Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1866-06-15
THE TRIAL OF BIR. .DAVIs-.AoJoURNMEH
OF THE COURT.

/
! The subject Of absorbing interest, North and
South IS The case Of the great etatc prisoner. wi.o
Tor thirteen months past has been p:aing in
solitary confinement at Fortress Monroe, and
with wasted health and rapidly failing strength,
| Is anxiousy awaiting his trial In his irnpris.
onment and suffering he is making expia,ion
Tor the Gins OF the whole Southern community
d viearious sacrifice for popular transgrcs.
sions OF which he was only the executive in
strument--and ench one feels that in his con.
demnation or acquittal. judgment is to be pass.
ed in his own case. Hence the univeraal
sympathy AMI absorbing interest which the
case is exciting nt the South, whilst to the
people OF oil scctiors the great constitutional
questions involved, the nntecedenis of the il
lustt ous prisoner and the uncnrnpln ming forti-
tHde with which lie has dgnitied his nisfor
tunes. and the array Of eminent counsel en-
ploycd, lend 4 romantic intereBt to .he trial.
and vii! make e one cf the moat remarkable
Of modern times.
Again has Mr.. Davis been doomed to liear.
rointncnt. AT the late sitting of the Unit cd
States Circuit Court at Richmond, before Judge
Underwood, Mr.. w. Is. Reed. one Of his coun-
SCI, in view OF the legal rights and physical
condition of the prisoner. protested against q
rostponemcnt and demanded speedy trial.
Tie United States District Attorney inter.
posed various objections, md the case was
finally carried over to the first Tuesday in Oc.
tober next-perhaps with the anticipation that
OH account of tho failing health Of the prison
er, another tribunal will save the government
the trouble of his trial. In the meantime,
strong efforts are being made TO obtain his re.
lease.
WAsnISG1oS, June 10.-Horace Greeley and
others from New York are are in town; their
business being to see Judge Underwood, in or
der to urge upon him the justice and pro priety
of admitting JEFF. Davis to bail. Some Con-
gressmcn speak confidently that Davis W i'll be
admitted TO bail while others are equally firm
in the opposite opinion. There are many ru-
mors respecting the efforts making to effect the
release of Jefferson Davis, but little is known
ns certainty. Horace Greeley, Augustus
SchelI. Horace +. Clark, ex-Congressmen o
New York. and other prominent persons, are
here, with this object in view and one Of the
party has been in search Of Judge Under
wood, to ask bail for the prisoner. 1t is Rad
the refusal OF that person to comply will even
| tuate in an appeal to Chief Justice Chase
| Five gentlemen offer to become bondsmen OF
Davis in $4,000 each, for his appearance al
the Octoberterm of the Court OF Richmond.
Jefferson Davis is held prisoner of war and
not of state, as hitherto supposed. A writ oi
habcas corpus, if granted, would bring him un-
der the control of the Court in other woris
release him from military custody. In that
event. the Government would not intefere, al
it would then be purely judicial matter,
leaving the Court to determine whether or not
it would release the prisoner on bail, withou,
any interposition by or consultation with the
President. II may be repeated, the President
has nothing whatever to do with the present
| question of bail, it being confined to those who
are now here seeking to obtain that end. The
radicals ore fearful it will accomplished.
WAsHISoroN, June ll.-Mr Shea, one of thu
counsel for Jefferson Davis, made a motion be-
fore Judge Underwood, in chambers, in order
to test the jurisdiction Of the Courts In Virgin
ir involving the power to hold . prisoner t.
bail, it being judicial question with which
the President has nothing to do. Judge Under
wood expressed the opinion which has always
been insisted on by Chief Juetice Chase--that
SO long as martial law or military surv eilfanct
was enforcedin Virginia, the Courts were Q
mere adjunct. and TO be used in aid Of the mil.
itary power. Judge Underwood declines issu
ing writ of habeds corpus to bring the prison
or before his Court mill he received from the