The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1865-06-08

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The letter from Jacob Thompson,
Secretary of the Interior under Prcsi'
dent Buchanan, will be found very
readable document. He expresses but
the naked truth when he asserts, that
did the same circumstantial evidence
that exists against Johnson pointing
him out as an accomplice in the as
sassination of Lincoln, exist against
certain Democratic statesmen, that it
would be received in the Bureau OF
Justice, as testimony as strong
as proof from Holy Writ,-Eagls.
The above is an editorial from the
Eagle Of last week calling attention to
the letter of Jacob Thompson. In this
letter Thompson dclares upon his hon
or as gentleman that he had nothing
to do with the assassination of Presi-
dent Lincoln, and gives three reasons
why President Johnson should bc sus :
pectcd of completely in tho crime
Not content with defen ling treason
and traitors for four years, the. Eagle
now comes to tho rescue Of an assassin,
and joins in attempting to cast suspi-
cion upon the President Of the United
States.
We have before Us tho testimony OF
two witnesses, given before the com
mission trying the assassins, which
not only duplicates this man Thomp.
son as favoring the assassination, but
shows that he, with other rebels in
Canada, "incitcd, concerted and pro
cured" the murder, and that JEFF
Davis approved Of tho plot.
Sanford Conover (who has since, il
is feared, been murdered by rebels
testifcd,-1. That Thompson con
versed with him in Canada upon the
subject ola plot to assassinate Presi
dent Lincoln and his Cabin OF, and in
vited him to participate in tho crimo
9 That ho was with Thompson
when John II. Surratt delivered dis
patches from Jeff Davis approving thu
assassination plot, and that Thompson
remarked, referring to the assent o
the rebel authorities, This makes tn,
thing all right"
3. That when tho name Of Sccrc
tary Welles was mentioned as one 0
tho officers to bo assassinated, Thomp
son said it was not worth while to xii
him as ho was Of no consequence
4. That Thompson told him tina
"Somo Of the boys are going to play
grand joke on Abo and Andy" tha
they would "rcmove them from Office;
that the killing Of tyrant was no
murder; and that he had commission
for this uork from the rebel authorities
and conferred enc on Booth, or woal'
confer one. 5. That between tho wit
ness and Thompson, Clay anG Cloary
tho assassination was talked of a
commonly as the weather. 6. Tho
Thompson was intimate with tho infi
nous DR.. Blackburn and approved {
0 the schemes to destroy Croton Dal
by which the city Of Now York is SUI
o piled with water to poison Croto
= Reservoir and thus destroy the inhat
l. itants of tho city; to burn the cit.
= and also tho scheme to import th
! yellow fovcr and small pox. Thoml
' son was much interested in this las
scheme. 7. That Thompson in di
cussing tho matter Of poisoning Croto
) Reservoir, feared that it would be di
0 fcuIt to collect so much poison will
b out detection. 8. That Thompso
. was tho moncycd agent for the COZ
! spirators, and that thoy all drew 0
him for tho money required.
Richard Montgomery testified
G That Thompson said he had friends a
j over tho North willing to go an
I loDgth, and that he could at any tin
havo tho tyrant Lincoln and any
+ his advisers put out Of the way th
: his friends would not consider it
. crime, and that it would bo done f
the cause of the Confederacy, 2. Tn
S Thompson thought it would be u BILE
Q sing to both North and South to ha'
c tho tJ'rant killed; that he favored Il
proposition made to him to have tho
d killed; and that he deferred answeril
a until he had consulted his govcrnme
70 at Richmond,
70 - .A--~-----
a BsO- 1t is ow understood by I
.. State authorities that tho Ohio soldie