Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1867-06-15
uf bfefifj neas0ns fgf tOlnn.
leeflna 10 liaii Jefferson Da'is

.H II
500 Hmmbt NJ personal defHma
tIon could Induce mo ~ otter any
dofuta ufmy uF.nry In procuring
t,e release NJ Jefferson Davis fr0m
lmtrlsnnmont theoretically lawle-s
nni practically misDhIcvous. Nino'
trnlk- NJ those now lou,lssi In con
dcmning that release ara heartily
glad Of IL, aud only affect tho con
irary because lhoy thereby crafty
spirit, or hope to advance their
own fortunes 1T the expense of some
one else. II they could have Davis
back in Fortress Monroe this hour
by simply wishing 1t, they would
not.
Those who assail Chief Justice
Chase for not trying Davis, ought
10 be aware Of Judge Underwood s
testimony before tho reconstruction
committee of tho last Congress-, that
Davis could not be convicted of trca'
son any where in Virginia unless
by packing II jury for the purpose
III such be tho fact, can the chief
Justice or the circuit judge be wisely
blamed for not exposing the govern.
ment to defeat on such an issuev
What good end would have been
subscrvcd by such n resultY Re-
member that Chief Justice Marshall
settled the law in aaron Burr's
casc) that the accused can only DO
tried in the judicial district where
his offence was committed.
Some journals have asserted that
! went to Richmond to labor with
Judge Underwood in the premises !!
That upright jurist needs no de-
fence from such an i"'rl'""''on' h"'
I 49,, say that ! never yet spoke to
u Judge with reference to n case on
which he was to act, and surely
should not venture on such an i'm.
propriety with Judge Underwood.
II is not true, though frequently
asserted, that the chief justice has
shrunk from trying persons charged
with treason. There were several
treason cases on the calendar when
he held circuit in Baltimore last
year he was ready to try them, but
the government was not; and they
were put over by the district attor-
ncy, | do know why this was; |
do know the fact.
Several Republican journals have
asserted that | thrust myself into"
this matter-that | sought the dis.
linction, etc. Nothing like this is
true. | went to Richmond and
signed the bond, simply because the
leading counsel for tho prisoner
deemed it cxpedicnt. .Ifany other
name would have proffcred mine;
sor they could have given ten mil
lions Of dollars, all of it by men who
were worth double the amount, for
which they became responsible, and
each Of whom would have esteemed
signing the bond a privilege. But
the counsel believed it eminently
desirable that they should present
some Northern names, Of men who
had been conspicuous opponents of
the rebellion; perhaps because the
application to admit to bail would
otherwise be strcnuously resisted
/ know nothing of their reasons
] only know that they would not
have required mo to face this del
ugc of mud if they had not believed
it necessary,
If there be any who seriously
deem the proffer of bail byRRepub-
Leans unwise or officious, l ask
them to weigh well tho following
extracts (Thcse are from Southern
papers.)
This must suffice for the present.
My maligners of to-day will be
protesting that they didn't mean it
ere three years have passed.
II. G.