The New York herald., 1865-05-18

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the Assassination Conspiracy.
The most important topic Of the week is the
trial Of the assassination couspirators at Wash
ington We presume that there is scarcely an
intelligent person who does not attentively
peruse the reports of the evidence which we
give from day to day. The prisoners are on
trial, not only before the Washington court, but
before the great jury OF the people and before
the whole civilized world. Those partisan
papers which, from political or worse motives,
asserted that the couspirators were being tried
before military tribunal because ofthe insuili-
cheney of the evidence against them, have been
completely silenced. Already, although the
trial is not half finished, enough testimony has
been elected to warrant the assumption of the
guilt of the parties accused by the government,
and vet the strongest and most direct evidence
for the prosecution is still in reserve. So soon
as JEFF Davis was captured the government
opened the court to reporters, and yesterday
we published the testimony previously sup
pressed. The record OF the trial is therefore
complete up to this date, and every man is at
liberty to form his own opinion upon the facts
sworn to by the witnesses. We believe that
this opinion is quite unanimous, and that the
guilt OF the accused is conceded. It will be
we'll, however, for the public TO suspend judg-
ment until the last bit of evidence for the prose-
cution and for the defence is before them.
Upon one especially important point the tes-
timony is extremely clear. When the Secretary
of War announced that the conspiracy had been
prepared in Canada and approved OF Rich
mond, the rebel organs at the North were du-
bious and indignant. Growing bolder as they
repeated their doubts and discredits of the
government charge, they finally denied that
jeff Davis, Sanders and the rest of the Canada
clique knew anything of the conspiracy or of
the assassins Sanders was particularly vir-
tuous, and wrote letter to assert that he had
never seen Booth and never spoken with him.
Thompson, Clay and Tucker took the same cue.
Fortified with these statements, the rebel organs
became more impudent than ever, and even
denounced the grave charge Of the government
as contemplate hoax, invented to make jeff.
Davis and his agents obnoxious abroad. Now,
how do these statements compare with the
sworn testimony before tho court? The con-
spiracy is traced from its inception in the rebel
camps, among secret society Of rebel officers,
to its final and fatal elimination at Ford's thea
tre We find Booth Offering another actor large
amounts Of money to join in the plot, and pro-
missing him that it would be lucrative specu-
lation-a veritable oil web. When Booth got
out of money he looked to Richmond for it,
said that he must wait for advices from Rich
mond, and did not proceed with his bloody
business until his friend, Surratt, arrived from
Richmond with several hundred dollars in gold.
Who supplied this money, If Jef. Davis and
the bogus Confederate government did not?
Who rejoice over President Lincoln's death
except the rebel confsderates in Texas, under
Kirby Smith, who were ordered by JEFF. Davis
not to surrender, and who are anxiously but
vainly expecting his arrival among them?
Take the evidence of the rebel soldier in all its
details; his talks with Booth; the conversation
in the rebel camps and at the rebel capital; the
secret service society Of which Booth was
member; the actions Of Captain Beall, who be-
longed to the game society and was endorsed
by Davis; the letters found by Mrs. Hudspeth /;
the visit OF Surratt to Richmond, and the large
amounts of money furnished to Booth by the
leaders in the plot, and certainly no moral
doubt can exist of tho completely Of JEFF. Davis
and his associates.
But If We turn TO another portion Of the testi-
mony we discover that JEFF. Davis is again i'm
plicated through his agents in Canada, and that
Sanders, Thompson, Clay and Tucker are con-
cerned in the conspiracy. The letters.found by
Mrs. Hudspeth allude to the contemplated assas-
snation and the choice Of On assassin, and con-
clude with the declaration that 'Sanders is doing
us no good in Canada" The man who dropped
these letters wore false whiskers, and is identi-
fed as Booth from his general appearance and
from the fact that Dn Mudd described Booth as
wearing false whiskers when he came TO have
his leg set, on the night Of the assassination.
Mr.. John Deveney testi0es that he saw Sanders
confdentially conversing with Booth at Mon
treal. He is qnite positive of this Booth him
self pointed out Sanders to Mr.. Devcney, and
named him. Mr.. Dcveney therefore pro-
nounces the assertion of Sanders that
he "never saw Mr. Booth" deliberate lie,
which it undoubtedly is. Now, il we consider
the very close and intimate relations between
Sanders, Clay, Thompson and Tucker, and the
very intimate relationship between these
worthless and JEFF. Davis, as his agents and am
bassadors, we see that completely in the assas-
sination is traccable to JEFF. Davis by chain of
evidence entirely Independent Of that which
we have established in the preceding para
graph. Unquestionably JEFF. Davis, who hoped
to profit most by the death of President Lin
coin, Vice President johnson, the Lieutenant
General and the Secretaries Of State and of
War, was the head and front Of the conspiracy
to assassinate them. He supplied the assassins
with money, and directed his Canada agents to