose Jefferson Davis
the unsuccessful volutionist-should be
permitted, as all his supporters have been,
to return, peaceful citizen, 10 the bosom OF
his family, pledged by his honor to main
tain the Government he lately strove against,
and ministering only to its welfare. In
what would the United Statess suffers. II.