Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1865-05-13

The following is Mr.. James NJ Aason's
letter, denying that the assassination Of the
President was planned by the Confederate
leaders
To the Editor Of tAs London Iader:
Sir-Time will develop the mystery as yet
attending the ass Ssination Of Abraham Lin
40 n. late President OF the United States,
al, the attempted assassination Of NJ. Sew
ard, his Secretary OF State. l desire only
10 repel at oLce the calumnious assertion OF
Edward NJ. Stan on, the Secretary of War,
in his letter ~ Mr.. Adams, printed IN the
London journals Of this morning, that these
acts were ,'plAnned and set on foot by reb-
els. under pre.ence OF avenging the South
aud aiding the rebel cause, aud Of which
he saws the.e is s'evidence Obtained" Mr..
Stanton's letter is dated on the 18th April.
aud s,a,es that Mr.. Lincoln was asSaSsinated
ia the theatre at half.past ten the previous
night, AID died at tSenty minutes past seven
on the morning OF the day that 90 wrote.
Iadduce this 10 show how unlikely It IL,
ia the hurried excitement, and the necessa-
~ occupations attending such events,
that any hut the widest theories would
preyail in regard 10 the cause Of the event,
or the objects Of the perpe rators. Mr..
Stanton adopts that which he deemed would
be the most useful before the public OF his
country. Should the "evideuce" 10 which
he refers. 10 support his calumny, ever see
th,. light. IL will DC scanned with the eXpe-
rience derived in regard TO other evidence,
unscrupulously fabricated in the same quar-
Ter. during the present war, for base pOliti-
cal effect. Il is the crudest conception, too,
that the murder Of Abraham Lincoln was
MANNED and executed for the purpose Of
,.aiding the rebel cause; but | can well I'M
derstand that il may have material influence
in aiding the cause of that Oyerpowering
Da,tv I'm the United States, OF WHICH Mr..
Stanton is the type, and Andrew Johnson,
who succeeds as President, with Butler OF
the notorious prefix, are tae opponents and
leaders party in whose path the late
President aud his Secretary we're A;kuOw-
ledged obstacles in their projected schemes
of plunder and rapine 10 follow their domin-
ion over the Southern State'. For the rest,
| learn from a well-iniOrmed source in Lon
don. that "WilkeS Booth" who IS ac-
cusel of the deed, is a son Of the celebrated
hnglish acfOr OF that name, was OF ms
fathers profession, wGich he pursued prin-
cinalIv in the NOGthern States, and was
generally understood as inhcri ing those
traits significant OF his fathers name,
Jupius Brutus Booth, by whom he was
named John Wilkes, after the great English
rsdical-sn origin and mental training little
likely 70 engender the slightest sympathy
With the great canSe Of the conservative
Soutb. As TO the crimS when bias been
committed, none will view Il with more ABB
horreuce than the people OF the Son b, but
thew will know, as will equally all well bal
suced minds, tnst il is the necessary OFT
,pring Of those scenes OF blood shed and
murder in every form Of unbri He'd license,
which have signalizrd the invasion Of the
South by Nortnrrn armies, unrebuked GER
talnly, and therefore iuttigated, by their
leaders, aud those over them.
Pardon the length Of this note. desired
only instantly 20 repel the airOcious cSlum-
mics in the letter OF Mr.. Stanton.
Very respectfully, yours,
J. N. MASON,