The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1866-01-17
sympathy with Traitors.

y
WE copy the following from the Charlotte
Times of the 18th, and invite particular at
tention to that portion of the article, which
we have printed in italics
The friends of our late Mssst,ious leader will
be glad to hear of and from him, and to learn
something of his present condition He still
fingers in imprisonment. We deem it impolitic
and imprudent here to discuss the merits of the
question whether the government of the great
est and most enlightened people on the earth
'So7cdued'-are justified in their course towards
this man-who, if not great in himself yet by
virtue of the high Office he SO long held in great
country struggling for political freedom and sw-
presndcy-is, or ought to be, entitled to distin-
guished respect. We cannot discuss this subject,
but we can enunciate facts, and, in modest way,
comment upon them.
jeff Davis is now, and has been for a long time,
prisoner, confined to the narrow limits OF fell
ons cell. For some time, and until very lately,
his friends, even his wife, were not allowed to
visit him. We are happy to record the fact that
this rigid enforcement of military authority has
been greatly relaxed, and that our late distin-
guished leader is now allowed many privileges,
greatly tending to his personal comfort and con-
venience.
But his trial. his trial When will this come
off, and what will be the result? Not only we,
but the entire world look toward it with awful
suspense We cannot, of course, predict the re-
suit, but we are happy to record the TACT that
some action has been had in the premises The
Senate has called upon the President for informa-
ton He has replied, and in our telegraphc col
umn this morning will be found the message in
full Its purpOrt is to the effect that Davis has
been ''indicted by the Supreme Court of the Dis
trict of Columbia for high treason; and also with
the crime of melting the assassination of Presi-
dent Lincoln!" Was euer anything more abslrd2
But the gst of the message is that Mr.. Davis will
be tried-the only question being where and by
whom: We can only await the decision Of this
eventfnl question with patience, promising to
keep our readers fully advised ofevery step taken
in this great mOment0us national questiOn-in-
yolvng SO much, and on the issue of which SO
much of the future policy of the world will be
based as precedent. We hope for the best"
The Hon. James Speed, Attorney General,
in late communication to Congress, says:
az think that it is the plain duty of the Presi-
dent to cause criminal proceedings to be institu-
ted before the proper tribunals, and at proper
times, against some OF those who were manly
instrumental in inaugurating, and most consplc-
uous in conducting the late hostilities. should
regard it as q direful calamity if many whom the
sword has spared the law should spare Also" &c.
This is the language of the President him
self to Congress, though his Attorney Cen
eral And yet the Charlotte Times asks,
aoas ecer anything more absurd" The Edi-
tor of the Times has already been tried for
sseditious language, but it seems there is no
improvement in his conduct
Those who were '1mainly instrumental in
inaugurating, and most conspicuous in con-
Quoting the late hostilities," were Jefferson
Davis, his Cabinet, the war members of the
Confederate Congress, and the Governors of
the insurgent States. Some of the latter are
as guilty as Davis, and deserve heavy punish
ment. We have the pledge of the President
that they will be arraigned and tried. We
hoped at one time-and there seemed to be
good ground for the hope-that the conduct
of leading rebels would be such as to justify
general amnesty, and that even Mr. Davis
would be merely tried, convicted, and set at
liberty. No one thirsts even for his blood.
But we now give it as our opinion that "eon-
scious traitors" should be tried and punish
ed. This is due to the whole country, and
especially due to the true Union. men of the
insurgent States. If no punishment should
be inflicted on these men, and if the test of
political merit in the South should continue
to be fidelity to the so-called Confederate
cause, the true Union men of the South will
be placed in a most unenviable situation
We trust the national government will omit
no judicious or proper steps to protect the
true Uniontsts of the South from impending
prescription and obloquy.