Vermont Phœnix

Jeff. Davis.

The Washington correspondent of the New York Tribune reports that Jefferson Davis had been or was to be bailed, and the names of several gentlemen are mentioned as to go on the bond. He omits to give these names which are elsewhere stated to be those of Horace Greeley, Horace Clark, Augustus Schell and Cornelius Vanderbilt. Positively no success has attended their efforts thus far. Mr. Chase declined to issue the writ of habeas corpus and intimated that he did not consider the offence charged in the indictment bailable. Attorney General Speed, on the contrary, is of the opinion that it is a case of bail. The counsel, at this juncture of the affair, are urging Judge Underwood to issue the writ, but his decision has not been given.

Jefferson Davis is held as a prisoner of war, and not as a prisoner of State, as many have supposed. A writ of habeas corpus, if granted, would bring him under the control of the Court; in other words release him altogether from present military custody. In this the government would not interfere, as it would then be a judicial matter, leaving the Court to determine whether or not it would release the prisoner on bail without any interposition by or consultation with the President.