Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-02-06
THE DAVIS TRIAL.
From the Philadelphia Age.l

Etom tnc nnhuelpnla ABe.I
Every now and then one finds odd things in
the newspapers, and especially in what are
called their Correspondence" For example,
we note the following in the New York let
ter in yesterdays Inquirer:
Mr.. VIM. M. Evarts has at last settled
down TO the work Of preparing for the trial
of Jefferson Davis, and is mot at home" to
visitors, being engaged in oyerhauling the
records Of trials for treason since the days OF
the Stuarts. The government, it is said,
pays Mr.. Evarts fee Of one hundred thou
sand dollars in this case, a sum which is not
an exorbitant charge for professional services
when il is considered that his business is now
over fifty thousand dollars per year, and
must suffer 10 a great extent during his
preparation for the attendance on the trial
Of the President of the late "Confederacy."
We, of course, have no means of knowing
IL this be true or not. We hope it is not,
for we have imagined Mr.. Evarts stands too
well in his profession to undertake work like
this for pay. That he has made pretty
good thing out of his relations TO the govern
ment in sundry minor prosecutions and trips
TO Europe is certain; but this 500 900 job
is different thing altogether. And then
with n hanging Inclination, what pleasant
study must be the treason trials "Since the
days of the Stuarts." There were some iii
1715-and some bloodier ones in 1745. They
will be found in the State Trials and in
Michael Fosters Report, with alltheir charm
ing details Of quartering and disembow-
elliig. The grim heads Of Kilmarnock and
Balmerino, TO the disgrace of the Hanover
Kirg, rotted for years on Temple Bar, and
we presume il the Duke of Cumberland had
caught the Pretender he would have shot
him. But of this we are very sure, and we
commend IL TO Mr.. Evarts' attention, even
the government of that day would never
have brought Charles Edward to trial after
the war was over, for says Wing Lord
Chancellor, 'If the Pretender had been cap
tured he must have been treated as a pris-
oner of war, for the voice Of the whole world
would have been raised against the medita-
ted deed of executing him as a traitor" If,
however, it be true that Mr.. Evarts, in view
of the 100000 retainer, has settled down
TO this work" may we not hope that there
are lawyers in the North preparing them
selves without fee or reward TO render pro-
fessional service to one who in tiis his hour
Of peril 80 much needs il.
In this connection we find in yesterday Is
Ledger the following:
/ understand that the case Of Jefferson
Davis has been under consideration by the
Supreme Court of the United States, with
the view Of ascertaining what the legisla-
ton may be necessary for the organization
of the District Court into which il is propo-
sed that he be brought for trial.
Here, too, we pause in doubt 1t is hardly
likely that the highest appellate court in the
land, constituted to hear and finally decide
cases Regularly brought before it. would
transform itself into an advisory bureau for
Congress or the Executive This, one would
thinks unless he has been superseded by
Mr.. Evarts--is tine proper function of the
Attorney General, and the Judiciary Com.
mittee-and we reject the story as incredible