The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1867-11-28
The Trial of TTr. Davis.


While We write, another scene in
the great drama of the revolution is
being enacted at Richmond. Mr.. pA-
Wis is at last put upon his trial for
treason, crimc so clearly defined by
judicial writer's, that no tyro in the law
can doubt for moment his acquittal
from the charge, if anything else be
consulted than the bitter prcjudiccs of
party interest 1t may be that his con-
viction is predetermined in the coun-
ellis of Radicalisn, as surnlised by the
Foreign Press, and perchance the Office
of the Chief Justice is to be invoked to
add the extorllals Of dignity and solem>
nifty to q party moot court, but in the
great forum Of the enlightened public
opinion Of the world, Mr. DAVIS stands
acquitted now, and must ever remain
50, of amenabilitY to'tho law Of treason.
The head Of great belligercnt pow
er which measured the strength Of q
great nationality with tho United States
for four years of mortal struggle, taxing
the full power Of the great Republic to
| Us utmost streIcn OF endurance, must
be treated in law as a public enemy,
entitled to tho protection Of tile laws Of
civilized warfare, and cannot be con-
demncd as an obscure leader of sedi-
tious agitation against the peace Of the
State. But when we come to consider
the great constitutional principles upon
which State secession rested, we en-
counter tho neither milestone, upon
which the fimsey arguments of the
treason Of Mr.. DAVIS must be ground to
powder. The very Incorporation of the
abnegation of the right of secession into
the oath Of allegiance, and the corros-
ponding amendment of the Constitution
Of the United States, is sufficient to
show that no such principle as the per-
petuity Of the Union against the will
of the States, was heretofore settled
and recognized feature of the Govern
ment, and is quite enough for the de-
fence Of Mr.. DAVIS. That principle
was incorporated into our system as
result Of the war. It was the one ne
cessary, logical sequence Of the bloody
issue, and henceforth, secession will be
treason, but that decision can claim no
retroactive force to affect the case Of Mr..
DAVIS. For ourselves, we are free to
confess, that we have long desired that
this trial should take place, because it
will furnish the triumphant argument
OF the jurist against tho criuinality of
those who obeyod the mandates of their
nativo States to which they believed
their primary allegiance to have been
justly due. The proceedings of this
trial will be read throughout the world,
and millions will learn therefrom, the
true nature of this government, before
the war, and the great principles which
arrayed the wisest and best of the land
on the side Of the seeding States.
Since the above was written and put
in type, the telegraph informs US, that
the trial Of Mr.. DAVIS, at the instance
Of thu Counsel for the Government, has
been postponed till the 22nd Of March.
The postponement was made in order to
havo Judge CHASE to sit with Judge :
UNDERWOOD on tho trial.
TIE Impeachment Of President johnson.
It is q singular coincidence chat the
of Mr.. JOHNSON and the
trial Of Mr.. DAVIS should be engaging
the public attention at tho same mo-
ment. That anything serious will come
out of the attempt to impeach the Pres
idcnt, we cannot bring ourselves to bo- +