Daily national Republican. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1862-1866, 1865-07-11
JEFFERSON DAVIS THE LEADING
ASSASSIN OF ABRAHAM LIN


ASSASSIN OF ABRAHAM LIN
COLIN.
In his recent able address to the Military
Court, convened for the trial of portion of
the conspirators against the life Of the nation,
the Hon. Mr. BISoHAM, Assistant JuG, Ad-
vocate, us-d tho following very emphatic cx-
preston relative to the direct completely Of
ABRAHAM LISCoLNE
whatever may be the convict m Of others, my
own conviction is that Jefferson Davis is a.
John Wilkes Booth, by who e hand Jefferson
Davis inflicted the mortal wound upon Abraham
Lincoln. ~
This expression Of Mr.. BISGHAM's "Grcd
the Southern heart" of that pink of patriot
ism and loyalty who edits the New York
World, and he flies to the rescue of his i'm
priscnei master with the same alaciity that
BoorH, BEALL, MORGAN, QUANrRRLLE,
sENMEs, MAPFIr, MosBY, GILMoR, BLACK
BURS, and others, seyerally executed DAVIS 5
commission to perform unwarlike acts of cow
ardice, to assassinate, throw railroad trains
of the track, burn cities, rob and murder
helpless women and children, to roam the
seas as pir.tes, and murder our unarmed sea-
men and to destroy our commerce and to i'm
port yellow fever into our communities. The
license with which the WOrM thus rushes to
the rescue Of such vile, deop-dyed, blood
stained villain as DAVIS, is disgrace to
journalism in America, and ought not to be
tolerated in the great commercial capital OF
the nation. The man who will defend JEr-
PERSON DAVIS, with oil his hellish crimes
upon him, would murder his mother.
The remark of Judge BINGHAM, quoted
above was based more upon facts within his
knowledge than upon the testimony before
the Commission. They will be put in cvi-
dence when the prisoner to whom they refer
Is put upon his trial. The dying testimony
of LEWIS THoRSroN POWELL tPAYxE) was
that he acted under the instructions of tie
leaders of the rebellion when he entered the
chamber of that wounded and helpless old
patriot-wnLIAM II. SEwARD-and cut and
stabbed him until he thought he was dead
On the subject of tho direct guilt of JEr.
PERSON DAVIS in the assassination of Mr
LScoLN, VIC find IN able nj .icle in the Chi
cago Republican. We extract the conclu.
sion, which meets our views exactly. 1t is
ms follows:
Jefferson, Davis and his associates, who banded
themselves together as Government, aud ar
rayed that government and the people under it's
control in armed hostility tu the United States,
are Justly responsible for every act done by thar
RIaE hyTfn artin I'm ihnir int u.,Ih Ia,
half, and OF all who We're induced by their eX-
ample to take up arms or otherwise commit
violence Hgainst the United States and is author
tiles He that applies q torch to II building IL
not aloaa responsible for the de itructon Of the
edidce actually fred by linn, but Is equally re-
spOnsible for all other damage proceeding u
resulting from his act. The OriginatOrs ard
operators in this rebellion are responsible be-
fore God aud man for every life lost and every
injury resulting from thair frsL crime. 1t is idle
to say that they Intended no such thing. That
IL an absurd plea, The man who pOiHons wull
that he may cause the death Of neighbor Is
guilty OF the murder OF eve -' man who drinks
OF the water and dios In 'Cquence. Davis
and the confederate government may seek to
ties OF this war, but the sc crueltcs and barbari-
tieI flowing directly as reEulta Of their rebel :
lion, and the measures they took to sustain IT,,
they are responsible for them. aud as much ~
II they bad specifically ordered the cTGcl deed 10
DO done. .--,...-.
parcel Of the rebellion 1t was tho deed II one Of
the bafIled and enraged enemies of his country.
II was as much the result Of the rebellion aud ur
the erection Of the confederate government A.
was Quantrill's bloody massacre at Law .rnce,
the massacre at Fort Pillow, aud the staI yGtion
OF our troops at AndersOnVille aud elsewhe"r.
Had there been no rebellion, no unlawful n ..-
anee 10 the United Statei, NO unlawful layyin :,
war, no unlawful cOmL nation under the rorr ?
Df government, no unlawful seizure OF public =
private property, no unlawful killing aud im-
priEOnInent Of the soldiers and officers OF II o
United States, there would have been nJassas-
situation Of Abraham Lincoln. Rebellion aud
treason were inculcat3d as virtues, and the bles1-
ings uf the Almighty were frequently invokod
upon those engaged in both crimes; ind days
were frequently set apart for general or to
the Almighty that ho would crown with srcccss
the Efforts OF those engaged in the work uf rid
ding thy land OF the tyrants aud oppTessors en-
thr0nbd at Washington
What was the whole Richmond Government
but a eonspirasy to break up tue Government Of
the United States and to Kill aud destroy all who
resisted their purpose In what way was
Booth y act any more than this Uc ,trnck rt
Uas man, while Lee struck At thousands II, and
his gang struck at half dozen r'umiuent inJI
like muTdorous assault upon as many hrudrcJ,
The assassination, we repeat, was part ~ tlo ro
belllOn rs mach as any other act Of yiulo COM
Initted In the unlawful assault upun tho Govern.
mont ol the United States, aud every muu direct.
ly or indirectly concerned In the Rebellion ~ l
voluntary promoter, alder and supporter " it, II
AZ much responsible for the killiDg Of Mr.. Lin
aOln AS no In for the killing Of any other citizen
by the armies OF Loe, Johnston or Hood. Tho
idea OF defending Davis from the crime u tho
killing Of Mr.. Lincoln Is Just rs absurd ~ to de-
fsnd him from the equally high and atrociuus act
OF tfeasORably levylng armies to overthrow tho
0OvOFnmsnt, and 10 Lii and destroy every mau
who by force should be engaged in Its defence
That was Booths object, aud that was the object
Of every rebel regiment and soldier pat into the
Geld.