The Northern Pacific farmer., 1880-05-27
HANGING JEFF DAVIS.

Andy Johnson, Zach Chandler. Rem
Wade and Ben Butler Wanted ia
Suspend Him to Sour-Apple Tree
Buffers Plan for Trying JEFF:
Detroit Post and Tribune's "Life of Zachariah
Chandler
An important conference took place
on the following day (sunday, April
16, 1869 in the presidents rooms. By
appointment Senators Chandler and
Wade and John Covode ian original
member of the committee on the con-
duct of the war, then a contestant for a
seat in the house) called upon Mr..
Johnson, and proceeded to consider
with him what policy should be pursued
toward the chiefs of the CONQUERED re-
bellion. They believed that the public
interest required that examples should
be made of few of the more guilty of
the southern traitors, and urgeu such a
course upon the president. They found
him confronted as he was with the dan
ger of assassination, and recollecting
his own sufferings as a southern union
ist-eager for measures of extreme
rigor, and were compelled at the outset
to seek to moderate a violence of in.
tention on his part which was certain to
defeat the aim they were anxious to Sc
cure-namely: that OF impressing the
public with a sense of the Justice as
we'll as the severity of the punishment
of deliberate and inexcusable treason.
Andrew Johnson's disposition was to
give to the contem plated proceedings
rather q revengeful than sternly re-
tributive complexion. The relations of
Mr.. Chsndler, Mr.. Wade, add Mr.. c.
vode with their former fellow-commit-
tee. man were then exceedingly init.
mate, and they labored to restrain his
vehemence and to direct his Getermi-
nation into a channel of action which
should be just and not passionate, and
should thus yield wholesome influences.
1t had been suggested .that Davis and
other fugitive rebels should be allowed
to escape to Mexico or Europe, and the
question of their punishment thus
evaded. This plan was promptly con-
demned by all the participants in the
conference, and there was a general
agreement tnat the leaders of the re-
bellion should be arrested as rapidly
as possible and held to answer for
their ofenses. The next question
that arose related to the best meth.
cd of procedure after these men
had been captured, and then it was de-
cided that Gen. Benjamin F. Butler
should be sent for to give his advice as
lawyer. Mr.. Covode undertook this
errand and soon returned with him.
Mr.. Chandler then stated to Gen. But.
Ter the subject of the conference, and
the President added that he was anxious
to make historical example of the
leading traitors, for it's moral effect up-
on the future, and took exceedingly
extreme ground on his point, much
more so than the other gentlemen
were willing to approve. All of those
present expressed their opinions in
turn, after Johnson had concluded, and
all agreed upon one point-namely:
that in the case of the seizure of Je effer.
son Davis he should be summarily pun.
ished by death. Mr.. Chandler remark
ed with emphasis:
"You have only to hang a few oil
these traitors and all will be peace and
quiet in the south. A few men have
done the mischief, and the masses ol
the people were misled bv them. They
have put the country in great peril to
crafty their political ambition, and
they ought to suffer the penalty oil
treason as warning to all men here.
after"
To this Andrew johnson replied that
Mr.. Chandler could not know the full
enormity of the crime Davis and his as
sociates committed, that northern men
could never realize the sdierings the
rebellion had brought upon the loyal
people of the south, and that no pub.
lishment could be too severe. He add
ed that he was determined that q pre-
cedent should be established that would
be forever terror to such men as had
conspired to overthrow the govern.
ment.
After some further conversation, the
President asked Gen. Butler for his
professional opinion, as to whether
Davis, Benjamin, Floyd, Wigfall, and
the other civil officers Of the confedera:
cy could be tried by military com.
mission. Gen. Butler replied that il
they could be arrested in the 1nsurrec.
tionary states in any locality under
military control, and where no civil au-
thority existed or was recognized-they
could be arraigned before such tribu.
nal, but court of this character would
have no jurisdictionif the criminals
should get upon foreign soil, or, before
being apprehended, reach any district
where the civil law was in force. Mr..
Chandler then urged that Davis should,
by all means, be secured before he had
chance to leave the seeded states;
and inquired as to the situation of the
troops in the south, and the probability
Of their defeating an attempt by Davis
to fly through Mexico or by boat on
tho G.,lf p.oa;lo,at Iohaao,, ao,al;od