, 1866-02-01
= JEFF. DAVIS, TRIAL,

= - 0Aoafeks CHICAGO TE1BEEE.r ChinAsn Ill,
:.HpRsDAY. FEBRUARY j. 1866.
JEFF. DAVIS TRIAL.
Dispatches from Washington contain the
following:
~ numaes, With nore ih,n ordlnzy foundation
be speedily btoneht TO trlsl before military com.
wtach 1rstedayt deTpsches aliaded. Il L taia, /,
imposing wuh distinguished names II w. cer,ain
thats The Geoe1als nrc here oescnsib1y 10 consult
Tron military affairs. but reals, II We may believe
PTr.idcnt Of ,hc Late rebel conseacsacs. '1'
"Generas Meade. Merritt and hancock have
.k asss es,s s9e Generals Sheridan Terry and
The conviction in faeor of trying Jefferson
Davis before military tribunal for the crime
OF rebellion instead Of before jury for trca-
son, is rapidly gaining ground, in Congress
and among the people. We believe the OBJ
3ections TO tbs latter mode of trial, and tho
fully presented and fairly understood, to com
mana universal assent.
That insurection and rebellion are crime
none Will deny. If they arc crime there
must be some tribunal before which
.hey can oe pnn'fned. but an ordinary
judicial tribunal canuot panIsh them
for neither In the Constitution,
nor In the laws Of the United States, or Of
any State, is any. provision for Furnishing
either Of these crimes by Indictment or tslal
before jury. They provide for trials for
treason before a jury; they carefully de1ne
that crime But the distinction between
treason and rebellion ts Just as glazing rs be-
tween m attcnpt and a SUCCESS, OF .. between
larceny anu fopoefs, or assanlt and murder,
or haud and torg@y- In each case the leas Is
merged N Inc greater. There can be no rob-
oe15 "itnoul Mfcens' NO murder without
M assault no io'ga1s H1tnout fraud- 80
.ne'e can oe 10 1eoe'non "'tnont treason get
~ "ou'a W ~ AoetFato say tAey were the
same e4nne US 10 say 'nat foooerS and mere
'a1eehs' or murder aao mere assault, or forgery
ana mere 'saua arc the game. FOR there may
oe treason without re6cllon.- The two
c11mee afe therefore distinct IN Their nature,
unu 1aen oMetently uea1eo IN Inc Consttu-
Lon. -..
Nhl'e treason Is clearly defined, and the
mooe u Hs &F1n1 p1os1aeo LOT, under Inc
Article referring 10 the powers ''of the judi
cary, fnsurecuon is only mentioned rs
fomethmE Whlen the military arm OF the
nat'on Is authorized 70 suppress, and rebel
Lion Is only mentioned IN order to Justify the
suspension OF the writ of Aabea1 corpus In the
event OF its Occurrence
, Moreover the act Of Congress Of 1395, for
suppfcsslhg rebellion and Msulreet1on, fur
Liner defines the crime as existing "wheneyer
the laws OF the United States shall be opposed,
or the execution thereof obstructed, by com-
olnations TOO powerful to be suppressed
BY the ordinary course Of Judicial pro-
cecangs." MI. Lincoln, In his first procla-
nation calling Tor troops, certified that the
Jet. Davis rebellion came within this denni-
tion.- Here, then, We have the legal dellni-
lion OF tho TWO crimes. Treason Is the crime
OF levytng var against the United States by a
combination not too powerful TO be suppressed
os Inc ordinary course Of the judicial tribn-
na's' and hence II Is referred to them By the
cons1Aut1on' boih Tor suppression and pun
Isn"sal' - out msmfec1ion and rebellion are
e.e.a. s Nv y. ,s's ms war aanst tne United
a., -. !.n.D..."sn gue Smen ,. o's LOO power
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forces for II Il ,d,d mt ererv ,ri,e, slain Nv
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a 11ry for a rebel Ia absur1 the ntt-mntsto
try leading rebel In that way is still more
absurd.
Three consequences Of rebellion are inev.
table, and each Of them lis Inconsistent with
she trial Of the chief Of the rebellion by
jury.
/, Every rebellion sYTnys the whole neople
~ . ,,,ntr,. ~ ~. -. ~. .At,a -
VI country VI oue faoc or Inc otner, aud
hence every man in It forms an opinion a to
-. r,.s1t ,.-..t,.,.n... - ,...-r-s
Ae SUI. nssooeass' .s",ss Aau na''ne 'ofmeo
an opinion, q disqualified from acting rs
juror. II Cromwell hsd failed in hin rebellion
=. sos.A"A