The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1867-05-22
from Tie hIchmDM limcs.
EX-pnES!DNI{T' DAVIS.
HIS, RnLEA8E.

The last of the great state prisoners who
were Identified with the late Confederate
States was released on yesterday on bail,
and there is scarcely Il probability ,hG, he
will ever bc arraigncd upon an n,lictmcnI
FOR "trg gtsUu.' After two years coniinc-
mcnt as prisoner OF war, ak President
Davis, within ~ rGw hours after his Nights
as II citizcn were recognized hy a civil court,
left that tvibnnal virtually Il free man; and
tho accusation Of ''lrcNSOn' remains q
mootcl question for historians and law
writers Of future generations.
Nothin. could have been more siuniIc.
orderly and unscnsational than tho imci
dcnta connected with the obedience Of The
military to The great writ OF ht6raS cyypHa
on yesterday, in the surrender of the person
Of cX President DnTis iuto The custody o,
the Marsha Of the Cirruit Court OF The
United S;atos for this District, The rro.
cccdingS admitted Of no scenic diSplny, ol
no forensic fencing, Of no arraignncnt OF
the !lusirioua prisoner, and Of no great in
tcilcctnal efforts OF counsel, no in the Gu
less important case OF Mr. Burr The
whole case had been 50 carefully and skin.
fully manipulated out of court that tho
machinery Of the law worked without n
discordani crcak or jar. II cannot, with
justice, he SAID that Underwood was guilty
Of any judicial improprio;ies, or that he
manifested the slightest, bitterness, dis
courtesy or asperi,y towards the illnstrious
prisoner. Ills irrcpressiho rhetoric found
occasional and Inappropriate vent in culo-
gizing General Burton, but rs that gallant
and humane gentleman merits for his kind
ness to cXP President Davis, all thc oompli-
mcnts which can be bestowed upon him, wa
are not disposed TO deal with the court
harshly for the eccentric manner in which
The return to tho writ was demanded.
TylTc oili;inls Of the Court deserve c2clit
ssTShe excellence of their arrangements,
and the court, although, crowded, was mark
cd by not all instance Of inlcGornm or disor-
der Nothing could have been more a,lmi.
rablc than the department Of tho vast
throng Of persons present, although every
heart was full Of enthusiastic respect, al.
mlraiion and pity for the illustrious captive
Many heart blod when he appeared,
feeble and prematurcly aged by long con.
1lncinent, but neither upon his entrance nor
"hcn nc lett tho the room, virtually a free
man, was there tho slightest demonstration
which could hc construed into ,isrespcct OF
The tribunal which admitted him 10 bail
Chief Justice Marshall could moi have been
treated with ercntcr respect than tha,
which The presence Of cxvPrcsdont Davis
inspired IN those who were present at tho
Circuit Court.
Until tho release OF The prisoner was an
nounccd, the nearest approach to an ont
burst Of applause was when that kind.
hearted and eccentric philosopher, Horace
Greeley, entered. looking rs placiland be
ncvolcnt as Mr.. ricliwick Tho fact that
he was there, not only 20 plead tho largest
lnpasure of mercy for Mr. Davis but also 10
become ono Of his baiismcn, carried the
popular heart by storm and if he makes his
escape from Richmond without some sor
or nm oration VIC shall, be greatly miStakon
Thcrc was opportunity for professional
DISPLAY, aud of tho powerful array of coun
SCI Tor the prisoner, tho work which wa!
unavoidable, was all performed by Mr.
oConncr. The speaking was brief an,
simple. by the service OF tho process o
arrest, after the return Of General B,rior
10 ilc writ Of Au6GOS corpus, ex-Presidon