Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1865-04-20
TheLatest DEVELOPMENTS

We think we do not err in consid eripg the
! letter which we publish 10 day, of J. Wilkes
Booth, the murderer OF President Lincoln,
worthy of more than passing notice. Il ap-
pears In several newspapers in different cities,
and is reported by each journal r. ha-e Ucon
cen. ss0Si, is missing in ali the copies. The
accounts OF the various Journals in which il
was printed on yesterday, conflict materially,
and ClneTent details are given We have no
right to PREJUDICE matter OF so grave imper-
lance as this, but we cannot refrain from making
lew Crltlcisms which will naturally occur 70
every intelligent person.
In the first place, the whole tone and tenor
OF this letter go to establish the theory that the
murder OF Mr. Lincoln was the act Of a mere
fanatic, who acted on his own responsibility,
and had no conference with others, and no
share in any conspiracy" The same theory
has been most yehemently advocated by such
Journals as the Chicago Times and the New
ork Daily News. The idea that there was
some COLLISION has been rot only minated by
Government officers, but con firmed by the facts
atrehdy developed, and flashed ali over he
~ ofth by the telegraph. There has been time
since Saturday m0rnin and Wednesday morn
Ing, when this letter was first printed for the
conspirajors, II there were any, TO take the
alaTm and ConCOct measures 10 ward of the
Vengeance that will surely visit them. Moth
ing could do this more effectualIy than 8 state.
ment, under the signature OF the assassin. that
he, and he alone, had conceived the crime II
does nor appear that any responsible person
has seen the document, or that il has been
placed IN the hands OF the Government
although 1t 10 possible that this may have beea
done
IL the second place, this letter does not sound
like Booth. He is 4 % writer, and d very poor
actor. Should he attempt to express himself
IN writing, he would most probably fall into
q stlted and theatrical style OF diction, such as
might be expected of person verset in stage
literature, and knowing nothing beyond ais
profession actor Far from this, the
letter, while It's drift Is apparent, is long and,
verbose, and contains nothing but the slang
which has prevailed in the South for he last
ten years, and which is fairly embodied in that
deteStab!e doggerei called 1.-The Bonnie Blue
Fiag'-a stump speech In bad rhyme.
In the third place, there Is a labored afecta-
ton of that biasphemouS style of appealing 70
the Almighty, which has always characterized
the proClamatIons, orders and public appeals
OF the eOeIs. There Is also perfectly ridicu-
lous pTetence OF seif-sacrifice 70 the 'icause Of
the Soutk'. Although the letter SAYS that he
''loyed me Cnion," it argues the cause of
slavery instead of that or freedom, and reneats
the absurd declaration that there Is more
cruelty between father and son in the North
than was shown toward the slaves OF
the South The constitutional right of the
Southern states 10 seCede is also discussed
The statement that Booth made $4,000 a wear
In his - profession every we'll In for med man
knows TO be false. His engagements were
almost universally failures, and Iatterly no
sagaCious manager has dared &c present h n 10
The public. He failed in his profession May
II not be possible that the reward OF a million
Of dollars 10 any man who would assassinate
the President, which was advertised so extern
siveiy through the Southern newspapers, had
some effect upon the cupidlty OF the assassin
We 90 not care TO go into details which will
be suggested to any one who reads this letter
1t seems 10 US. 10 have been written either for
the purpose or getting up morbid sympathy
for the assassin OF the President. or TO create
OF his own imagining, like the murder OF Buck.
ingham BY FELTON,, as narrated by Dumas, and
in no wise chargeable TO the advise, counsel,
action OF the leaders OF the rebellion, either
Nsrth or South Chronic!s