The New York herald., 1865-06-10

j Conspiracy-startlins Developments ei
Rebel Political Plots.
4 In Greece and Rome, and moro particularly
in modern Italy, the violent death Of leading
men at the hands Of their political opponents
was by no means uncommon. Indeed, it may
be said to have formed recognized feature Of
the government When the ancients were
tired Of ruler they publicly murdered him, q,
in the cases Of Cesar and the Gracchi. The
Italians under similar circumstances resorted
to tho most infamous secret assassinations
using the poignard or the poison with internal
skill and cowardly dexterity. But of all muir
ders and assassinations, ancient or modern
none was ever 80 savage and 90 systematic as
that of the late lamented President Lincoln
The key to the conspiracy to accomplish this
damnable deed Is furnished us in the evidence
before the Court Martial at Washington, and
we find that this key unlocks many Of the
secrets of our Journalists and politicians, and
reveals to us the most novel, curious and start
ling developments.
II appears from the evidence that, after the
battle of Gettysburg, the rebel leaders deter.
mined that it was impossible to achieve their
independence without either putting one x s
gs ES.~'sE - -s.npathizefs into the Presiden
| tlai Chair Of removing President Lincoln by his
capture or death. To carry out this semi
political, semi-murderous plot funds had been
deposited in the hands of Jake. Thompson, the
rebel agent in Canada; and number Of rebel
officers and officials were accordingly ordered
| on what was called detached service.'
Sanford Conover, clerk in the rebel War
Department, swears that be ran the blockade
from Richmond to Washington, about this time,
and went on to Canada, where he conferred
and associated with the other rebel agents,
and was privy to their plans to burn New
York, to poison the Croton water, to institute
raids and to kill President Lincoln. His evil
dence convicts Thompson, Clay, Cleary, Tucker,
Sanders and others az accomplices in the assas-
sination conspiracy, and Surratt as a messenger
between these men and JEFF. Davis, who autho-
rized the plot and furnished blank commissions
for the assassins. These preliminary facts must
be carefully remembered.
Immediately upon his arrival at Washington,
fresh from the rebel War Department and on his
way to Canada to act as a rebel agent on "de-
tached service" a. Conover testiAes he wrote
to the Tribune and the editor Of that paper at
once made written engagement with him as
. correspondent Then he proceeded to Mon
treal, learned all the plans of the other rebel
agents, and was asked to take part in them.
He swears that he informed the Tribune Of the
intended raid upon Ogdensburg; but that Mr..
Gay, the managing editor Of that paper, refused
to publish it, on the ground that It was "a sem
sation story" He also swears that he informed
Mr.. Gay Of the plot TO assassinsts President
Lincoln, and requested him to give the infor-
nation to the government We should like to
know whether Mr.. Gay complied with this re-
quest If not why he withheld the information
and why Mr.. Gay is not called as witness on
the trial to depose as to these extraordinary
facts. Other rebel plots, including, We pre-
sumo, the st. Albans raid, the firing OF
New York city and the poisoning Of
the Croton water, were also communicated
by Mr.. Conover to Mr.. Gay, as he swears |;
but the information was not transmitted, an
II should have been, to the government
authorities. The editor Of the Tribune stated, O
few days ago, that two or three of Mr.. Conover's
letters never reached him; but he gives no
reason why they should not have been received
as the other letters were. Conovers evidence
is clear upon the point that, on two occasions
at least, he notified Mr.. Gay of President Lin
coins danger, and it is equally clear that Mr..
Gay did nothing to avert the assassination.
Several other facts are important in this con-
-nection At the very time that the Tribune's
rebel correspondent in Canada was notifying
Messrs. Greeley and Gay Of the nefarious plots
concocted by the rebel agents in Canada, we
find Mr.. Greeley meeting these agents at Nj
agara Falls on so-called peace mission. BY
the aid of Colorado Jewett, the editor Of the
Tribune was led into o conference with the
very men whom his correspondent was de-
nouncing as murderers, incendiaries, poisoners
and robbers. The New York copperheads
were also largely represented at the Falls, and
an effort was being made to have Seymour
nominated, In the rebel interest, at the Chicago
Convention. The political uses of the fund de-
posted with Jacob Thompson pre- thus ex-
planned. Twenty-Five thousand dollars Of this
money we trace, In all probability, to Ben
Woods Ne,os, avowedly the rebel organ at the
North. 1t will be remembered that Ben Wood
confessed TO receiving that amount from Mon
treal, where he circulates few, il any, papers
and has no lotteries. The present editor Of the
Ne,os was at that time the editor of the Rich
mond Enquirer, and most violent and out
rageous rebel, as he Is still. The Ne,os and
the Enquirer were exchanging PERSONAL ad-
vcrtisements, afterwards suppressed by the
government here because they conveyed aid
and comfort to the enemy The Enquirer pub
lished an advertisement Offering reward for
President Lncoln's assassination, and the Ne,cs
published an advertisement calling for meet