The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1866-07-04
Jefferson Davis

&c REPRESENTATIVES, that said Davis shoult
be held in custody as prisoner, and sub
;ected to trial, according to the laws OF tht
Tbere would seem to be no room fol-
doubt as to the correctness of one PROPOSE
ton here given. since all parties are agreed
nnon Il. The House saya Davis should bt
tried; his counsel say exactly the same, ane
have been trying, ever since they were al
lowed 10 communicate with him to get his
case before Judge and jury. Then why
Is he not tried? Who stands in the way
JUDGE Underwood held yesterday, on an
anpljcation for bail, that he was a prisoner
ofwar-therefore, not bailable. The fact
being assumed, the reason is conclusive
Rat how long may prisoner of war be
hela after the war is officially declared at an
end? Suppose one were held to-day as O
nrisoner Of war, taken by Gen. Jackson at
Nav Orleans in 1916, would that suffice to
bar his liberation? -,
Pit how, and when did Davis become a
nrisorer Of war? He was not arrested as a
bubble enemy. but as felon. officially char
ged in the face of the civilized world, with
the fonlest. most execrable guilt that ofhay-
ing surborDed assassihs to murder President
Lincoln-a crime the basest and hiost.cow
aulIy known TO mankind II was for this
thst 100000 was offered and paid for his
arrest. and the proclamation Of Andrew
Johnson and William II. Seward Offering
this reward says his completely with Wilkes
Booth & Co., is established .hy evidence
now in the bureau Of military justice" So
there was no need of time TO HINT it up. .
Others charged with that horrible deed
have been arraigned, tried some Ct them
long ago acquitted and set atliberty; Others
executed and buried; Others arcnow serving
out their terms as convict-prisoners. Why
is this one alone still awaiting trial-not
even indicted? Is the charge of assassina-
ton abandoned? Then it should be retrac.
ted as publicly as it was made. Is it per
sisted in? Then why is he not tried on it!
Can yea imagine any creditable reason fol
leaving this matter as it is?
1t has been asserted that Davis is res.
ponsible for the death by exposure and
fam ne Of our captured soldiers; and his
official position gives plausibility to the
charge. Yet while Henry Wirz-a miser-
able wretch-a mere tool of tools--was long
ago anaisned, tried, convicted, sentenced
and hanged for this crime--no charge has
been officially preferred against Davis. So
we presume none is to be.
H., a., -. {nn Va, h., bn ,t,on ~ al
lowed to see his wife or any member of his
family nor to communicate with counsel
save by open letters sent through the war
department. At length, the embargo is re-
Taxed, and he is simultaneously indicted for
treason. Nov" say his counsel, I'VE shall
get his case into court" and they attend at
Che very first sitting to it OIL. The Judge
has no scupple about trying the is loyal
upright, and fealless-there is no business
In the way--bat the government comes limp
ing in the second day and is not ready
No preparation has been made on that
eide, and the case has to go over!
Now ii there be any reason for not try
ing the case in Virginia, it is perfectly tfia-
blein Tennessee. There is ample evidence
that JEFF. Davis was at Murfreesboro' in
1862, welding and impeling the rebelarmy
ofTennessee. Judge Trigg ofthat district
ls thoroughly loyal; he holds the court at
Knoxville, among people as ovel whelming-
" loyal as Vermont. Why has not an in
tictment been found and tried in his court?
Who Can say?
1t has a very bad look when a man Off
cially charged with the yiIest crime known
to men is not even indicted therefore, but
kept in close Jail over year without know
ing on what charge; and. when at length an
Indictment is found against him for some
thing totally different, he cant get tried
gu that, but is still held in close Jail with
out being allowed chance to face his ac-
cusers. We should not like this sort of
treatment; and we mean to insist ON fair
play for friends and enemies alike.
Mind, here is no question of mercy or
knity, since none has vet been solicited.
A prisoner accused of heinous crimes asks
to be tr ed and his trial is shuffled off.
while he is kept in close Jail good way
on his second year. Meanwhile, the belief
gains ground that the whole think is sham;
that there is no intention Of trying him;
that he is only held till favorable time
shall have come for letting him go-and.
when his counsel offer bail, they are told
that he is not criminal but Il prisoner of
war! And, in the South, lis currently pro-
claimed that the government dare not try
him for treason lest it be proved on trial
that he was right and the Unionist wrong
10 our late struggle. The government of
the United States cannot afford to lie Thus
covering and fleeing before analeged crimi-
nal. 1t must come to the light. 1t must
declare on what charge he is held, for what
crime be is to be tried. and when; why these
hesitations, and why his counsel have to
be coaxing and begging for trial lfhe is
to be tried at all, he cannot be tried too
s0on. #E T-T "a G
One year ago Davis was the fallen chief
of an utterly PROSTATE rebellion. He was
at the South and detested at
the North II is very different now. He
has fully regained all the popularity he
ever had Every ex-rebel regards Davis as
for him; and he wins sympathy
outside of their circle. Another year of
Fortress Monroe might make him popular
OF the North. .1ef
For our own part, and in behalf Of some
Others who believe the true. sufficient bases
oil reconstruction to be universal amnesty.
impartial suffrage these two, and no more
we demand that this prisoner of war. or
prisoner of state or what ever he may be,
shall have the full legal rights secured to
him by the Constitution and laws of the
land Believing that any Illegal harshuess
to which he may be exposed tends to en-
gender new bitterness between North and
South and to indispose the latter to ac-
cept conditions of reconciliation which we
hold best TOR each and all, we shall oppose
u as at,onee wrong and blunder. We
nave sun an open, serious controversy with
those who Insist on reconstructing our
country on basis of caste and prejudice,
and we cannot afford to give them the ad-
vantage Of truly representing us as making
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