The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1866-04-18
Warning to Military Commissions.


The Judiciary Of the country at large has
not, during tho last few years increased Its
hold on popular respect. Judges there
were who, in the time of political trouble,
did not hesitate to make the law a ntensll
of mob passions. And other ofthose digni,,
taries of the bench there We're who, either
refused redress of civil wrong, or looked
OIL in silence while that same law way be-
ing wrested to the uses of murder! IN all
the dark hour that witnessed so painful a
want Of virtne in the judiciary we cherish
ed, and are proud now to find that we were
Justified in cherishing, unffinching conf
dence in the moderation, purity and indie
pentlence of the Supreme Court OF the Uni
ted States. Even when we saw a partisan
so extreme as Mr.. Chase, placed at the head
of that eminent tribunal, we still contiuu-
ed to regard it the palladium ofour liber-
ties; and we are proud to record that it has
proved itself worthy of the trust in the
case of the appeal from one of the murder
Gus commissions of the reign of terror in
Indiana
A military commission assumed to try
certain parties in Indiana for conspiracy"
Organized to convict" as Mr.. Hale said
of such courts, the individuals thus ar
raigned were, of course, convicted. And
the summary Justice of that form OF TIL
bunal did not fail in the case; for, behold,
the unfortunate victims handed over to 1t
were subject to the routine. sentence OF
death! The President; however, stepped
in between the unhappy prisoners and thelr
bloody iudres. by ordering that the sem
tence be committed to Imprisonment FOL
Life. The men whose lives were thus saved
BY the moral courage and the Conscientious
promptines of Mr., Johnson have heen con
! fned ever since IN the Ohio Penitentiary
But their case, having failed OF remedy be
fore the courts below, was brought up on
appeal to the supreme bench. That august
tribunal has decided, substantially, tina,
the inferiorceurts failed of their duty ii
DENYING the petitioners {the men confined
in the Ohio Pemitentiary) the right of the
writ of habeas corpus! 1t has Furthermore
declared that the prisoners still in custod,
shall be. discharged, and that the bloody
commission which had handed the petit
TONERS over to sudden death did so " with
out jurisdiction" and were therefore, as WI
urged repeatedly at the time, neither mor
nor less than Committee Of Vigilance Ell
Gagged in an act of murder! t,rf an
The reckless men who sat on the trial o
those Indiana ss.eenspirators . ought +
bless Andrew johnson to the latest hour 0
their lives. His intervention between thei
passions and their victims has saved them
iffhe members Of the commission be mel
: of any conscience, from the misery Of a Lii
time. While under The shock with whicl
the decision Of the Supreme Court mus
have fallen upon them, we have not a won
to add unnecessarily to their unhappines'
we must, nevertheless, demand THAI thei
crime be placed under somepenalty to cor
stitutional freedom. Their lives they hav
not forfeited to the law by the accident
Mr.. Johnson's humanity; bnt they have
vet, done wrong which the sanctity {
J personal liberty demands they shall h
made to account for, tt. the most stern ju
+ tice. The incarceration of the lunfortunat
! men whom they flung into prison is
! grievous injury. committed, in violation
law, upon citizens Of the United States
and will, we trust, be made the subject I
!. suit for damages commensurate with tn
public duty of making the men guilty of 5
henious crime, an example to be remen
9 bered Of all men who may be tempted
> employ opportunities ofpublic passion f
Z despoiling us of our birthright Of trial /
$ jury before the courts of the country
o l'4eI Mos IN. Y. News.