American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1866-11-24
JoE5rson avic.

h'du 't"'S III iNo'lt'l lie ildU pre-
viously been publiclt charged, nv
the President of the hited States,
with conspiring to assas:rate Presj.
dent Lincoln, and S1t,00 offered
for his capture thereupn. The can
tine was promptly ndp, and the
money dn'y paid; yet b to this honr
there has not been evG an attempt
made by the Governm, 70 procure
his indictment on thatchar ar. He
has also been popnlart, if not OH
cially, accused OF com bicitv il TIE
virtual murder of Udon soldiers.
while prisoners OF war, |, srb:prtiur
them to needless, in!,anh II exposure,
privati0n and abusr Il no official
att, mrt has been made b irdict him
on that clalge He has la7. indicted
for simple treason; and ejen THIS III
dictmcnt has not brer bitancd at
the instance of the Govdnment. II
may be SO badly drawn (nat no con
viction could be had on ii Whichever
the proof advanced; Vet ne uvecu.
tive could say, ~ am no rrspp,lsi-
be for this. The iIlitmnn, was
Obtained without the assert or privi.
T. OF my Attorney Generl or Capi-
lie f."
Repeated attempts have Deen made
by the prisoners Cotlnsc to lring
bis case to trial, but TO II, purrosc.
The Government does notappcar TO
prosecute; the machincy OF the
courts - always out u:' ord,r. At one
time martial law stands iuth way:
W" en- that obstacle is rtmtypJ There
Is a cavil as to the suifcirrry orcom-
plctenesS of its withdrawal; aud
when that will 10 longer Siivr, il is
found that Congress has somehow
dlsarranged the judicial di;tricts. so
that the case cannot safely be pro.
creded with. And Congress Itself,
having most incOnSdefntly med !
died with the matter, ncvcr took the
pains to inquire what action on it's
part, If any, was requisite; so that .
How Congress, President and Chief
Justice are in a complete muddIe on
ne subject, e'ch Sc ming Inclined to
throw all responsibility for the delay
0 one or both of :hc others.
The upsllot of all tbs is, that the
prisoner is not tried, nor likely to he;
md that, if tried, he is morally Ger.
ain not to be convicted; il convict
q, not to be punished. There are
still many persons who would like to
nave him eX cutcd but there is not .
me Intelligent man on earth who has
he taintcst notion that he ever viii
'e. For. though governments some,
ines lntiict capital punishment ou
orSplruonS rebels. they never, at
cen Of the 'flmi -ir,n1. la 81 Ion"
ra,ed into her hands byI the mis-
rrant CoIgcy; hut she trcd them
W drumhcad cCurtmrrtipt,,nd them
nt ,itGr fn%ir h"rs, *"THif"d'sYh iiad she Swtra sa
tneu months,a and then cXtcWed 1len,' @
She would have invoked t'e eN'''"'
t,ous of all ChriStendom, 7
Simon II is notorious tht Davis Is
rot 70 be punished, whyiF h" Sl,'l
,.. w.. " WHITING a trial whidl he a'"he
noams n TO desire, and whrI e'n" w
mo means obtain! What So'u eno w
Is subserved by perN'StnE ~ d n,r
n,cn h.ch stin serves 10 lrf''"'''
though it no / nIer ap"a !S'
congress atits last SeSSlloary,nr",i If
IT, frlt t at it had the lrrSl.''h. IL, q,
i;,niv,nt,ye with regard I" '''s
.'.;"nnrr-that he was IN r''P '','. ,..
,,hi"L Mr. Johnson had too ''':r. y
"rorirrd, nd was now nnNir F'I',yn n.,.n
:, keen OF dispose ot Slle 10 MS Wv, "" ;, "
los. In the state ot 'rehh@ 'm' ,' "
,r.vo,rnt, his aspect "tth' ease W',' w
lii,,,,d, Il hy uany wi'hrrld'Ht ro'n %
,,ortn,.y. Had the Ptesidrhl orr, zee,
y man oi courage, we tinnN ne N"" ",
T. T. ~. hailed the priSnler ana care care
'm m C,n~r, IS to demand, ii that W'l -
,,ncmrd y" advisable, that h' sho'''v u U
surrendered and tried, ~" 10 W Wp.'
srrih, yhe legal conditions W ~" ',
?. trial, since the laws, as titN N''r, ~,
s.nm inadequate or defective M ID
no should first, at all e\eh'S, ne ",
IL ll;,ly rnirac;cd the charge ni Gov
iE,ity with the aSSaSSl!ls ot tl', t,
Irnt Lincoln, since he has Nl',""' ;,,''
"t,.,,In,rd it hy not atien'N'f;
fnrnd IN indictment there2" - -
&c ,n;tber inst or wise to send ''i',
" ,,r,scnrr of state with the mann y
~ mnrdc. on his tlow; ndk'u '",'
ail tn prosecute is but cqulNah.h' ="
S,otcb verdict, Not proven,
:, A. noyis is even rIobahiy Gdn
nnmnlirit, with Booth, he Sn'
Irnr since have been indiete"
t,;ed for that crime; it he Is '" 10.
-. .Lnnl,l have ere this been eNi,h'
trn.d /, ON the reproach. even inc
. hn were 10 he executed for trt'
on the morrow. A great cove " III
may deal sternly with oiirl'1sls'
not meanly; it cannot ahoru u
ATE unwilling to repair all GOV
wrong. ,.o oe Wa
pb;llips, seems to require 'ne
/ new mont that we have no Know ,. 'e''
. will Mr. Davis views Oh any oi 'he
,ocss. on.s,ions naw commanding 7
IN n .ittantiou, Having io0uu II" iln
+ sy%', %>, crutiy ,or he eni"yment OF INA
keeper t;vr literature, we have not ever
m, ~ nj lis "Pnson Liie" 10y DIR. VI
!, n,l and we "A. yer held any soft oI d
mnuication with him. Bnt "
lnlfe ,.-i.. ,.,liniinns trSt. I'll