Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-05-16
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The Columbus Morning Journal, which is
looked upon as the central organ of the
Republican party OF Ohio, says that by the
<.God of battles" 'JRFFERsoN DAVIS was
''tried and convicted" of treason, and that,
therefore, sit would be so farcical, absurd
and dangerous" to try him in any civil
court; because, we use its language:
\ '1f he be convicted the case is not i'm
proved, for we have gained nothing but
what we already have, aud no one believes
that he will ever be hung; but if the Uni
ted States fail in the prosecution, what
then? The fair inference is, that If Davis
| 0e tRnocent, then our Government IS gully |!
And guilty of what? We quote the Ian
guage of Mr.. johnson: IF this be so, then
| all this precious blood of our brave SOL
oilers, so freely poured out, will have been
wantonly spilled; all the glorious vfcto-
ries won by our noble armies will go tor
naught, and all the battle-tields which have
been sown with dead heroes during the re-
| bellion will have been made memorable in
vain.' And we add, If this be so, the GoU-
ernnaent of the United States soiU stand con-
cicted, in the eyes Of the nations Of the loorld,
Of blo0d-gttilttHeSs, inGsn,,tch as she aotllfuIg
she'd all ttGt blood, caused all that suffering,
and sodSted all that treasure to punish an in
nocent man, for engaging in a season OF
|
Jut q risk2"
This implies doubt as to the justice OF
the War we prosecuted-so much of doubt
that it can not be made clear in District
Court of the United States-a doubt that
involves "a fearful risk"
"Try me in one of your Civil Courts
has been Mr.. DAVIS attitude ever since his
Incarceration in Fortress Monroe. This
the Government has declined r. do. Has il
declined to do it for the reason the journal
assigns, that it is too dangerous" involv-
ing the " fearful risk" of convicting "our
Government of having been guilty ol
prosecuting an unrighteous War, whereby
the precious blood of our brave SOL
diers, so freely poured out" was
"wantonly spilled; all the glorious
victories won by our noble armies' were
''for naught," and hence ''all the battle
fields which have been sown with dead he
roes during the rebellion" were sown sin
avaih," causing ''the Government of the
United States" to ''staud convicted in the
eyes of the nations of the world of blood
| outlines, inasmuch as she toillfully shed all
that blood, caused all that suffering, and
wasted all that treasure" unjustifiably.
Heavens If so much uncertainty attach
es to our cause that we dare not go into
Court with it, how will we stand acquitted
in the eyes of the world and among our
own people? For seven years it has been
asserted, with every degree of emphasis,
that our cause was just-that we had not
only right on our side by virtue of
the Constitution, but that God sane
titled it with His appreciation. No quarter
was given to him who dared question it
unconsciously by indirection even. And
now the Central Organ of the Republican
party of Ohio protests against the trial of
JEFF. DAVIS in a Civil Court, because such
trial puts the Government in jeopardy of
being proven in the wrong. If the case is
as the Journal states it, then is JEFF. DAVIS
the victor, although his armies were COM
PEELED to surrender to ours. What con-
fession for the Central Organ of the Re-
publican party of this State to make.