Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-04-10
why 5e6. Davis Has Not Been
Tried - An Important Letter
from Horace Greeley.

JEFF. DAVIS was not tried, CnaG no Jury,
unless it were packed, would convict him,
and that it would hurt the Republican
party to try him and allow him to be ac-
quilted, and they could not hang or shoot
him with safety either. Read the letter:
lreleraml
DANBURY, CONN, March 81, 1868.
To the Hon. Horace Greeley, Tribune Office,
Ne,o York:
Can you speak here with Vice President
Hamlin on Friday evening next?
Yours. JOHN TwEEDY.
REPLY.
NEW YORK, April 2, 1868.
My DEAR SIR:-I duly received your
telegram, inviting me to speak in Dan bury,
in company with Vice President Hamlin,
on Friday evening next. / had a prior
for that evening, yet presume
[ could have been released from it had the
necessity been urgent and palpable. But
l had already decided not to speak in Con-
necticut this spring; and it seems due to
frankness that should say why.
In May last, Jefferson Davis, having been
two years State prisoner in Fortress
Monroe, was taken thence to Richmond as
if for trial. On his arrival, the prosecution
was not ready to try him, as it had not
been at any time during his long detention.
I did not then know, whatever l may have
suspected. that Judge Underwood of that
District had already testified before Com
naittee of Congress that to try him 1oOutd tneU
itdbly result in defeat, unless Gj,uy loere pack
ed expressly to c0nutct him. The subsequent
failure to convict John III. Surratt at Wash
ington is an impressive commentary on
Judge UPS extorted averment.
In the ewes of mankind and in verify, the
Republican party was and is the response
BILE prosecutor of Jefferson Davis. 1 am
not aware that Andrew johnson or his Cab
met had intermeddled in any way with the
course of justice in the premises. If the
Chief Justice, ,close district includes Virginia,
or the District Judge for that State, had seen
fit to trythis prisoner, he aooutd of course haze
been tried long ago. Why they did not, I can
only infer; but the testimony drd,on from Judge
U. as aforesaid, confines me that neither OF
them deemed it acise or sdlutG1y to inUOke a
failure ,ohich acould be aoidely hailed as prou-
ina the rebellion legally right, the nation essen
italy acrong, in our late Grduous and bloody
struggle. l quite concur in the suggestion
of some one who, with reference to this
matter, observed that "A good lawyer,
having won his case in one court, never ap-
peals it."
The Federal Constitution expressly pro-
vides that sin all criminal prosecutions,
the accused shall enjoy the right to a
speedy and public trial by an Impartial jury
of the State and District wherein the crime
shall have been committed" Here was a
man two years in prison, persistently de-
manding trial, and persistently refused
it. The Judge of his district had testified
that to try him according to the afoarsaic
provision would result in defeat of the
prosecution. That he was not likely to be
tried soon, if ever, was plain. l thought
he had right, if not tried, to be bailed;
and had already said that, while 1 should
prefer not to be required to do so, would
sign his bond if that should be found nec-
essary. Being assured that it aoas neces-
sary-that the thousands of responsible
men who would gladly have signed in my
stead would not answer the same purpose
Il made good my proffer.
had never seen Jefferson Davis so as to
know him. 1 had never held any sort oi
intercourse with him. There are probably
few men more antipathetic in all their
views, opinions, convictions, purposes, than
he and /. After had signed the bond, he
asked an Introduction to me, and we civilly
greeted each other. We have not met nor
exchanged word since that day, and new
er may. did in his case what ] would
readily have done for Maximilian. if could
thereby have saved the Republicans OF
Mexico from the blunder and reproach OF
needlessly taking his life. would gladly
have moved them to set an example to the
despots of Europe, by paroling Max. never
again to lend himself to any plot against
Mexican liberty and independence, and
contemptuously dismissing him
from our hemisphere.
In either case, considerations of fairness,
of Justice, of humanity, would have had
much weight with me. In neither, would
1 have been impelled by these alone. /
believed that the Republicans of Mexico
could not really afford to shoot Max
imilian. believed that the Republicans
of this country could not afford, after he had
lain taoo. gears in prison, to trg, conUtct, and
execute j eferson DdUis;; still less could they
afford to make the attempt and fail. Had he
been executed, l believe his death would
have been bloodily avenged on thousands
of Observation-Disclosures, especially Blacks,
and would have made thousands of votes
for the common cause OF Rebellion and
Sham Democracy. Had the Republicans
been beaten in an earnest attempt to con-
vict and hang him, think the conseL uen-
ces would have been different, but equally
baleful.
These convictions were not lightly form
ed. acted on very full consideration; and
have seen no reason either to change my
views or regret my action. l was quite
aware that my act would be censured and
my motives impugned. The clamor act
ually raised somewhat transcribed my eX-
pectations, alike in its extent and its fierce
ness, but attributed this in part to rivalry
in business, and patiently waited tor the
gale to exhaust itself.
If my recollection is not at fault, most of
the Republican journals of Connecticut,
including those of stateliest pretensions,
were prominent in thus assailing and de-
me. 1 think a full proportion of
the orders to have the Tribune stopped. be-
cause of my action aforesaid, came from
your State. And, even so late as last jan
uary, L received thence an insulting mes
sage, purporting that, since had sold out
to jeff. Davis, my paper was no longer
wanted.
Of course, do not question the superior
sagacity of those who so vociferously con-
demned me. Say that they saw further
and more clearly than did, the manner in
which they demonstrated their astuteness
is still open to discussion. But am not
of this, nor of anything.
Acting always, in matters of opinion, as /
see fit, l accord the same liberty to others.
Yet it has seemed to me unadvisable, in
view of the facts above glanced at, that l
should, at this late hour of the canvass,
allow your struggle to be complicated
with any question personal to myself. So
long as | stay at home, content to
do my best as journalist to
insure your success, 1 cannot well be
charged with doing you any harm; but,
were to appear among you as speaker, it
might be that some of the calm, sagacious
patriots who last May threatened to vote
thenceforth the Copperhead ticket to attest
their adherence of my bailing JEFF. Davis,
might choose to put their threats into exc
cution. When one sets out to act like a
fool, it is difficult to forecast the limits of
his folly.
In the earnest hope that your struggle
will result next Monday in decisive Re
publican triumph, L remain,
Yours truly, HORACE GREELEY.
JOHN TwEEDY, Esq, Danbury, Conn.
Thankful for Small FavOrs.
The Cincinnati Eoeniag Chronicle thinks the