Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1874-01-31
10 he wHIrEwAsHEDs

The cas- OF Gen. Howard Vas De-
fore the House Of Representatives yes.
terday. Coburn. from tho Military
Committee, reported a resolution re-
questing the President to appoint a
Military Court. to consist Of f,ve OH
GERS. to investigate the charges against
Gen. Howard, and report their opln-
lon Of his moral As we'll as legal re-
syonsibillty for such %ofren,es. II any
may DO discovered. 10 this q most
ridiculous amendment was offered BY
Representative Frye. providing that
Howard have the right Of challenge
allowed In civil cases. which was at
length passed. 1t Is now evident that
Howard 10 to be once moro whitewash-
81. Tho Idea Of challenging members
OF q Military Court-martial was never
before. to our knowledge. suggest
cd even In Jest. Upon Its very
face IL Is absurd and against all prece-
dent as we'll as justice. As IN army
ooicer Gen. Howard placed himself un-
der army regulation. . OF which
provides for trial by . military court.
but none OF which recognize the right
OF any accused. b. he officer or private.
to challenge his judges. A general In
the army has no moro license or right
In this particular than a private, and
should receive no leniency whatever.
when charges are preferred against an
army officer. and . court martial or
dered by his superior In command. he
stands upon the level Of . private. In
other words he Is an accused criminal
and has no more to do with the selec-
tion or rejection Of his judges than the
lowest enlisted man In the service. II
the charges against Howard are sud-
cientiy authenticated, and Of such q
character as to demand trial by court
martial, then let him be tried IS was
Fltx JohA Porter. and a have been
hundreds Of officers Of lesser grade. II
the nature Of his alleged offenses pre-
cludss the Jurisdiction OF a military
tribunal. then let It have nothing to do
with hi, case. but give him trial BY the
courts like other criminals. In either
case we fail to SEQ what Congress has
to do with the matter.
The Freedman's Bureau, In which
these frauds were committed Is, it 10
true. a .emi-mllitary aGsir-a hybrid
Institution which should have been
abolished years ago. But General
Howard Il . regular army officer, hold
Ing q commission I'VE b%ellevel As Ma
jor General, drawing pay a. such. aud
thus amenabie to army rules and reg
ulations. He was detailed TO super
Intend tho Frsedmans Bureau, but
this detail did not release him from
his obligations Is an army officer ; and
for all derellctions In the Office to
which he was assigned. he Is rs much
anenabls to army rules As II no were
commanding q Department. AZ we'll
might an army officer, detailed to super.
intend an Indian tribe, claim freedom
from military rule or exemption from
penalties for violation OF civil or MIL
i.ary law. As we said before. tho res
olution rs amended, appears . clear
attempt to kslsomine this shining light
Of the Young Mems Christlan Asso-
citation. Il Il not only o reflection on
tho President. whose duty it Il made
to appoint this military court, but q
relaxation Of tho rules Of military
trials, neither warranted by the char
ges preferred against, o the rank or
history Of the accused. IL must not
be forgotten that these charges are not
recent-that oncs before q trial has
boon had thereon by q COMMITTEES OF
Congress ; aud that this Is the second
coat Of ~whitsni, proposed to be APP
piled.