Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-03-28
D.fxef ne eenate.

son accused of crime.s One toho Is CON
scious of innocence, and Of his ability to clear
himself from imurious charges, sottl not be
likely to resort to dildt0sy proceedings. He
will rather be anxious 20 hasten his sc-
quittal. He would not willingly rest under
serious imputations for a single day be-
yond what Is absolutely necessary.
There Is a particular class of criminal cases
n tchfch the people also haze a right to demand
hat the trial Le speedy. Offenders who are
dangerous to society are usually, after ar
est placed In close confinement SO that
heir crimes cannot be repeated before a
trial Is had, or Justice eluded by non-ap-
The foregoing is the preface to an editorial
designed to show that President JOHNSON
should be driven to trial with the utmost
rapidity-that. in effect he should be tried
by "Halifax law" as the Earl of Leicester
claimed he was about to be tried in Queen
ELIZA BETH's time, that is, ''irst condemned
and hung out of hand, with gracious or
der, that inquiry into the facts" of his sal
legged misdoing shall be made thereafter"
The Chronicle insists that President JOHN
SON does not possess consciousness "of in
nocence, and that he has no hope of this
ability to clear himself from injurious
c,arges," and hence he asks an undue
length of time for preparation of defense,
simply that the trial may be needlessly pro-
longed, to the great detriment of the Re-
publican party. The Chronicle, further
more, insists that ''there is a particular class
of criminal cases In which the people also
have right to demand that the trial be
speedy"
Now, II there Is any force in this, JKTF.
DAVIS is demanding, and has been de-
manding for over two years, trial. because
he is " conscious of innocence, and of his
ability to clear himself from Injurious
charges;" and the reason why he is not
given trial, after all the parade and fuss of
the Republican leaders that he should be
made swing from a.. sour apple tree" as
soon as captured, he does not belong to that
" particular classof criminal cases In which
the people" shave q right to demand that
the trial, be speedy" By the Republican
press, from the commencement of the War
until its close. 1t was characterized as rebel
lion that did not admit ofa plea in extenua-
tion-that the history of the world did not
furnish parallel to Its diabolical infamy,
and that JEFF. DAVIS was its head and
front-its brains and inspiring cause. An
DREW JOHNSON, as Senator from Tennessee,
and as Military Governor of that State, did
what his earnest nature and ability enabled
him to do to prevent the success of this
I" Rebellion" Yet the Ebening Chronicle,
and between the Chronicle' and all the
other Radical publications in the coun-
try, there Is In this admirable harmony,
wants swift trial for this ANDREW JOHN
SON, now President of the United States,
and instantaneous displacement from the
Office of President. His crime is that he is
averse to giving ten States of this Union, the
most fertile and prolific, over to the polit-
ical supremacy of the Negroes, whose i'm
mediate ancestors were imported from the
wilds and jungles of barbarous and canni-
bal Africa, and who themselves have made
no mark on the ascending scale of civiliza-
tion. or this he is guilty, and If he were
required to answer in direct language to
this accusation he could make no defense !;
but because he could not prove his inno-
cence of such charge, were it made with
openness, instead of compelling him to
answer to the sham accusation that he has
wantonly violated the Tenure of Office bill,
Is 1t an offense that overleaps the offense at
tributed by this class of journalists to JEFF.
DAVIS? For nearly three years JEFF. DAVIS
has challenged trial in vain. Is there an ap-
prehension on the part of the Radical lead
ers that his trial will show that they were
parties to the Indictment of the rebellion,
and that they would be pflloried in history
as the greatest political scoundrels that
have yet cursed the earthp If something
of this kind il not apprehended, why did
two conspicuous Abolition agitators with
all speed hasten to Richmond, when JEFF.
DAVIS was about to be arraigned tor the
first time before the United States District
Court for Virginia, after Judge UNDER
WOOD had made public declaration that he
would empannel Jury that ,oould convict
DAVIS of the crime of treason against the
United States, and become his voluntary
bailsmen? Since first giving bail for his
his trial has been put off twice.
But President JOHNSON, who, according to
Republican authority. throughout the dark
and trying hours of the Rebellion, was un-
falteringly true to the Union, is denied the
paltry time of forty days for defense. Re-
luctantly ten days were allowed him in the
first instance. and then an additional week
was given, and the whole Radical press
shout: don't give him any further time !;
his guilt is clear don't waste time in trial !;
displace him with railroad speed but,
bless you, don't hurry up the trial of JEFF.
DAVIS"
The people are beginning to think. They
are likely to render up verdict on this
whole business that will not be much rel
ished by the Radicals.
Mistaken.
L. II. Neal, of Ross county, is only