Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-06-07
Demands n Speedy Trial.

RICHMOND, VA, June 5.-Judge Under
wood, after consultation with General Ter
nv, opened the United States District Court
this morning.
Messrs. Reed, Brady, Brown, Edsall and
Davis, counsel, were present. Some delay
occurred before the panel was complete.
Judge Underwood delivered his charge,
of which the following are the principal
points
GENTLEMEN OF THE GRAND JURY II am
happy to meet you again, and TO know that
YOU are still living, notwithstanding the
assaults that have been made upon you.
Little needs to be said In addition TO the In
structions given at Norfolk. Your last ses-
sion has made you historical, and, trust,
the efforts which have been made 10 intim-
idate you and to impede the course of JUS
tice, will not make you less faithful and
earnest in the discharge OF your public
duties.
The Judge then referred, in the severest
terms, to the press OF Virginia and the city
of Richmond for its share in the odlous
slave-trade.
Complaints of threatened violence and
intimidation, which have been forwarded
to me by several of your number, for your
late heroic and patriotic actions, have been
submitted to the highest legal and military
authorities of the Government, and can
assure you of the earnest sympathy and
firm support of all the officers of the law
not excepting the President, whom the
treasodable now fiatter and fawn upon, but
whom they will probably soon curse as
heartily as they did two years ago. The
Judge then recited the act punishing OBJ
structors of justice. He charges them that
they will have to exercise some restraint
upon the press, which has done so much to
promote duels, assassinations, murders, &c.
and confusion, without any hint touching
the famous treason trial, as follows:
But, gentlemen, let us act with modera-
tion and discrimination, for though pros
tituted press is one of the greatest calami-
ties. a free and virtuous press is one OF the
greatest public blessings, the greatest or
nament and the support of public virtue.
The Grand Jury retired, when william
B. Reed, of Philadelphia, then addressed
the Court as follows:
Nav IL please your Honor, 1 present my
self. in conjunction with my colleagues,
as the counsel of Jefferson Davis, prisoner
of State at Fortress Monroe, and under in
dictment for high treason in your Honors
Court.
We find in the records of your Honors
Court an indictment charging Mr.. Davis
with this high offense, and it has seemed to
MS to be due to the cause of justice, due to
this tribunal dye 70 the feelgb 3ge ag eETs F1g
talizing around the unfortunate man, that
we should come, at the very earliest day,
to this tribunal, and ask of your Honor, or
more properly the gentleman who repre-
sents the United States, the simple question:,
What is proposed to be done with this in
akeGttpeRtHu Is IL tS 6s rieaat have no
right to ask-is it to be withdrawn, or is it
to be suspended9 If it is to be tried, may
it please your Honor, speaking for my coll
leagues and myself, and for the absent client
l say it with emphasis, l say itwith earn
estness, that we come here prepared in
stantly to try that case, and we shall ask no
delay at your HonOr's hand, further than is
necessary to bring the prisoner to face the
Court, and to enable him, under the statute
in ;such cases made and provided, to ex-
anime the bill of indictment against him.
Is it to be withdrawn? If so, justice and
humanity seem to US to prompt that we
should know it. Is it to be suspended or
postponedp If so, may 1t please the Court
with all respect to your Honor and thegen-
tlemen who conduct the public business
here, that your Honor must understand us
as entering our most earnest protest. We
ask speedy trial on any charge that may
be brought against Mr.. Davis here, or in
any other civil tribunal in the land.
We may be now here representing, may
Il please the Court, dying mans bFor thir-
teen months he has been In prison. The
Constitution of the United States guaran-
tees to him not only an impartial trial.
which I am sure he will have-buta speedy
trial, and we have come no slight distance.
we have come--with all respect to your
Honor-we have come with strong sympa-
tbies with our client, professional and per-
sonal. We have come here to ask that
question. / addressit to the District At
torneS-or address it to your Honor, as
NAV be the more appropriate: what
disposition is to be made with tne Dill OF
indictment against JEFFERSON DAVIS, now
pending for high treason?" 2,l A.iA5s o. o