, 1865-07-07


stake on the one band, and the interests Of |
the Government on the other, II Is abomina- !
BILE that statements should be m1de, which, |
II believed, Wou'd throw discrcdit upon the |
Of the commission which has !
50 patiently endeayored to lay bare con- |
spfracy, having FOR it, aim tho overthrow OF
the Government aud the dlsorgautzau9n OF
the North, BY acts for which history furnish |
o. no parallel One Of the many uisrepre-
settatious which has been extensively circu- |
. ed, refers to The witness, Ssnto d Conovdr.
Among the witnesses who testified On bs-
halt Of the Government, there were perhaps |
none whose testimony was Of greater weight |
conspiracy on the part Of the rebel agents IN
Canada. Conoyer WAS In the confidence Of !
George n. Sanders, G. G. Glay, Beverly
Tucker, DR.. Blackburn and others, and he
was, 10 1esy considerable extent, intrusted
with their schemes. He vas not paid |
agent OF the Government; simply paid cor
respondent Of the New York Tribune, and did |
his best to defeat the purposes OF these
rebels to burn Northern cities, and plliage
Northern towns, By keeping the editors OF |
that paper, and through them the Gaye1u-
rent, Informed Of thoir Intentions.
Sanford Conovcr testified, in secret session, !
On Saturday, the 30ih Of May, completing nts |
evidence on Monday, the ed. He testified |
to bis Intimacy In Canada, with George n
Sanders, Jacob Thompson, Beverly Tucker,
Dr.. BLACKBURN, Clement c. Clay, aud other
rebels Of less note. Re teslaad to his know
clrles, md to bis being expao ed 70 particle
pate ID some OF them. He testified to hts
knowledge, and detailed the ctrcuustances Of
the contemplated burning Of New York, the
int1oduc ion ofpestilcnce by means ftafecte1
clothing, and also tho capture and atteEi
wnrd the assassination Of The Prealdent, Vtcc.
Pres1dent, Secretary Of State, Secretary Of
War, and tho leading Gene rails, 50 as to leaEe
the Government without legal head. He
plot By the authorities at Rlehmond, and Of
The intention, in the words OF D.. Stewart
Robinson, "to do anything under heaven"
for the Coufederacg, and that the end would
jusiify the means. IT,.
posed assassination Of the President. The
latter the editor Refused to publish, doubt.
less. Mt the time, conceIvmE that so Internal
. plot could not be other than . Sensational
Iumor or an Idle boast.
These startling disclosures before the Com
mission were confirmed BY the testimony OF
Richard Montgomery and DR.. Nerntt,. and
were deemed Of 80 much importance that the
Goyerpment decided to withhold the testi-
mouy from the public, In order that cossobo-
ratiTe proof might, ifposaiole, be obtained IN
the ehape OF documentary evidence.
Yitt Vere sent back to Canada, to again IN
fer With these arch-couspfEators. In the
meantime, By 4 most untortunatt accident.
! The suppressed testimony WAS published
Resting IN security Of their ignorance Of the
| part he had taken in exposing the plot, Con,
over once more mingled With these reoei
conrp.rators. While n Mout1cal, 1t was that
Sanford Conove1, known there as James
Watson Wallace, was, to his surprise and
horror, confronted By these rebels With the
printed testimony that he, under hts true
name Of Sanford Conoser, had given before
the Military Commission at Washing zen.
H., we'll knowing the men with whom
he had to deal, at once denied that he
hid testified at al before the Commission,
aud Offered to writa q letter over his sigma.
ture, to ,hat effect. They, at FIST, consented
to this, but afterward inaiated that 1t should
be made In the form Of q deposition, to Which
he ehonld solemnly make oath. The amdav1t
! and strued, at the came time offering re-
watd of $500 for the arrest Of the sin
famous and perjured scound1el who had per
sopated him under the name Of Sanford Con
over, Of Washington" This deposition Was
handed Conover with pistols held to BIZ
head By these conspizators, who swoEe that
be should sign It or die that If he manifested
any unwllllneless 10 sign 1t before the Com
missioner, thereby implying this oath va:
| not volunta tarily given, they would :" shoo1
him like dog, and follow him to hell"
These facts, which were testified to befort
the Military Commission, on the 9Th o
June, after his return from Canada. wcrt
confirmed In all Important par ticulars BY ths
witness, Nathan Auscr, and the deposition
signed under those circumstances WIS put II
evidence.
The complication and apparent contradic
ton to which wide circulation has been giVe1
I IN Canadian and American newspapers
and which was intended to throw discIedi
On the testimony OF J. Watson Wallace; wa
explained. It was shown that the testimony
given by ). Watson Wallace, before the conr
n the St. A1ban's raid case, had been incor
rectly reported, and had been mixed up will
the testimony Of James Wallace, making th'
evidence oi j. Watson Wallace In that case
In many respects unlike that to whicl
ho testified before the Military Com
| mission. The facts to which he did not tes
tify, and which were reported at the time b
the Witness, and 1t is believed in the Mon
treal Irauseript, agreed with those to whlcl
be testified before the Military Commission
!! I and his testimony, as reported at the time h
the Wines Was put In evidence by ths aoI
| eirment. DEXN PITMAN,
, Recorder to Military Commission.