Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1867-11-27
JEFFERSON DAVIS.


at this Late day, after public sentiment re
gardng him has been definitely settled
after his case has been appealed to the
tribunal of last resort and verdict rem
dered by the sword, to bring him for tria
before United States court. We doub;
whether the trial of Jefferson Davis for
treason can now be conducted as to lie
much more than farce.
What issue is there to try Not the
! question whether Davis participated in 4
rebellion against the United States Gov
ernmen,. That will be admitted If he
is to be tried at all, the question must be
/ this, whether rebellion against the United
States is criminal act Can this Gov
ernment afford TO try that question? \
trial implies doubt. Can we afford to
acknowledge that there is reasonable
doubt whether treason is unlawful A
trial must end in decision by some tr.
bunal. What tribunal in the land can be
asked to decide the issue upon which mill
ions OF men have tonight? Either the
war settled nothing, or it settled that no
State had a right to secede, and that no
citizen had right to take up arms against
the Government If the waI did not set
tie these questions. how can a court settle
them? If the war did not settle these
questions, what reason is there for SUBJ
hitting them to court for discussion and
deliberation
Jefferson Davis, if tried at all, must be
tried by a jury impaneled in Virginia.
Can there be found in Virginia twelve
mer who have no opinion in regard to the
gull. Or innocence Of the prisoner? II
he is tried before jury who are known
to believe that treason is crime, who
.hat does not believe it crime will be
convinced ? If he ls tried before a jury
who are known to believe that treason is
not crime, will their ac3ui;tal establish
the fact that the rebellion was iustifable
If he is tried before jury who are known
to be divided in opinion, will their disa-
greement leave it doubtful whether the
martyred soldiers who fell before Rich
mond were noble patriots or wicked iuya-
ders
There ought to be, say some, solemn
decision BY Il United States court that re-
belli0n is treas N and is crime. If We
are sure of such a decision when the court
opens the case, will the trial be less than
a farce? If we are not sure OF such
decision, have we the right to stake the
honor Of the heroic dead upon the doubt
iul issue II solemn decision by the
court that rebellion is a crime would add
to the verdict of the war, ther
a decision that rebellion il n0t crime
would reverse the verdict Of the war
But what loyal man would accept such
decision as proof that the Government
was in the wrong and that rebellion was
lawful? And If loyal men would not ac-
cept an adverse decision as final, how can
we expect those who dispute the verdict
Of the war to accept the decision Of
loyal court?
We cannot see that any good can be
done in this late day By bringing Jcfer-
son Davis 10 trial. Grant that he ous lit
to have been hung. No one expects that
he now will be executed for his crime
Andrew johnson, who declared that trea.
son ought to be punished, has made it
certain that it will not be. OF the fact |
Of Davis treason, there can be no dispute
as to its crlnlnaliiy, the question has been
settled by higher tribunal than any court
in the land Public opinion accepts the
verdict o! the war Those who still in
sist that rebellion was right are not to be |
converted by any formal decision that can
now be rendered. Under these circum
stances, the trial can hardly fail to be
farce, not the less absurd because it may
be solemnly conducted and directed BY
the Chief Justice himself. But if JEFF
lerson DAVIS is to be tried, We respectfully
submit chat there is another traitor, whose !
crlminahty may with equal propriety be
questioned, and that the case Of Benedict
Arnold ought to be called next after tha,
Of Davis,
MRs. ANDREW WAY, of Syracuse, Was
filing kerosene lamp, Thursday evening