The New York herald., 1868-04-29
Trial Of Jc6 Davis-Its Relation to I'm
poachmeut.

Trial Of JET Davis-Its Relation to I'M
pcachment.
JEFF Davis is by the latest arrangement
to be brought to trial on the I'd of May. There
is significance in the date. Before the end OF
the first week in May the radicals expect to
thrust from his place the President of the
United States. They can hardly suppose that
the country will take the event quietly, and
many of them, perhaps, believe that it will
create an excitement, perhaps fierce reaction
against the destructives. Regarding such
reaction as one of the possibilities Of the fu-
ture the radical managers see how handy it
will be just as Johnson's trial ends to have
JEFF Davis trial in such forward state that 1t
can be rapidly pushed to close, that the ex-
element over the removal of the President
may be smothered and lost in the greater ex-
element that would follow the condemnation of
the Confederate leader. Radicalism, more
over, would particularly like the idea of class
ing two great criminals" together 1t would
jump at the chance to put Johnson in the same
category with Davis on any possible pretext,
and would lay to it's soul some fattering unc-
ton in the fancy that it proved to the people
the patriotic sincerity of it's motives against
Johnson if it proceeded against Davis in the
same spirit and style Immediately thereafter.
We have hitherto warned Mr.. Davis of the
necessity these fellows would presently be
under to kill somebody, and have told him how
admirable a sacrifice he would make and that
he had better give them wide berth if he can
find any plea satisfactory to his conscience.
We repeat the warning-if he is in Montreal
let him remember that the summer is coming,
and not travel to hot countries. He has good
enough pretext in the revolutionary course of
events, and it would be romantic madness to
be nice on points of honor with such customers
as Ben Butler. Let Davis consider the point
that Butler and Stevens argue with most eager
ness against Mr.. Johnson. This point is that
to be subject to punishment he need not have
committed any act properly known as crime,
but that political offence is sufficient. In this
monstrous doctrine the reign of terror lies
thinly hidden. Hitherto our boasted civiliza-
ton has had one positive tendency toward the
largest liberty of opini0n-a tendency to eman-
cipate men from the excessive supervision of
law. Freedom of movement, action, thought
and speech have been gained to the world, and
as we have made progress in this direction the
number of acts for which men could be pun
ished has been by rigorous definition cut down.
Society has required that men should only be
punished for crimes political offences are not
ha1J 10, boo tIxx doro
punish political offences. France exiles, but
dares no longer guillotine, the men who
offend politically against the public peace.
Mexico, a country whose civilization is
of the sixteenth century, killed that distin-
guished political offender Macmillan, and the
world shuddered with horror, so abhorrent to
the sense of the age was that return to the
thought and conduct Of barbarous times.
What, indeed, is the secret of Davis escape
to the present timer 1t is that the country,
respecting in the largest degree this immunity
for acts that can be construed as political ones,
Is unwilling to even seem to violate the pact
and prefers to see the leader of the rebellion
escape rather than make an example against
sentiment so largely rejecting the spirit of pro-
gress and civilization. For all men can see by
the history of nations that if we once punish
political offences no man can keep out of the
hands of power any longer than the party he
acts with is the dominant one, since q political
offence is simply difference of opinion be-
tween the offender and those who have the
power to bend the law to their purposes
Stevens and Butler therefore, argue that it is
not necessary that Johnson should have COM
mitted crime, because they know his offence
has been not against society or justice, but
against the radical party. They want to pun
ish him for that. If they succeed in this they
will have cast down the barrier that pro-
tected Davis, and he will be the next victim
His conviction and execution will be the neces-
sary logical result of the removal of Mr.. John
| son, il the Southern leader should be simple
enough to put himself in the clutches of the
radical fanatics.
whisIsey II Kins-The Case OF senator Yates,
A most astonishing discovery has been made
| in Washington. There is one honest man
there actually sitting in Congress and forming
| one of the High Court of impeachment He
represents Illinois in the Senate and his name
ten a letter to the people of his State in
which he delicately acknowledges that he has
been in the habit of imbibing larger quantity
| of bibulous stimulants than his nervous organir
cation can stand, which, in vulgar parlance,
means getting ''dead drunk" Yielding to
temptation after long and exhaustive labors is
his main plea for forgiveness, and the honor
able Senator also speaks of suffering unutter-
able pangs after one Of his mbibing tours
around the Capitol. He assures his con-
stituents that he has reformed, and that hence
forth punches, cocktails" and such like
| inrilions heuaranas will ha sfrannora 10 him