The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1869-10-28
THE YRRGER CASE AND THE REPuSli'
, CAN PRESS.

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CAN PRESS
Tho Vsitad States Supreme Court in "ashihg- 0
ton to-day decided that the military couIs ~
Missis,ippi exceeded its suthority III u!s Q
Wan. a. mnrder-or in other words, that the
had jurisdiction in such cases in that
ststc not " outstanding the Reconciliation act OF
Congress. and the fact that Mississippi 10 upder
military rule In its general effect, this isavery
important decision, and in special ehect WIZ %
% turn Yerper the murderer OF COL Crane, OF the
IInit,d States army, and acting Mayor OF JACK
son, over to the Mississippi civil court, when
equivalent to his acquittai'- O"''"g'
Journal. :, ,.- ,o... |
Thus ia this most infamous chiyalric murderer
Of a northern soldier and gentleman, 10 escape;
While we doubt not the Supreme Court oee.oeu
the huo correctly, it is sorrowiui 10 thihs 'hs'
law and Justice are not in this case uhheu. a
more cowardly, infamous murder was hefe' sVp
,nitted. The sooundrelly murderer was ~ tn"
head Of Mississippi chivalry, and that "chiVAfy
hag TODD nv him TO the last, endorsing the ms.
cradle deed and holding up the rocking tiuas o,
this assassin, and trying by all the honest ano
dishop est means within its power 10 save Ia"
from the Vengeance of an outraged law. IL mas
succeeded, for Yerger, tried before MlssissipP'
iury. will in effect be found gulty-oi having
done NEST commendaole act. Iheie was , ,,
of the gentlemen and man and hero In the iit''e
finger Of Col. Joe. Crane than in oil the CARCASS
of this cowardy murderer that chirdtry takes 10
Its bosom Davenport Journal
The above ia fair sample OF the SEW"
ment Of Republican newspapers on the | ere
ger case, and We might add, of oil other
cases of crime in the south. In the hrs'
pIace. however, both the journals quoted are
az much in error as to what has been idecId-
ed as they are rash and partition IN their
Judgment upon the merits OF the case. Inc
Supreme Cour. has not decided that the
military cour. in Mississippi transcribed 'ss
authority in trying Yerger, though there can
be but little doubt Of the fact What the
Supreme Court did decide was that 1t had
jurisdiction to entertain an appeal from de-
cision OF the y. s. Circuit Court Of Missls'
sippi dismissing q writ Of habeds corpus
and holding that that decision may be
brought up by writ Of certiordrt for review
and correction in the Supreme Court. In
other words, the Supreme Court has simply
decided that under the constitution and laws
Circuit Courts have original Jurisdiction TO
grant writs Of hGbeds corpus and the Su'
preme Court appellate jurisdiction to review
and revise the correctness Of the decisions
of the Circuit Court in all such cases. 1t by
no means necessarily follows that on the
writ being granted and the return being
made that the prisoner will be held to be
Illegally restrained of his liberty, and
therefore discharged, though this will very
probably be the result, and certainly should
be if there is a vestige Of our rights lett
But the merits of the case have not yet beef
reached, except by these hasty newspapers
1t is probable that one hundred unpro
yoked murders could have been commute
in the Northern states without awskenin
half as much bitterness Of feeling and d.
nunciation as has this single murder
Mississippi of Northerner by S9uther
man. Why is it? Is the life of a Mort
ern man worth more when taken in Il
South than the lives of one hundred mt
when taken in the North2 Or ia 1t to
accounted for by the simple naked tact IL
Southern man who is supposed to nj
some political feeling in the matter or
wanting in loyal affection for those sent
rule over him. commits the deed in the o
case, while the various passions OF mallc
lust, svarice, revenge, cupidity, and
others that lead TO murder incite Northe
men in the hundred other cases ? 1t won
certainly seem 80. In all the latter cas-
the public press would be willing that
accused should have q legal trial and all
opportunities for escape from puL.shm'
that the law affords; yet in the single CT
of Yerger, the Republican press, with
unanimity which we insist isl reproach
it, has demanded that Yerger's blood
taken summary by Auxiliary tribunal, a
that he alone of all murders shall be I
prived of all opportunity to make technl
defence, and that every avenue which cou
and iuries may open to the escape OF oil
criminals, shall be closed against him, I
all because he is Southern man and
taken the life of Northern soldier. tenn
srily s0iourning and governing in South
state. The only effect Of this veng
bounding of prisoner is to enlist for hi
sympathy from which his crime would OF
wise debar him.