Year: 1865

The re plies and manifestoes published oy
Geo. Sanders, Beverley Tucker, and Clearly


since The reward offered for their arrest,
make it necessary that Secretary Stanton
! should bring forth from the dark portals OF
TIE "Bureau of Military Justice" the proofs
on which his representations TO the Presi-
dent were founded. These proofs ought 10
| be strong but whether they are strong or
weak, the govern ment will appear 10 better
advantage by their exhibition than by their
( further concealmsnt. 1t should have been
| foreseen, when the proclamation was made,
| that whether these persons were guilty or
innocent, they would alike make The offer
10 come and face ihe charge, if they could
| be insured against other risk than that in
CURED in regular trial. Il does not very
we'll Sefit The dignity of the government TO
accept the challenge thus flung out; hut


under the circumstances, il must either do
this or publish the evidence or else see
the opinion of the world turn against il as
an unjust accuser.


If it should accept the offer Of Sanders
aud Tucker. and guarantee them safe cen
duet back into Canada IN case of their ac-
quiitaI, they UoEld probably come it inno>
cent, and fail 10 fulfill their promise if guilty.
In the first case, the putting them on their
trial would evince a confidence, on The part
of the government, in lis ability TO convict
them, or at least confidence that ii had
such primG fdcie case as would not dis
credi. its condor in the estimation Of q court.
If the goVemmet has been hasty, and the
proofs will not stand sitting, the making a
show OF a trial is perhaps the best method
of easing down its dignity for nothing is
more common than for governments 10 put
on trial men who are ultimately acquitted.
But if Sanders aud Fucker. when their Offer
is closed in with, should slink away and fail
to appear, this of itself would create SO
so strong presumption Of guilt that the
government; would need no other vindica-
ton of lis arragnment.


But Il the government does not accede 10
their proposal for trial, Secretary Stanton
is bound TO b.ing forth the evidence on
which the accusation was made. Il will
MOI do for him TO say, that he is waiting TO
gather new facts aud render it more COM
/ pleie for this would Do confession that
| he had made the charge when The evidence
was insufficient 20 support il. He is not
| bound to convict the accused, but only to
justify his representations 10 President
Johnson. II is not as if these persons were
in custody and awaiting their trial unlsss
the government accepts their offer they
will probably never be tried. They stand
before The world in the light of perssns ac-
cused without proof; and the government
owes it to lis own character 10 show that it
has proceeded on good grounds.


If this charge had proceeded from some
other department than that OF Secretary
Stanton, the public would give it more Gre
dencs on tbs mere word of the accuser.
| But Nj Stanton is well known TO be rash
and hasty il is only few da ys since the
proceeded from his department inputa
iions on the honor and fidelity of one oi
our ilIustrious generals. A man who did
not spare even Gen. Sherman, but, in spjte
of his great services, made a hasiy and IN
| founded assault upon his character, would
rot naturally be very tender or scTupuloua
in dealiW with the regulations of notorious
rebels. Whea, therefore accusations &C.
companied by no proofs are made by Mr
Stanton, the world cannot help recollect
ing the character of the accuser and the
general style of his transactions. These
fugitive rebels in Canada may be guilty
| but the world would sooner believe it or
evidence ii can canvas and Judge of, than
on the mere assertion of Secretary Stanton
as to what he has got concealed in his
'Bureau of Military Justice IN Y World