The Portland daily press., 1867-05-20
DAILY PRESS.
PORTLAND.
Monday Morning, May 20, 1867


We publish to-day the comments of tho
press of Maine, as far as heard from last week,
upon the release of Jefferson Davis. There
are one or two papers which we have mislaid
(among them the Lewiston J0uTdf, which Sc
verely condemned the Richmond man@uvre)
but the array of opinions which we present Is
sufficiently notable, both for extent and varie-
ty. The Bangor Democrat speaks of Davis as
"a distinguished gentleman and eminent
statesman" and is evidently quite prepared to
adopt the counsel of the New York Day Book,
and make the late prisoner candidate for the
Presidency. The Argus tells us incidentally
that the Southern people "hate Us, and have
every reason to hate u.s." but thinks Horace
Greeley has done a wise and proper thing. 1t is
Interesting to observe how uniformly Mr. Gree
leys act is condemned by the men with whom
he has generally been in sympathy and praised
by those who never praised him before Mr.
Greeley is in the habit of assuring people who
differ from him, that their opinions will meet
with ready sympathy in every bar-room and
bawdy-house in the country. This is not
logically conclusive argument, as Mr. Greeley
will probably discover now that it is brought
to bear upon him. Indeed he already accepts
his place among the publicans and SINNERS and
retorts upon his accusers by calling them
"howling Pharisees."
An expression OF discomfort, sometimes
flaming into anger, at the conduct of the Gov
ernment, appears almost without exception
in the columns of those journals which steadi-
ly maintained the national cause during the
sxrI oh I,au
to the Presidents side, in the controversy be-
tween Mr., johnson and the Congress of the
United States, denounce this shameful release
of man who as the representative of "a con-
spiracy which cost the nation so many precious
lives, deserved a thousand deaths. 1t is mis-
take to speak of Jefferson Davis an as alleged
traitor awaiting trial. He is entitled to no
presumption of innocence. 1t is an insult to
common sense, to say in his case that until his
guilt is proved he must be treated as presum-
ably innocent; that he is entitled to speedy
trial or release from imprisonment. The act
which the constitution of the United States
calls treason Jefferson Davis notoriously COM
mitted. Before the world he levied war against
the United States When he was captured
two years ago he was not a suspected but no.
torious traitor. Technical proofs out of place
in such a case; 1t is not necessary to summon
witnesses to prove that the sun rose yesterday.
Jefferson Davis was entitled then to speedy
trial before a court martial, to short shrift, a
reasonably long rope, and a traitor grave
1t was thought then and has been thought
since, that great state trial before the high
est tribunal in the land would be more impress
sive and dignified. That may be. Jefferson
Davis had no right to demand such trial, but
if the American people choose to test the eff
cacy of their laws, it is their privilege so to do
For the laws would really be ON trial, instead
of the prisoner. Everybody knows that JET
terson Davis levied war on the United States.
The only question is, whether our laws are so
drawn that he can be convicted of his notori-
Gus crime. That question it might be well to
settle, and if he should escape through any
loophole it would be something gained to dis
cover and stop that hole for the benefit of his
iinitators hereafter. If Davis is to be turned
loose without o trial, if as generally believed,
we have seen the end of the matter, the res
possibility for such dereliction will assured
ly be traced home, and the parties thereto will
be well and faithfully remembered. Uninflu-
enced by personal hostility to Jefferson Davis,
without touch of vindctive passion, the peo-
pie who have suffered so much by his crime
have constantly expected that henceforth that
crime should be marked by the strongest con-
demnation, and they will not patiently consent
to be cheated of the expectation.