The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1865-06-14
THE CONSPIRAC
Letter From Washington.
Conduct of the Proceedings.
A Coup d,Oeii Of the Greatest Grim
inaI Trial ON Record.
From the New York World.l

from the New YORK world
TThe following letter which comes to
US from person who has enjoyed at
Washington the best possible opportuni-
ties for judging of the facts in the case
of the conspiracy trial, and the character
and conduct Of the members of the court,
will interest our readers:
WASHINGTON, May 80.
The evidence against the real plotters
and their accomplices is very full and ex-
plicit, nor is it necessary to trust the Gov
eminent spies to establish it, but against
Davis, Clay and Thompson, it is halting,
aud has suspicious appearance. The
Government has relinquished its preten-
sion of duplicating Davis in the assassi-
nation, by not placing him on trial before
this Commission. Stanton is himself di-
recting the prosecution quite as much as
if he were the Judge Advocate in person.
Judge Advocate Holt and all the gensr-
ais are mere pets and tools of his.
The composition of the court is of the
worst possible description. There is not
man composing it who ever achieved an
honorable distinction in the. service, or
who is regarded with favor by his brother
officers. Hunter, the President, as every
body knows, what part of him is not fool
is knave. He has been chiefly distin-
guished by his stupid proclamations,
which the President has been obliged to
revoke; his quarrels with his subordinate
and superior officers, and his wanton vis-
itations of cruelty upon the inhabitants
| of the valley. He is a mixture of old
womanish conceit and time serving du-
Iplicity. Gen. Lew Wallace, for young
man, has made the most proficiency in Of
fetal funkeyism Of any man of the time.
He is neither soldier, scholar, judge nor
gentleman. Kautz is good
harmless, Pennsylvania Dutchman, who
knows as much of the nature of a legal
proposition as the horses he has killed by
useless hard riding. Ekin and Howe are
too small for mention; they are incon-
lspicuous nobodies. There is not mem
Der Of the court who dare for one moment
give expression to an opinion contrary to
the will of the author of their promo
ltion.
Coming down to the Judge Advocate,
Joe Holt, we find man who, like STAN
ton, was a member of Buchanans Cabi-
net, and who, like him, has yeered around
from the views he then held. With much
more tact than principle he does his mas
ter's work well, and, while speciously
pleading for fairness, winks at the enor-
nous injustice practiced on the country
and the accused by his slavish subordin-
ates. Bingham, his chief tool, is one of
the most peeyish, captious, insulting and
soulless persons who ever disgraced the
American bar. The wonder is that his
life has been prolonged to these years.
Burnett seems to have an aptitude for
dirty work, and his labors at the West
among detectives have fitted him for this
closet tribunal.
Even the counsel for the defense are re-
markable for their meekness and lack Of
spirit and industry. With hardly an ex-
lception they have permitted the testimo-
my to be taken as if they received the
largest fee from the War Department. -
The principal witnesses for the Govern
ment prosecution have been men whose
characters are so netoriously bad that
they would not be believed in private
Life in aaJthing affecting the custody OF
ifves dollars. Yet the examination was
taliowed to range wherever the prosecution
I desired without check or protest. Truly
lenough. protests would have effected lit
tile, as the court vigorously followed the
hint of the Judge Advocate. Yet there
was no dignified remonstrance. no elo.
Iauent appeal for the rights Of truth and
liustice. The absent and accused had nc
friends at court. and the evidence went
luncontradicted and unchallenged.
The most fiarrant Injustice was appar.
lent. however. when the defense began tc
Introduce its witnesses. At eyerv stage
itbey were met by the most insulting vex.
Iat;ons and unworthy obiections. which
the over jealous court was too prone tc
entertain nntil for verv fear and shame
T.das alo n olty found i necessary 70 desire
ttbem to narmit Greater freedom to the
i counsel conn 10 establish the innocence of thei,
cl;ants Rut the truth Is manifest The
words of tbe nroclanation from, the ssRu.
rssu of M;litary Justice > imnlicatins
3 Davis ~ ~ were n he made valid bv sncf
ev;dsnce ~ could he n;cked nm or mann.