The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1866-12-24
From the N. Y. Tribune.
Jefferson Davis.

Eighteen months have nearly efapsso snce
] efsrson Davis was INSIDE stsfs PRISONER
He had previously bssn publicly charged 81 |
the United States with oonspiring 70 assassin. |
ate President Lincoln, and 500 600 offered
for his capture thereopon.A The capture vas
promptly made and the money daily paid !; l
yet, up TO this hour. there has not been even
an attempt made by the government TO pro-
cure his Indictment on that charge. He has
also besn popularity, If not oficiafiy, accused
OF completely in the virtual murder of Union
soldiers, while prisoners of war, by subject
ing them to needless, inhuman exposure
prlvation, and abuse; but no official attempt
has been made to indiet HIM on that charge.
He has been indicted for simple treason and
even this indictmsnt has not been obtained
at tho instance of the government. II may
be 20 badly drawn that no conviction could
be had on il, whichever the proof advanced;
yet the executive could say,"I am hot respon-
siole for this. The indictment was obtained
without the assent or privity of my attorney
general Or cabinet" -.s..szcfs
Repeated attempts have been made by the
prisoners counsel 90 bring his esss to trial
but TO no purpose. The government docs not
appear to prosecute; the machinery OF the
courts are always out of order. AT one time
martial law stands in the way; when that
obstacle is removed there ia cayil as TO thu
| suffloisncy and completeness of its withdrawal;
and that when will no longer serve,it is found
that congress has somehow disarranged the
judicial dis riots 80 that the case cannot safe
| Iy be proceeded With. And congress itself,
having most inoonsidsrstsly meddlsd with
ths matter. never took pains to inquire what
action On its part if any, Was requisite; SO
that now congress, president and chief justice
are In a complete muddle on the subject, each
seeming inclined to throw all responsibility
tor delay on one or both of the others.
| The upshot of sll this ia, that the prisoner
| is not tried, nor likely to be; and that, il
tried, he is morally certain not to be convict
ed; if convicted, not to be punished. There
are still many persons who would like to have
| him executed; but there is not one intelll
gent man on earth who has the taintest no
tion that he ever will be. For, though gov
srnmsn.s sometimes infiot capital punish
ment ON conspicuous rebels, they never, q
| least in modern times, do 50 long after theil
rebellion was suppressed. Austria, in 1S49
/ put to death thirteen of the hungarian lead
ers betrayed into her hands by the miscre
ant Gorgey but she tried them by drum
head court-martial directly after their surren
der, and had them all hanged and buriet
within forty eight hours. Had she waite'
eighteen months, and then executed them sh
l
christsndom.
Since il is notorious that Davis is not to b
punished, why is he still kept awaiting TIT
al which he alone seems to desire, and whlc
| he can by no means obtain What goo
end is su observed by persisting in a mensc
which still serves to irritate, though it no ior
ger appeals?
Congress, ct it's last session, evidently fel
that it had the President st disadvantsg
with regard to this prisoner-that he was u
| elephant which Mr.. johnson had too easerl
acquired. and was now unable either to kes
. or dispose OF save to his own LOSE. In til
state OF feeling then prevalent, this aspect {
the case was regarded by many with evlder
compiacency. Had the President been e ma
of high courage, we think he would hav
bailec the prisoner and called on congress t
demand, if that were deemed advlsab bic, Ii s
he should be surrendered and tried, and t
prescribe the legal conditions of suoh tria
since tho lava as they stand sseta inadeGuat
or defective But be should first, at all events
have pubiicly rstreetsd the charge of com
plicity with the assassins of Precedent Lin
ooln. since he has virtually abandoned 1t b
not attempting to found al indictment there
on. LIZ is neither just nor wise TO sand fort
q prisoner OF state with the brand Of murde
on his brow and naked failure to prose
cute ia but equivalent to the Scotch verdict
mot proven" If Mr.. Davis is even prob.
bly, guilty Of completely with Booth. b
should long since have been indicted an
tried for that crime if he is pot, ne shout
have ere this been explicitly freed from tn
reproach, even though he were to be execute
for teason on the morrow. A great govern
ment may deal sternly with offenders, but nc
meanly it cannot afford to seem unwilling t
repair an obvious wrong.