The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-12-05
The Washington correspondent of the Balt
....a c..., ,,rdnr dato OF Donnrnh ..

The Washington correspondent of the Baltl-
more Sun writes under date Of December 2:
The city is beginning 10 be lively. Congress
men have arrived in considerable numbers,
and largo number of visitors, lobbyists and
sight-seers have come to the capital to be
present at the opening Of Congress. The inn
pressio is that we are to have an unusually
gay season and very interesting session.
A well-to-do citizen of Northern State is
hore proposing compromise with the govern
ment in matter wherein tho aforesaid citizen
got the better Of Uncle Sam. 1t appears that
some years ago the Northern citizen, who was
an importing merchant, received some goods
that were invoiced ut all under valuation OF
about $4,000. H. says the government has
no proofs against him, and can have none.
Neyertt eless, he generously offers to pay into
the treasury S25 900, aud take receipt in full
for all Indebtedness. The Secretary OF the Trea-
sury is considering the proposition.
The President is urged by influential parties
to recommend to Congress the consolidation of
three bureaus into one department, namely:
the agricultural, educational and statistical
bureaus. Some suggest that these shall be
embraced in the Interior Department, others
recommend that they shall constitute an addi-
tional depa1 tment. to be represented by IN ad-
ditional Cabinet officer. The latter proposition
does not meet with much favor.
THE DAVIS TRIAL-CH1EF JUSTICE CHASE AND
THE PnEsDENT-aENERAL GRANTS VIEWS ON
THE SUBJECT.
A Washington letter of the % instant, to the
Baltimore Gazette, says:
Additional interest has been excited here
within few days past in respect to the case of
Mr.. Jefferson Davis, now uncer consideration
of the United States Circuit Court ut Rich
mond. In intelligent quarters it has been
known for some time that the law officers Of
the government would again resort to pet ltoS-
ging and delay, and it has been whispered that
in case of failure OF postponement al attempt
would be made to withdraw the cause from the
civil tribunals, and, through the influence OF
the lawyers with the satIap OF Virginia, throw
it over to court-marlial under the reconstruc-
ton acts, on the ground Of that State not be-
ing yet in the Union
In referring to this matter, 4 Washington
journal charges these movements as being IN
stinatcd by the "govcrnmcnt," anl there s not
wanting evidence that the parties aiming at
this end are endeav0ring to evade the odlum
by casting the responsibility upon the Execu-
tive. This view, however, must be altogether
erroneous, as Will be seen by brief reference
10 the history Of the case. 1t will be remem-
bered that the President, for the past two
years, has been necessarily working to bring
on the trial, with the ayowed object OF testing
important constitutional prlnclples--lnVoiylng
the legal question OF the right Of secession
and the present status OF the States which at
tempted separation Of the South from the
North. To this purpose he invoked the action
OF Congress aud very recently took the opln-
ion of the Attorney General as to whether he
possessed further power in the promises, tho
exercise of which would facilitate decl-
sion by the civil courts. 1t IS now sYl-
dent that the theory that the Fourteenth
amendment to the constitution has been
adopted effectually prevents the accomplish
ment of the Presidents original desire OF
bringing the important legal points referred to
before the Supreme Court; but there is not
particle of proof that his wish to have the case
promptly disposed OF has been in any wise
altered or .nodifed. The truth Of the matter
is, that the case has passed entirely out OF the
hands of the Executive, and Is now, to oil IN
tents and purposes, in those OF the Judiciary
and the law officers OF the government. 10
Chief Justice Chase, the Distrl-t-Attorney for
the District OF Virginia, and the Attorney
General (who has just made another attempt
to screen himself by employing Dana, OF Massa-
chusetts, to conduct the prosecutlon), belong
the whole responsibility. The public will bear
in mind that the power of the President IS
limited to absolutely pardo1lng the accused as
the matter now stands, or, III the event oi the
case being transferred to military court, to
intcrposing an objection to the lhu''Giou VI
capital punishment
The Chief Justice, it will be seen, therefore,
at q glance, has, i'll this very fortunate juno
ture Of circums tancos, an opportunity OF sew
ering all connection betwee.. himself and his
former DO iticll associates. Tho responsibility
rests upon hin Ut oYerrulipS al dllatory mo-
tio,,s and if the accused shall be uemanded by
the military authorities, to ignore that feature
of the reconstruclon system which regards
The State OF Virginia as out OF the Union. II
the claw officers" of tho government think to
make their poace with the coming man" BY
tnrninc this clso ovor 10 tho next administr:-
ton, I have piece of very pr ti,able lnteill,,
gence 10 impart to tn. m. The peculiar and
fast friends OF General Grant say with decided
emphasis that no iogacy the outgoing govern
mcnt could bcqueath them could be less ac-
ceptable than this muddled business.
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