The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1867-01-04
Military Trials.

Now that the Supreme Court has at last made
known its determination, that the trial of per-
sons not in the military service of the country
is forbidden by the Constitution and as neces-
sary consequence Of this decision NIL trials of this
sort heretofore had including the famous Couno-
ver-Stanton-Holt trial DIT Washington, were illegal
and subversive Of the rights of the citizen, and
therefore void, efforts are being made by the
friends of many of the parties convicted by the
various military commissions which have hereto
fore set for the conviction Of Objectionable per-
sons, and applications for the writ of habeas cor
pus have in some instances been made already
In the case Of Dir. Mudd, an application for
writ of habeas corpus is now before Chief Justice
Chase, and it is said that the Chief Justice enter
tains doubts of the orr sual jurisdiction of the
Supreme Court in this ease. If DR.. Mudd is en-
titled to release under the laws Of the land, as
the late decision OF the highest judicial tribunal
seems 10 establish, thcn all the civilians tried 81
the same time were also unlawfully convicted -
In the case of DR.. Mudd and some others, the
evil may be partially rcmpdicd by the writ afore-
said. and for the balance of their lives they may
be permitted to enjoy their liberty. But what
of the case of Mrs. Surratt who suffered death
ut the hands of one of these illegal tribunals p
She cannot be restored to life, now that it is
shown that she, as we'll as Dr.. Mudd was tried
and convicted by tribunal unknown 10 the
laws of the United States. What remuneration
is to be offered 10 that sorrow-stricken and
heart-broken daughter, who, blinded with tears
and overcome with affection, begged so pite-
ously upon her Bonded knees for o moments
interview with the President, on the morning of
her mothers execution? There is no copsoa-
can only know that the highest legal tribunal in
the United States have pronounced the convic-
ton of her mother unauthorized.
Let us not enquire who were the men so lost
to all the promptings of humanity, and SO blind
ed by prejudice, that they conld thus trample on
the laws of their country and violate the rights
Of their fellow men. 1t would he we'll if they
could be henceforth forgotten, with all the deeds
which have made them notorious Yet these
men claim 10 be patriots, and profess TO mean
well but few such clothed with mower, would
soon destroy the liberties Ut sny people. They
claim to be loyal, but such loyalty rs theils will
sap the foundation OF this Republic They claim
10 love justice, yet the violation of the law which
all should respect is the food tAey iced upon. 1t
is a good thing for mankind that this matter has
been yet rgip.at lust, hY tLclteison referred 10 ;
but how much better it would have been il the
necessity for such decision Lad reyer arisen, or
that the doctrines Ut that decision, so plain and
simple, had never been diSregarded.
We wish we could believe that one.half the
outrages which have been practiced on this peo-
pie in the last five years were mistakes, but VIC
do not. While we have full faith in the honesty
and integrity of the masses of the people which
go to make up any party, we as sincerely believe
that the government Of the American nation has
of late been in the hands of men to whose cor
ruption there were no limits