New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-06-22
Statement by the Latter.
He Denies Being Implicated In the
Murder.
FEEBLENESS OF MRS. SURRATT.
WASHINGTON. "Wednesday. june 81. 1865.

argument in behalf OF Payne
THE ARGUMENT FOR PAYNE.
There are three things, he said, in the case OF the
prisoner Payne which are admitted beyond cayi OF
dispute First that he Is the person who attempted 20
take the he of the Secretary of State second that ne
a not within the medical definition OF insanity; tru
that he believed what he doing was right ana JUS
tifable. The questions TO his identity ami SANITY
are therefore settled and among the things OF the Pa
and the sole remaining question is How far sha III,
convictions serve to mitigate his punishment ne used
She word punishment deliberately and with me con
seriousness that in SO doing he auis.eu INA,
and he said IT, because he could not allow MS ues a.
counsel 10 interfere with his convictions as man 81
far TO make him blind as 70 'ne VIZ. naf nj
the life of distinguished citizen. and 10 the aWu
consequences of an attempt 10 take II awsy H. indeed
such an attempt should be allowed to 20 without re-
bnke then il seemed 10 him the office is but perious
exposure TO violence. The highest compensation ior
public service is the destruction which follows asssss
nation and then public servants are out pitiaoe
and defenceless offerings TO sedtioD and surely II any
npbc servant deserved 10 be excepted from that fate
Il was the illustrous and sagacious stateman VINO
during long life Of ardnous services has steadihsu'
shocked all manner of faction aud public discomfort
who h ne darkest days of dscord, has prophesed the
triumph of concord, and who at all times has beeh
more ready TO apply antidotes than the knie 70 Tue
nations wounds. That we may accurately, and as
fally as the occasion demands understand the eonyie-
lions of the prisoner the Counsel proceeded TO give
sketch of bis life the customs under which ne was
reared and the education which ne received
Lewis Payne Powell is the son OF the Kew
George c. Powell, Baptist minister, at present
supposed TO live az Live Oak Station. on the railroad
between Jacksonville and Tallahassee, in the State OF
Florida and was born in Alabama in the year 1915.
Besides himself bis father had six daughters ana TWO
sons. He lived for some time in Worth ana stuart
Counties Georgia and in 1859 moved to Florida. Az
the breaking of the war, but four years ago the
prisoner lad of sixteen engaged In superntend-
ing his fathers plantation and number OF saves.
We may safely presume that occupied IN the innocent
pursuits Of country e he daily heard the preeeps OF
She Gospel from his father and that IN the society OF ms
sisters the hardy life Of planter was sofiened by the
Il a l.v,1 DIV a1a nd
natural course Of events no would be to-day as he was
then. farmer and an honest man. But IN 1901 war
broke out. War the sccurge and pestlience OF the
race The signal which spread like fire, was not long
in reaching Live Oak Station His two brothers enlisted
and Lewis though but 10, enlisted in Capt Studrts
company in the ID Florida Infantry commanded by
Col Ward, aud was ordered 10 Richmond Mr.. DOster
proceeded to consider what in the eyes OF this Florida
boy the meaning Of the and what the thoughts
that drove him from pleasant home TO the held oil
arms The counsel pictured in VIVID language the aus
pces under Mich young Powell was trained IN slave
community where IL was the custom to deeod the IN
stitution OF Slavery In meeting houses al potcai
gatherings and in family places, where was he pnc
tice 10 whip and burn men who preached against the
institution and 10 hunt fugves with bioodhounds ana
also those who helped them TO freedom In the eyes OF
the lad the war 20 abolish this custom and up
heaye society from its foundations. His inheritance
was TO be dssipated, his vassal icqna his laws IN
vsded his religion confouude1 ms pohues a heresy.
For this the lad going 70 fight IN the defense OF
socal system. lie gong to hgit III pehdi OF tne
traditional prccept ofthe Saeto defend state kght
For third he was gong TO hght-to $40" ihat
be was better than the Northerners, under the
deep conviction prevailing in his section that their
blood and breeding better than that OF the North
erners. The fourth reason was 70 repel INVASION
These were bis incentives but he had been schooled
and trained TO war by the bowie-knfe and pistol code
OF honor prevalent there.
The counsel asks whether in the wide world there
another school in which the prisoner could so well have
been trained for assassination IN this slave auto
cYacy. Mr.. ID. proceeded to argue that IN this
prisoner Is TO he found the legitimate moral ohpring
o.. c. - chi uIrv
then goes on 10 inquire if we the American people.
are not responsible for the wicked school ID winch ne
was educsted and If We will determine to destroy nun
because he learned but nstrucedi but there Is
another school before him the school OF war. at
Richmond his regiment joined the army OF Gen Lee;
AID was Joined 10 a r. Hills Corps. With he passed
thronrb The Peninsula campaign, ard the battles Of
Charlottesville and Antletan. Here he heard that
his two brothers had been killed. NJ the battle OF Aur
freesborough. Finally. on the 80 OF Juy iso5 Ia the
charge upon the Union center at Gettysburg be
was wounded and taken prisoner ana detailed
as nurse in Pennsylvania hospital
The demoralizng effect of bis two years campaigning
a. a private in the army, which be entered as boy Of
16 Is shown He is Of that army who made baskets
and cups out Of the bones OF Union soldiersj who
starved their prisoners who pqndered the dead VINO
slew men after Surrender, and were commanded by
officers who had violated their oaths 20 the United
States--an army that believed any means justiisbe
that helped the cause of Southern Independence, and
finally army that held the person and Cabinet OF the
President of the United States in holy execraton This
Is the horrible Generalization OF civil war; and
M
rest the responsibility Of the acts Of this
plastic boy-who came into the world IN the year OF
The annexation of Texas.-has lived but four Admin
istratons-is younger than the last compromise with
Slavery He IL the moral product of the and be.
longs 10 those who first began IT. How does he Diner
from the other Rebel sOlders The best Rebe soDers
have fired at Mr. Lincoln and Mr. Scwardi have ap.
nrosched the city by stealth from Baltimore aud aimed
70 DESTROY the Government by sudden blow 30 ald
he. What then has he done that every Rebel solder
has not tried 10 dor Only thshe has venured morei
he has shown a higher courage. better hate, more
ready sacrifice. He has aimed at the head oil Depart
menf instead of the head Of corps 10 US tbe fresl,
dent enneared as the Savior Of the Nation from civil
war, and Mr.. Seward as the great pacihcator'
the savior from foreign war But 10 this DO! ai9 W
5000 600 OF his countrynen the one ap~aIeu as
the usurper invader and vioator oi Iaws anu ~.
troyer Of life liberty and property and the other US MS
adv ser In oppression and the slippery advocate VI an
irrepressibe conflict He differed from tie ooutleIn
army simply because he surpassed IL IN cois, ana no
differed from patriot and martyr SIMPLY because nv
was mistaken in his duty But there is thu sSTooi
before him. From Gettysburg he was sent 10 Mes i
Buildings Hospital Pratt-st, baltimore anu ~ ~
till October 1868, when seeing no nope Oh &C.
deserted for his regiment OF cavalry at fauquier
remained in that service till Jan. leb3 Oh thht ua
we see by tho narrative Of Mrs Grant he saved the
life oftwo Union soldiers. About the same time ne,
like many other Southern soldiers began 10 despair OF
the Coriederacy, came 70 Alex lndra sold his horse
gave his name as Payne, took the oath oil al
Iegiance as refugee from Iauquier, and went 10
Baltimore and took al the house OF
Mrs Bronson, the lady he had met at Gettysburg and
resolve to wait for the return Of peace. In this the
schoo-the Rebel Cavalry servicehe received further
damaging training and among the people of London
and Fauquier. who had suffered most from the war,
gained an added acrmony and hate for those deemed
their oppressors But there is fourth school before
hjm-the school OF necessity He was In Baltimore
without trade or professions he was unused to manual
labor; in perplexity he wiled away his time reading
medical works and brooding in his chamber. While in
this condition the acas occurred at his boarding house
BY which he was arrested, brought before the Provost
Marshal and ordered north Of Philadelphia. Every
where The sky ia dark TO him He is prescribed among
Northern men as q Rebel. despiscd among Southern
men in baltimore as "a recreant Southerner and by
word among Southern men at Lome--a deserter. Pen,
niess and iendcss the earth seems reject him, and
God and man to be against him. This Is the work