The Express.
London, England, 1865-05-04 00:00:00

LEWES. FROM WILKES BOOTH.

The New York World of tbe 20th publishes
letter from Wilkie Booth, preceded hy the follow-
ing explanations :
Ths following verbatim copy of a' letter in writing
which is the handwriting of John Wilkes Booth, the
murderer of Mr. Llseoln, has bra furnished as by
Be.. William Millwood, Veiled States Mandel of the
Easton District of Penosylvania. It was banded
over to that officer by John S. Clerk% who k •
brother-W.l"w of Mr. Booth. The Isiatery 'connoted
with it is somewhat peouliar. In November, DM, Um
paper was deposited with Mr. Clarke by Booth, in • sealed
euvelope, "far safe kespis&" Mr. Outs being iporeat of
its oonteats. la January hot Booth milled at Mr. Glarke's
It asked for the package, and it was given up to him.
It is now supposed that at that time he took out the paper
and added to it his ligature, which appears to be in a dif-
ferent inky to that wed iD the body of the letter, and also
may. anguage employed weld not have bees pot 10 it
o Afterward he rammed the package to Ilz.
Clarke again for safe keep, sealed sod biasing
the superscription "J. Wilkes Booth. " Tim %-
closure was pawned by the family withoot ens-
photon of its nature. Anise the afflicting informa-
tion of the usessioation of the President, which came
upon the family of Mr. Clarke with crushing fore% it woe
ooealdired proper to open the envelope. There were found
in it the following paper, with some seven-thirty United
States bonds, and oertfficatas of shares in oil win "es.
Mr. Clarke promptly heeded over the paper to
Marshal
Millward, in whose mistody it Dow remains. From • inroad
of this paper it seems to have boss prepared by Booth as a
vindication of some disparate sot wild* be bed is sestosa-
plation, and froze the language used it k gimbal& that it
was a plot to abduct the President and sorry him cg to
Vlrgiata. If this wee meditated itfailed, and from making
• primmer of the President up ti his asenedookon was we
army step for • man of perverted principles. Tbe letter is
am follows
1864.
My deer Sir,—Yott may uss this se you tbiak
Bet as some may wish to know whoa, who, and why, sod
se I koow not how to &sot, I give ft Ii the wads of
your weir) :
TO WHOM II KAT COnagin.
Eight oe wrong, God jades me. sot man. For, be my
good or bad, of ono thisg lam sure--the lasting
coadsmnation of the North. I love pesos more than life.
Have loved lie Caton beadeaprienks. For four years
have I waited, hoped. and prayed far the dark clouds to
break and for a restoration of oar former sunshine. To
wait lover would be • rime. All hops of peace is
deed. flingers have proved as idle es my bees. God's
will be done. Igo to see and share the bitter end.
I have ever held the South went • night. The very
nomination of Abraham Liocola, four years ago, spoke
plainly, war—we. upon Southern rights and institutions.
His election proved it. Await as overt anti." Yes, till
you are bound and plundered. What folly I The South
was wise. Who thinks of argument or patinae when the
finger of his enemy promo on the trigxer In • foreip
war 1, too, could ssy, " actary, right or wrong." But in
=le such as ours (where the brother triesto piers' the
s heart), for God's sake, choose the right. Whim
a country like this spuros justice from her side she forfeits
the allegiance tullyzallorrest freeman, sad should
leave by any fealty "covert
to act as lii:lnoonsokoes may approve. People of
the North to hate tyranny, to love liberty
and justice, to strike at wrong sad oppreesion, was the
Meshing of our When. The dody of our early history
will not let me forget it, and may it sever. This country
was formed for the white, not for the black man. And
leek* upon Alrkaa slavery from the mine stood-point
held by the noble framers of our constitution, I, for use,
Uwe ever considered it one of the peeled blessings
(both for tlaantelver 11101 us) that Hod ever bestowed
upon • &toured nation. Wager heretofore our wealth
mod power, witness their "lima= and ealiebtonmest
above their race elsewhere. I have lived among it most
of my life, and have seen Iwo harsh irciatonet from
mister to man than I have behold is tha North from fatker
to son. Yet, heaven knows, no one would be willing to
do roe for the negro race than I, could I but see a way
to AIM better their modifies. But Lincoln's policy is only
prep:lag the way for their total annihilation. The Soot/
an Dot, nor have they been, fighting for the continuant* of
slavery. The first battle of Bull Bun did away with that
ides. Their mums sines for war have berm as noble arid
greater far than three that urged our fathers os. Erma
should we show they were wrong at the begionlsg of this
egotist, cruelty and injustice have made the wrong
OWN the right, sad they stand any (before the wonder
and admiration of the woad) as a
Doble band of pa-
Wolk heroes. Hereafter, reading of their deeds, Thee-
reopylai will be forgotten. When I aided in the capture
sod execution of John Brown (who was a murderer on our
western border, and who was fairly tried sod connoted,
before an impartial judge end jay, of imam, and who, by
the way, bas since been made • god), I was proud of my
little sham in the transaction, for I deemed it my duty,
aid that I was helping oar common country to perform an
are of justice. But what was • crime in poor John Brown
is now considered (by themselves) as the greatest and
only virtue of the whole republican party. Strange tranani-
pekoe Vies to biome • virtu*, simply beeause mare indulge
la it. I thought thee, es now, that the abolitionists were
the only traitors in the land, and that the entire party de-
served the same fate as poor old Brows, not because they
wish to abolish slavery, but on account of the means they
have ever eudeavoured to use to effect that abolition. If
Brown were living, I doubt whether he himself would set
slavery against the Union. Most, or many, in the North
do, sod opeoly curse doe Union; if the Smith aro to return
and retain • single right guaranteed to them by every tie
which we ono) revered as sacra& The South can make Do
choke. It is either extermination or slavery for themselves
(worse than death) to draw from. I know my Aoki°. I
have also studied bard to discover upon what
ripen
the right of • Mato to secede has been
clesied, when our very nacos. Coital States, and the
Declaration of Independence both provide for secession.
But there is no time for words. I write in haste. I know
bow foolish I dual be deemed for undertaking such • step
as this, where, on the ous side, I have many friends and
everything to make me happy, where my profession alone has
gained me an income of more than twisty thousand dollars
• year, and where my great permed ambition in my profes-
sion has such a great field for labour. Oa His other haled, the
South have never bestowed upon me one kind word ; • place
sow where I have no friends, pt beneath he sod ; • place
Pere I must either beoome • pexosrivate solditer OT a beggar.
To give up all of the former fyr the latter, brides my
mother and sisters, whom I love so dearly (although
they so widely differ with me in opinion) seems insane ;
but God is my judge. I love justice more than Ido
• country that disowns it; more than fame arid
wealth ; acre (heaven pardon MO if wrong), more
than • happy home. I have never been upoa a bat-
tlofield but 0, my countrymen, could you all bat
me the reality or effects of this horrid war, as I
have seen them in every State (save Virgishi). I know
you would think like me, and would pray the Almighty to
credo in the Northern mind • sense of right and justios
(even should it posesse no sessoniog of mercy), sod that He
would dry up this said blood between us. which is daily grow-
ing wider. Alas, poor country, is she to meet her threatened
doom? Four years ago I would have given • thousand lives
to see her remain (se I had always known her) powerful
and unbroken. And even now I would hold my life as
naugl4 Ito seal her what she was. 0, my friends, if the
fearful scenes of the past four years had never boss enacted,
at if what has bean bad bean but a frightful dream, from
which we could now awake, with what overflowing bearta
could we bless our God and pray for His continued favour.
How I have loved the old flag can nem now
be known. A few years since and the entire world
scald beast of nose so pare end spotless. But I
have of lots bees seeing aad hearing of the bloody
Beds of which she he. been made the emblem, and 'would
shedder to think bow chanpd she has grown. 0 how I
bays longed to see hot break from the midst of blood and
death that circles round her folds, spoiling her beauty and
ternishiog her boaour. But so, day by day has dm bee
drugged deeper and deeper into cruelty and oppression,
till DOD (ice my eyes) her ones bright red strips" look like
bloody gashes on the face of Heaven. I look sow upon
my early admiration at her polies as • dream. My love
(to thiegs stand to-day) is for the South dorm Nor
do I deem it a dishonour in attempting to make for
bur • prisoner of this man, to whom she owes so much Cl
misery. If mosso attends me, Igo penniless to two ride.
They my dm hes fourid that " last ditch" which the North
have so lose &tided, and bees endeavoariag to fere" her in,
forgetting they are our brothers. and that it's impolitic to
goad an enemy to madness. Should I reach her is safety
and find it tree, I will proudly beg permission to triumph
or die is that same " ditch' by hoe side.
A Coolidge** doing ditty on his own resposability.
J. Waxes Boom.

As " AMC= " Column.—Mr. Stephen Reed,
eithiar, NerreradrarrTars. as wafter for See* Nora.
rusberisaid, died a his readisse is that awe as Terriday.
Mr. Rai ea ;ratably the elders aroner is Reeked.
lava( bald his Mee so Isis than 56 years, ad he pro-
Wily " sat spar" more aquas sr catedropber of terrible
=spited* this say ass is his this, men video ray
be ansiersied the (meet sepia, expieriee et wells lad
ad Sundae, ad the Healey metarapha Mt. Reed ex.
reared the faecaose et his alike midi within a canara-
ttaly short period el Ids Ora.
Row. 0110GBATHICAL 13001117..--At the evening
on Monday seat Ow fellaviets6PlPon wnlit...4..ate 'Tali
2•-I"n Exus,
. ; aiiiiiineeT:l7..7. at
B.N. 2. RovwZmi Blase leat
Atria& • Dr. Kirk. 8. Rasa Travels is aimless*
arts rd ; by Dr. asset.

THIS DEBATE ON MB. BAINES'S

REPOBX BILL.

The Times now writes etrongly against Mr.
Baiswes bill. To wine " would be deliberately to throw
wide the balance of power setnelly *slating sauced es. tad
the }loess of Cornaeces did well is Wasik** Wore taking
nab an irretrievable stop."

The Pod, is a milder tom, allows that the question
whether the elfese d enteeding the freashise, as proposed,
would be productive of the evil apprehended. ia fair muter
of diemesios. "It is net tanameable that the Boas* of
Commons should dein a fair opportusity of discuses; the
provisions of Mr. Bathed/ bill, though we an inclined to
think that the diet main is sepided by the prospect of
a forthcoming deetioe. Awkward question may be asked
at the hustings, and professing Women may tad it cos.
veniest to assume a virtue though thee hens it Dot."
The debate, carried os mainly by members of the liberal
WV, is extremely edifying to the Menet* Hensid. Mr.
Beier was soundly buffeted by his ewe Meade, retuned
like him to turn out the Derby Ministry for its faint-
beartedems is the seder of referee aid rain to power an
administrations whisk should per a thorough sod mega.
11140thie. "We will sot taunt the sew anyone wilt •
their old snore, or imam iato the steps by which Mr.
Lowe, who, ea a sessaker of the ministry, supported the
64 trendies is 1900, arrived at the eouvietion he embodied •
in the alas speak be delivered y Men* olionnoo• We
wept their testimeny to their ewe ignorenes or total
west of piesiple. mad we am gad is me them espeadetet
and giving their aid to dem the wild Ole of derseenesp.
Bat their pert conduct forbids us to trust them. We liter ;
no waft that if reform should at asy time mom a gad
ecy they will sot be amanget those who hallos it lendesL°—
The Advertiser Rude We an the laird mosettneeeise la I
the lead will take are that they put the proper premeni.:
oe their respective esemeestatiess Were the debate is
tamed " Let the oonetatasecies tell those of their mem-
bees who say they are sincere is their &imam a< elk OZ•
tesuise of the trendies to at lent' 61. qaditeatiose, deg
they are not found smug Mr. Beier. supporters whoa
the division lists are published, they may regard the fact u
the deuth•imell of their oussexiou with the constituencies
they now represent. If the Anton will only had such
language as this to than mesaliers who, while prairie(
liberalism with their lipe, ere brie in their beats, itPAU-
not be lost epos them.'

D#AirA.
DRIIWf•LANII.

----
The first requirenteel- in it iive-act drams Is s'
elm sad istemsting eke", end lie lest requirement is em'
historical theory/I Ibemakewpidtheopbteal sebsol, which
whitewasher; a petreimmiebesseter et ths oast of making it
ineffective. Rained the Third, se be appears upon the
stage, is doubtlem a very gross caricature of the mo-
narch be is supposed to repreesen but be is fax
more satisfactory to in average theatrical audience
then any unfamiliar phentore would be eonetracted MTh
fatly Is the Reoord-offios. When the new lights of hiebni
have boss barn* la the world for at lent a century they
may be misty el ewed to illarothe the theatre, bat sot
Worn end Mr. Fakeseses sew pkg. waded Lords Ordeal,
or the Old and Bets 'RORK protaced at Drury-lame las
'debt, would have been moth improved if the author bad
observed this rale. Mr. Falconer's attempt to show that
Robespierre is a much misrepresested patriot is more credi-
table to him amen historical writer than aa an 'dor and
dramatist, but anfortusetely the public go to the theatre to
am plays and adorn and sot to have their prejudices
uprooted, their minds instructed, or their ancient faiths de-
stroyed.
So much for the historical theory and the analysis of the
characters ! the story of the drama reey be related far mere
briefly. The plot is little more than the love of a young
female aristocrat for a poor plebeian, and the mirages be-
tweet pride sad affection. The young plebeian in of
canzse, sable ha spiral and setiose—he eaves every.
body, from Robespierre to a earving.maid, and coatjame
his aristocratic rivals, leas by the power which be gains
ander the republic than by hie neelfiehaties mid maser
The play is singularly undramatic in °attraction and
barren of incident—the taking of the Baatille is related, not
shown, sod there is nothing like the bustle of the Dead
Heart or The Tale of Two Cities to excite the
midkoca. The love sasses are eerefnUy sod delicately
written, the blank verse dialogue seldom rune to seed,
but there in far too math talk for the eery limited soaks
of the drama. The talk is net as didactic as might base
been expected, sod the apostrophes to liberty are not very
numerous ; but fora !lotus of rather puffy blank verse are
hard to bear, when swooned with only toe murder and one
dueL
The cast of characters was conspicuous for the absence
of many of those Radios names which have been associated
with this theatre drain the present management. Mr.
Walter Lacy played • gay Lod chivalrous nobleman of the
old regime. with abundance of striking deportment and
careful olocatioa ; Mr. R. Phelps represented a yowl, gentle.
men and lover of the new regime with a little midair, but
in an iotereatiog WIDOW ; and Mrs. Hermann Venn wee
charades.' .raMinaad womasly asthe you, g female aristocrat
who loves the plebeian. bfr.Fa. . sr appeared as Robespierre,
a part for which he is not adapted, and turned that revolu-
tionary chief into a middlaaged benevolent school master.We
presume that he played thepart more from necessity than
choke. Tie neat of the characters were filled by Mr. &A-
more, Miss Rose Leclero. Mra. H. Vsodentioff, Mr. Raynor,
Mr. J. Neville, Mr. Eitsjamen Miss 0. Welton, he.—Bir.
Balmer* giving a vigoross represeetados of an old miller,
jealous .1 a yoseg
_wife. The dreams are tolerably correct
tor the period-1789-1793—bra the scenery is Ina& of
huge odds and ends, which seem to belong to no age sad to
ooantry.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY
irzATlNai
The annual gathering of the members of this
society topic piane sterday, at Ezeterhall, coder the pre-
siddey of de Bight Hos. the Tart of SlitrrasaultT, sup-
ported by a lugs number of clergymen and noblemen. The
ball was so crowded that nosy husdrods of applicants were
refused aridadoe.
Prayers bade( bed offered up,
The Palomar!. iniedy
_addressed the meeting in opining
the promediep, and called upon
The ElleasTAMT, who road the annual report, which stated
that the society was established ma the 7th March. UK its
sole object being the daddies of the Holy fidp.
tone without note or oconmest both at horns and
drool. Ia order to amenspliali so gnat a wad as the
distribution of the Bible in all leads sod call
it was necommy to cosihine, aa fey as
the exertions, the liberality, the learning, aid the
piety of all Obrietias people. The monessomesent of the
society was small, its progress gradual, bat its snows had
been truly wonderful. The Bible Society, founded is Los.
doe in 1801. soon became the purest of many Wien. At
the present limo the gaieties is eodexios with it wage—
In Great Britain, 3,894 ; in the commies and other
diodes, 1,154 ; Ireland had 495, and there were about 000
foreign broaches, radii total of "hod 9,50. When de
moiety messint ' translatices of the Bible,
in whole or in part, might hay* bed about 50, but
Macs this tied the somber had greatly biomass&
There were scow 169 busguages or diniona is wince
the society had promoted the distribution. priatiag, or
tideland of the Scripturw—diroctly, in 125 languages or
dialed.; indirectly, Ia 44; =skis, a total of 199. The
number of yeesions (omitting those which are Fruited is
different characters only) is' 09. Of lbw 157 are dricias
prepared sloe" the year UK The circulation of the Scrip-
tures showed also a grist isindee. Darin the past four
years the somber was 81,137 copies—List year aline,
at home and abroad, 2,450,127 (including 539.041
portion) ; tote) from the coinasesomneot, 47.998.578.
Other Bible Sorieties, sided I. fanner rem
by grants from the fade of the British aid P
Bible floriosty, bed boss bmindeetal is di/addling daily
35 millkiss more, so that the deelation by mesas of &see
°oedipal accistas animated to nearly 63 millions of espies
of the Holy Scriptures, is whole or is part. It was not too
mesh to say that by treselstios, priding, sod ateala
ties el the Bible dills the press % esseary molds a
=truth had bees eddied acceptable to about GOO
of the human family. The mosids of the pest
Wurenioneted is 187,434 f. Us. 9d., the expenditure to
434 13a. 10d. On the adios ci the Bishop of
the revert was adopted ; and lady interesting
maid doe addidd.
Tim BUM" Boondrest mewed the last resolution, fat
the adoption of the report, sad spoke is high tend of the
muddier of the soehity, end somptlinested deocidettee
spell de favidelds report dab had bus presided Se the
nmeldeg. -
Bishosaamt Arimada, dimaded the maid, which
mois seeded
Bei. litmus Tiadoid ether apish's' lollswed
lei support of the residetione appatodisg to the objects of
the soliely, sad the promedlngs- domed (after paydg the
tad 08110/.9.96.1 ma** 998319.8.1. ode -lifs7w3.