The Daily empire. (Dayton, Ohio) 1865-1867, 1867-06-03
From the Sew York Tribune, May 98l
Crlmc-Thc Union Leaguc-J effer.
son Davis.

From the New York Tribune, May %
Crimc-Thc Union Leaguc-J eff'er-
son Davis.
Tho Union League Club ON Thursday
evening, on motion ofColonel Thomas Van
Buren,.
"Resolr4d That the Union League Club
OF New York decidedly dlsapprOves and
condemns the bailing Of Jefferson Davis
tho head Of the late bloody rebellion, be-
lhpyiug that he has been guilty of unpar-
aDcled crimes against his country and hui
lnmuity. and that decent regard for the
patriotism Of the people, for the sacrifices
| Of the war, and for the sacredness Of Jus
tice, requires that he should have been de-
taincd in prison until tried for his crimes
Colonel Van Buren, Is a lawyer as well as
soldier, and knows how TO draw an iudict-
ment as well as 70 indict ambiguous Bum
combc.
But keeping man In Jail without even
charging lin with any completely in the
starving and freezing OF prisoners answers
no purpose ttnles it be to rebut the pre-
sumption of his guilt. Here WAS Jefferson
Davis for two years la Jail at Fortress Mon
roe. awaiting indictment, arrRignment and
trial Here were Edwin NJ. Stanton at the
head OF the War Department, and Joseph
Holt presiding over the Bpreau Of Military
Justice. These gentlemen are understood
y
the Republican party. Public opinion holds
them responsible for President Johuson's
proclamation charging jefferson Davis and
others with completely In President Lin
coins assassination. Why, IL jefferson
Davis is In any manner responsible for the
murder of our captured prisoners, has he
not at least been indicted for that crime?
win some body answer?
But those two do not monopolize the re-
ct,pnethtIify pitiyau may prOauVn bn
Indictment of n known criminal Why
should not the Union League Club have
taken up this matterg That Club was
formed to uphold loyalty aud repress dis
loyalty. Why should II not have devoted
its energies and means to bringing TO JUS
tice the more culpable authors of the Ander-
sonville and kindred murders2 Why
should not Col. Van Buren, have been
charged with the duty oflnvcstigating the
facts and indicting the culprits?
The Club has known for many months
that no indictment has been found against
jefferson Davis except for treason. lt has
known that his counsel have been trying
to bring on his trial, or to get him before
some civil tribunal by hdbeds corpus, or In
some way to procure his liberation. How
can it Justify itself-if IL believes Davis
guilty of numbering pnsoners-in doing
nothing to procure his indictment there
forp
We happen TO know that Davis counsel
have been specially desrous that such in
dictment should be found, and that he |
should thereupon be put on trial, But
nothing like this has been done and the |
blame there be-rests primarily |
on Edwin NJ. Stanton, Secretary of War. |
and Joseph Holt, Chief of the Bureau of
Justice. II there be facts impli- |
eating Davis, they must have the evidence
or could easily have procured it. as 1t was |
their plain duty to do. And If they re-
fused to do their duty, Col. Van Buren, |
backed by the Union League Club, might |
have ELECTED the leading facts and procured |
the proper indictment. Would not this |
have been better than to allow the man |
to lie in Jail two years unindicted for any |
thing but simple treason, and then find |
fault because-the prosecution still declin- |
ing to proceed with his trial-he is admit
ted to bail?
Meantime, Congress. through an energetic |
Committee of Inquiry, has investigated |
the charge that Davis is involved in the |
to assassinate President Lin
coin, has found the principal witness in |
support of that charge perjured villain
and n suborner of perjury, and has had him |
and sent to State prison, where
he is now serving ont his sentence. Thus, |
a hostile committee has virtually vindi- |
Gated Davis from the charge whereon he |
was originally advertised as Il murderer, |
and price set on his blood. Two years of
imprisonment, under circumstances involv- |
ing the utmost possible notoriety, with |
Stanton and Holt very hostile to the ac-
cused and naturally anxious to justify |
their original proclamation, with no in
dictment yet found but that for treason.
amount to n withdrawal or ignoring of all |
other charges. If an indictment is not |
found in two years against prisoner who |
is in Jail awaiting trial, the presumption is |
strong that none will be found at all.