New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-05-06

LIZ 0IlEL l.
such men wereaccomplices of Booth, it will 20
far to prove that the principal of whom they
were agents was the principal accomplice in the
assassination.
Now it is positively alleged that before Booth
began to operate decisively and with definite plan
in Washington, he was in Canada, and there W as
closeted with Thompson, Clay Tucker, Sanders,
and the lother Confederate agents whom at that
time Canada harbored. 1t appears furthe
that Booth, though he was en-
couraged to consider himself the GEN.
ter and soul of the band of assassins who
gathered about him, and though his desire to
shine as q leader and begetter of this plot was
artfully availed of, was in reality but one among
several selected instruments of murder. Eager
as he was to assume the most conspicuous part
in the tragedy, and thoroughly as he identified
himself with the murderous spirit which i'm
PEELED the real conspirators, Booth was after all
but the tool of more cunning men than himself
Associated with him were many others. OF
was murder and who were told the day and
hour of the deed, and whose assistance was re-
lied on for the doing of the murderous acts or
for Immediately assisting the escape
|of the assassins, We can form no estimate;
but it is far easier to call the roll OF
those who were to use pistol and knife
on that dreadful night of the 14th April.
There were five victims and five murderers
The President, the Vice-Prcsdent, the Score.
tary Of State, the Secretary of War, and the
Lieutenant. General were to have fallen at the
same instant by the hands of Booth, of Abze-
rodt, of Payne, of Arnold, and of Mclaughlin.
These five assassins were men of similar stamp
to those who, instigated by the same consplra-
tors that maintained safe distance in Canada,
engineered the st. Adams Raid, the plots for
sezing the Lake steamers, for throwing
railway trains from the track, and for
firing the principal cities of the North. They
were assisted by scores of accomplices
playing subordinate parts, prominent among
whom is Mrs. Surratt, whose house ill Surratts-
vile was for the consprators the house OF
designation before. and of refuge after, the MUIR
der; and who il entitled to place in the front
rank of the most active and dangerous plotters.
She is in custody, as are Payne and Abzerodt,
while the Others named, together with John,
son TO Mrs. Surratt have thus far eluded pur-
suit The stage carpenter at Ford's theater
has almost the same right to be reckoned among
the leading actors in the tragedy. He it was
who bored the hole in the door Of the stage box
rough which Booth reconnoitered the party
inside, and who so disposed the scenery and
machinery on the opposite side of the stage
as to secure TO Booth an unimpeded
rush through passage usually difficult to
traverse lie also is in custody. Perhaps a
less important instrument than either was
Harold, whose arrest in company with Booth
has brought his name conspicuously before the
public, but who was merely an assistant and a
guide to him. But it is said that Harold also
knew the details of the plot, and has made
full confession.
The trials of the arrested are soon to begin,
and the remaining links in the chain Of evi-
dence will be supplied when the proceedings at
the trials are published. As President johnson
stands pledged by his proclamation to connect
in some way Davis and Thompson and Tucker
and Clay and Sanders with the assassin who
struck the blow, we may presume there will be
no unreasonable delay in giving the testimony to
the world.