Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-07-14

believed they deserved the severest pun
ishment But that If the case turned or
the question as to who has the power tC
try hose men, / believed that there was
no suthority under the Constitution OF
laws of the United States to take citi
zen OF Indiana, not soldier, and import
military tribunal to his home TO try and
punish hun. 81 important did I regard
that principle in that exciting time to the
future OF this country that, with nv ewes
open to the fact that I took the very great
political risk in defending, not Bowles
and Milligan, bat the right OF every cit
izen in acivil community where war is
not raging, to be tried by the courts OF
his country and before juries Of his own
land, and not be dragged away outside OF
his own doors to be tried by military
organization brought from distance-to
meet them and try them. believe that
having put down the Rebellion, having
saved civil liberty in this country against
cruel in7asion, we ought also to save it
from out own recklessness.
happen to have with me a CODY OF the
argument [ made before the Supreme
Court il the year 1866; and I desire to
say that felt when l made that argu.
meDt that was doing as worthy thing
IS l ever had done in my life, and [ look
back upon it to night with as much sim
cere p'ide and satisfaction as upon any
act OF my public life. [Applause1.
ought to add that I have never seen
BOWLS nor Milligan. I knew that they
were poor, and probably could not pay
for their defense. | was never promised
and Iever received any compensation for
it. ] paid the expense of printing my
owl brief and my argument I never
received any compensation for it; [ did
itin defense of what 1 believed to be a
post vital and important principle, not
nly to the Republican party, but TO the
lation-namely: that in no part of our
civil community must the military be ex.
allied above the civil authority. Zap
plause. But that those men, however
unworthy, however guilty, and however
disloyal to their country, should not be
tried by any but lawful, civil tribunal
Congress had provided laws for trying
every crime that those men were charged
with, and for trying it by civil court.
Nov, believe that all over this land one
Of the great landmarks of civilization
and civil liberty is the self restraining
power OF the American people, curbing
themselves and governing themselves by
VIC lulu Va JIG Clfll low. l. TomlQu you
of the fact that the Supreme Court unan-
imously sustained the position I took in
that argument. There was some differ.
encs in the reasoning by which the Court
reached the result, but the ruling of the
Court was unanimous that The trial bad
been unauthorized by law, and that the
mer must, therefore, be released. That did
not release them, howeve-, from the
right of the government to try them In
civil courts for the crimes with which
they were charged. The note that I re-
ferrsd to as being handed to me was that
should explain how it was that /, Re.
publican and Representative, gave my
voice and whatever ability 1 possessed as
a lawyer to save Rebel conspirators from
punishment My answer was, "Hang
them, but hang them according to law.
Applause. If you do it otherwise, you
commit muroer." Now, if any one has
any question to ask upon this subject, |
shall be glad TO hear it.
The speaker here paused, but there
cam' from the audience no response to
the nquest.