Baton Rouge tri-weekly gazette & comet. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1865-18??, 1866-01-02
Ihe Gazette &Gntnet

Il
again announced as settled fact that
Jeff Davis is to be tried by civil court
for treason, and tried soon. Certainly
it is best that he should be tried BY
civil court il tried at all, but we think
that under all the circumstances it
would be much better that be should
not be tried ut all than by civil court.
President johnson is reported as say
ing 10 regard to the case that he wish
es to have II settled judiciaily what ID
treason and what isn't Il islvery natus
raj and proper that he should wish
this, but to our minds il 10 perfectly
obvious, that, whatever the merits or
demerits of Jeff Davis's case may be,
there can not be the slightest cbanes
of q decision against him. When we
consider how entirely every communi.
ty is divided in opinion as to him and
bis course of conduct and the nature
Of the acts with which be is charged,
we do not see how any man can for .
moment doubt the utter impossibility
Of obtsiping jury oftwelve men In the
common and established mode of OBJ
tanning juries, some individual Of
which and even several who will not
refuse to unite in verdict Of treason
against him. We say again and again
that bis conviction upon that charge
| by d jury got up In the ordinary way
is thing wholly out of the question,
and we be may add, that if any ex-
tfaordinary way be restored to and Q
conviction thus brought about, such
a convection can do no conceivable
good but must, on the contrary, be
deplorable in its influences upon the
public mind andheart verywhere
! North and South and over the ocean.
We do not see that there is the least
occasion or even room for argument
upon the subject.
IF the authorities at Washington
wish the question settled what ID and
what is not treason, they surely err
greatly 10 making the conviction or
uon conviction Of JEFF Davis by civil
court the test, unless they desire to
have it decided and established that the
leading of a rebellion against the
Union is not treason. The inevitae
BILE non. conviction would give great
aud permanent vantage ground to the
votaries of secession aud rebellion. Ii
would be sounded IS their triumph
throughout the civilized would. The
true policy then, the undoubted pol
icy, for President johnson to pursue,
Is to pardon the rebel ex-President
unless be is to be tried upon some
other charge or charges than that oi
treason-and to let the the treason
question "slide." His pardon would
create general feeling Of satisfaction
and harmony throughout the North,
universal feeling Of that kind
through out the South, and SINGER,
/
grati6eation and admiration through
out Europe, where as, Mr.. Davis's
trial for treason would cause exaspera,
tion In millions Of minds, and result
, in the utter defeat of the Federal Gov.
ernment and the triumph Of its en-
emies everywhere. a.i
II these truths are not clearly evi
dent to the controlling minds at Wash
iugton, we earnestly trust that the,
: will become so 10 time TO prevent Ia
iudicious and mischievous action
That President johnson would pardol
jeff Davis if convicted Of treason 0
at least commute tho death.penalty b
' some milder form of punishment, W
are not permitted to doubt, bat, as W
have eaid, jeff Davis cannot be con
victed of treason by any jury that cal
be made up in the nation, and tn
consequence of an attempt to conyic
bin would be evil, all evil, only evil
InuiSp3IIe .IoM,n0L.