Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-07-15
Singular Disclosures in Washington,
THE ASSASSINATION or PRESIDENT
LINCOLN.
suborling Witnesses 40 Prove 3he Com
pIieify OfJeE Davis, &c.
- IL n. y. HeraIdI. oorLe.pondsnss.I

The Investigations OF the Judiciary Com
mittee # the House Of Representative in re
lation % the alleged completely Of JEFF
DAVIS, CLAY, and Others, in the murder 0
President LINCOLN, have developed one 0
the most viilainous cOnspiracies ever con
cocted in the civilized world. Strange {,
tell, it is not the conspiracy for the assassina
ton Of President LINCOLN and his Cabinet
but an equally bloody and far more COW
ardly and cruel one, 70 murder, through the
forms Of law, ex-President DAVIS and other
Of the defunct Confederacy.
This revelation viii no doubt astound the
public, and well il may but TO none VIII.
have observed the malignant and fendisl
spirit Of the Radicals in Congress and other
high places viii it seem incredible. The
Judiciary Committee, anxious as most Of IL
members are 10 suppress the evidence it has
edueed AID screen the conspirators from the
oplHobium they justly merit, wiil pot ven
tane 30 deny my averments.
Whence or from whom / derived the in
formation / am imparting, need not, and
with propriety could net, be specifically dis
closed; but / may observe, for the general
interest Of your readers, that at this capital
there is no time equal 10 a holiday, and dur
ing a session Of Congress no holiday equal
10 the Fourth Of July for eliciting State Sc
crets On that day several honorable gen
tlemen we're seen in the streets and other
public places eItre ds,p rims, and one, at
least, was overheard babbIing to a patton
more than one drcauJua mtDeii, which may
anon create another sensation.
But TO return to the conspiracy. The Ju-
dietary Committee as soon As authorized to
investigate the charges against Messrs. DA-
WIS, CLAY and others, entered zealously
upon their duties, and sent for such persons
and papers as they had been led to believe
would furnish eliminating evidence. The
principal persons sent for had already been
examined es parte in the Bureau Of Military
Justice, and the papers sent for consisted
mainly OF the dispositions Of these persons,
and some letters of doubtful import, writ
ten by supposed rebels before the assassina-
ton, all OF which we're under the care Of the
Judge Advocate General. To recite from
memory the papers verbatim would be inn
possible, and il would be no less 10 give ia
ertcus0 the examination Of the persons before
the Committee; but enough will be given to
show the most deylish and damnable con-
spiracy, the most disgusting and dastardly
perfdy, and the coolest ard cheapest perjury
YOU were ever called upon TO chronicle.
SURRATr and her fellow culprits, the Judge
Advocate General set 10 work in dead ear
nest 20 procure evidence for the conviction
Of DAVIS CLAY and others, as co-conspira-
tors Several detectives were employed, to
hunt up and hunt down every person sup
posed 10 have had any correspondence or
communication with the suspected parties,
or any knowledge tending directly or indi-
aHN {
racy.
But, after weeks Of laborious labor and re-
search the detectives failed 10 discover any
thing Of the slightest consequence bearing
upon the subject. This result was commu-
nicated to the Radicals in the Cabinet and
by them coulided 10 the leading Radicals
then about TO assemble-in Congress- and
probably 10 many, certainly TO a few, celeb
rites Of their faction not in any Office.
These parties, as viii be readily surmised,
were disappointed and sorely grieved. They
had ALREADY arrived at the conclusion that
IL would be futile and impolitic 10 try DAVIS
and other rebel leaders for treason, and their
thirst for blood and vengeance, and desire to
increase the humility and ignominy of the
Southern people by hanging like a dog their
late chief, was aggravated by the unexpected
report that nothing had been found to impli-
cate him in the assassination. But the blood
thirsty are neither easily discouraged nor
over scrupul0us as TO what means they en-
plov for obtaining their ends. Another
agent of great experience and shrewdness
was engaged TO perform the work which 9TH
ers had failed TO accomplish. He was charg-
ed 20 find the necessary witnesses at all haz-
ards; 90 proceed Ia FORNEY, or in any way
he deemed best calculated TO insure success,
bat on no account to fail With a zeal wor-
thy Of better cause he entered upon his
duties, and In few wesks produced nearly
"a dozen witnesses who deposed under oath,
in the Bureau Of Military Justice, TO matters
and facts enough 20 bang both DAVIS and
CLAY higher than HAAIAS.
One Of these witnesses calling himselfWM.
CAMPBELL, deposed that he was a native of
New Orleans and had been a Confederate
soldier that in the latter part Of March or
first Of April, 1865, he was called on at
Richmond by JoHN H. SURRAFr, who bore
"a letter Of introduction from WILLIAM G.
CLEARY, then in Canada; that said letter
requested him 90 introduce SURRATr TO J.
p. BENJAMIN, Secretary Of State, with whom
he (dcpoucnt) was intimately acquainted,
aud assured him that SUBRATT would un-
fold a grand scheme, In which he (depo-
nent) was earnestly solicited 10 participate /;
that SURRATT did ON the same day disclose
30 him the plot to assasSinate the President
and Cabinet further, that in compliance
with CLEARY's request he introduced SUR
RAFT 20 BENJAN1N, when, after an inter
change Of civilities, SURRATT delivered 20
the Secretary a package Of letters, which
were Immediately opened and perused that
BEJAMN then turned 20 address SURRATr
on the subject of the letters, when deponeat
arose TO Withdraw, but, owing TO q sEgges-
ton by SURRATT, that he ldepoEent) was
one Of the parties 10 engage in tie murder
Gus work. was requested by BENJAMIN 20
remain; that the letters SO delivered 10
BENJAArJN, after referring to SURRATT's
business, requested him 20 present the bear
er 70 the President, and help him through
with his mission that his mission was 70
obtain express authority from the Govern
ment TO execute the plot FOR the destruction
of LINCOLN; that BENJAMIN said there was
no doubt bat the President uld give the
authority desired, and proposed to go to
him al once, which was DONE dcpoucnt by
invitation accompanying him.
That after they had been presented to the
President. His Excellency and BESJAMIN
retired 10 another room, and remained for
half an hour ar more in close conversation;
that ON returning 10 the room DAVIS re-
quested SURRATT. 20 explain precisely what
was desired, as the dispatches from Canada
stated that hc would do SO more infinitely
than they did; that SJBRATT then explained
al length that several determined Confeder-
atcs and others Ia the North had resolved to
make way with "Old ABE' and his Cabinet
if the project would be authorized by the
Government and the adventures promised
protection in the event of their being cap
urcd: that DAVIS replied that there had
been SO many schemes set on foot for tins
purpose al of which had proved miserable
failures, that be had ceased 10 hope for any
good results from any such project, but that
at any rate 30 special authority more than
the agents IN Canada could confer was ne
cessary 20 warrant the proposed proceedings;
that LINCOLN being the Chiei
of the armies Of the United States Conied-
crate soldiers had the same right, and that il
was as much their duty to destroy him, il
they could, as 20 kill any private soldier =,
has armies. and that II they should be cap
tured while engaged in such an undertaking,
they must be treated IS prisoners Of war.
Suppose that two or three Yankees should
steal into my house and, without warning
attack and kill me-can there be any doubl
that their Government would applaud, pro
teci aud reward them, and declare their &C
ton legitimate warfare Not al All.