Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-06-12
~ D.v,s VVIII Never he Tried.

JefE. Davis Will never ne AE
We make the prediction that JEFF DAVIS
will never be tried-at least not during
Republican Administration. On the part
of Republican politicians there wasAn anx-
iety thNt he should be tried by military
commission for alleged complicity In the
assassination of President DtNCoSN, or as
privy to the Libby and Andersonville par
baritless but the judicial committee that has
been investlgatingthe matter with the view
of ascertaining whether there could be
found sufficient ground on which firmly to
stand an accusation, has not been able to
find any such ground. For the purpose of
making out case, witnesses have been de-
tected in impudent fraud and perjury
That therefore, cannot be made to an
swer. er ..... '...-..
1t may seem somewhat strange why Re-
publican politicians would have found sat-
isfaction In the trial, conviction, sentence
by military commission, and executionin
pursuance of that sentence, and are
yet disinclined to have him tried
in civil court on the charge of treason.
A little reflection will serve to divest the
subject of its strangeness. If tried before
a military commission on the charge OF
completely In the assassination of ofPresident
LINCOLN, or as privy to the Libby and An
dersonyille barbarities, the question OF
what we call his "treason" would not be
touched. And his trial in civil court will
not cOnclusively settle that question any
more firmly In the minds of the people,
Whatever may be the theoretical views OF
some in regard to the right of secession, the
concurrent belief is, that it is impossible so
long as the great mass of our people value
the Union as they do. No new light would
be thrown on the subject; but facts would
be brought to the attention and considera-
tion of the public through his trial that
would unquestionably prove damaging to
the Republican party. Through his trial,
1t would be made appear with the clearness
and brightness of a sunbeam, that 1t
was not through any promised aid, sympa-
thetic or practical, from Democrats, that
the South was emboldened to embark In the
secession enterprise; but that ii sods in con-
sequence Of assurances from leading Repabli-
can politicians, who were supposed to speak
the views of the then incoming administra-
ton of President LINCOLN, that if they ,oere
disinclined TO remain in the Union they t1Ould
be allo,ced peacedbN TO toithdrd,o from the
Union, that they embarked in secession
and that, while the Democrats of the North
with Douglas at their head, and Southern
Union men, were labOring with earnest
sincerity to prevent secession of any kind,
peaceable or otherwise, the leaders of
the Radicals in Congress and the Fire
Eaters of the South played into each
others hands, and conjointly are guilty
OF the defeat of measures of COM
promise that would have spared the cOun-
try the curse OF Civil War, with its attend
ant crushing taxation, and would have pre-
served the Union territorially and fratern-
ally-a thing that the action of the Radicals
in Congress proclaim has not been done
through war. This, certainly, would make
an ugly record in court against the present
leaders of the sO-called "Union Party" and
they don't want it made up against them.
Hence, their anxiety that JEFF. DAVIS
should not be tried. If this is not so, why
has not Chief Justice CHASE long before
this undertaken his trial?