Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-07-13

Advocate General set to wOrkindead earn
est to procure. evidence for the conviction
of Davis, Clay and others as CO. eonspirators.
Several detectives were employed to hunt
up, and hunt down every person supposed
to have had any correspondence or cons
municatlOn with ethe suspected parties, or
any knowledge tending directly or indirect-
ly to connect them with the cohspiraey!u4i b
|, Bat, after weeks of industrious labor and
reseafch, the detectives tailed to discover
anything of the slightest consequence bear
ing upon the subject. This resultwas COM
munlcated to tire Radicals in the Cabinet,'
and by them con1ided to the leading Radio
cals-then about to assembleAia Congress,
and probably to many, certainly to a few,
celebrities of their faction not in any
office. fin 73.l"JEJs35 rpf!yrf s5anuo1f
These parties, aswillbe readily surmised,'
were disappointed aiid sorely grieved.
They had already arrived at the cohehIsioA
that 1t would be futile and impoliticq to
|, try Davis and other rebel leadersnfor trea-
son. and their thirst for blood and VEN
geance, and dHsiFa to increase the humility
and ignomihy 0; the Southern ipeopley by
hanging like 4 dog their lates chief was
aggravated by the unexpected report that
nothing had been found to implieate him
in the assassination. But the bloodthirsty
scrupulous as to what means they employ
for obtaining their ends. Another agent
of great experience and shrewdness was
engaged to perform the work which the
others had failed to accomplish. lie was
charged to find the necessary witnesses at
| all hazards: to proceed a la Forney,lO or In
| any way he deemed best calculated tGinsure
| success, but on no account to fail. with a
zeal worthy of a better cause heientered
| upon his duties, and in a few weeks pro-
| duced nearly a dozen witnesses who de-
| posed under oath, in the Bureau of Mill
! tary Justice, to matters and facts enough
| tO5hang both Davis and Clay higher than
| Ha,han. ~ eH ..'a 5.HiI R.'i'I rf 1910
One Of these witnesses, calling himself
1 William Campbell, deposed that he was a
native of New Orleans, and had been a
! Confederate .soldier$ that in tie latter part
/ called on at Richmond by John II. Surratt,
who bore letter Of Introduction from
| William G. Cleary, then IN Canada; that
| said letter requested him to Introduce
| Surratt to Judah p. Benjamin., Secretary
4 Of State, with whom'he (deponent) was in
timately acquainted, and assured him that
Surratt would unfold a grand scheme, in
which he (deponent) was eariiestly solicited
| to participate; that. Stirratt did on the
same day disclose to him tbeplot to assas-
sinate the President and Cabinet; further
that, in compliance with Cleary's request,
he introduced Surratt to Benjamin, when,
after an interchange of civilities, Surratt
| delivered to the Secretary a package Of
| letters, which were immediately opened
| and perused; that Benjamin then turned
to address Surratt on the subject of the
| letters, when ponent arose to withdraw,
but, owing to suggestion by Surratt that
he (deponent) was one of the parties to en-
| gage in the murderous work, was request
i ed by Benjamin to remain; that the letters
so delivered to Benjamin, after referring to
i Surratt's business, requested him to present
the bearer to the President, and help him
Through with his mission; that his mission
was to obtain express authority from the
IlGovernnent to execute the plot for the
destruction of Lincoln; that ,Benjam said
there was no doubt but the President
would give the authority desired, and pro-
posed to 90 to him at once, Which was
done. .deponent by invitation acconipany-
ing him. .-, -, ''A 1i' s'I 1'.E
i That after they had been presented TO the
i President his Excellency and Benjamtnr re-
tired to another room and remained for halt
an hour or more ia close conversation; that
on returning to the room Davis requested
Surratt TO explain precisely what was de-
sired, as the dispatches from Canada stated
that he would do SO more infinitely than
they did; that Surratt then explained at
length that several determined Confeler-
ates and others in the North had resolved
to make way with "Old Abe" and his Cab
met if the project would be authorized by
the Government aud the adyenturers prom
ised protection in the event of their heing
captured; that Davis replied that there had
'been SO many schemes set on foot for this
purpose all of which hadproved miserable
failures, that he had ceased to hope for any
good results from any such project, but that
at any rate no special authority more than
the agents in Canada could confer was nee
essary to Warrant the proposed proceedings;
that lincoln being the Cbmmander
Chief of the armies of the United States,
Confederate soldiers had the same right,
aud that itWas as much their duty to de-
stroy him, if they could, as to kill any pri-
Vate soldierin his armies, and thatif they
should be captured while engaged in such
an undertaking, they must be treated as
prisoners of war, Suppose that two OF
three Yankees should steal into my house,
and, without warning, attack and kill me,
can there be any doubt that their Govern
ment would applaud, protect and reward
them, and declare their action legitimate
warfare?- Not at all"
That Surratt replied that all bis Excel.
lehcy had observed was undoubtedly true
but that someot the parties anxious tOem-
barkiih the enterprise were not wholly sat.
istied that tile Government wouddfec0g.
hize their action, and with the ASSURANCES
of protection given by the AGENTS I'M Cana
da,l ihasmdeh as the protection promised by
the agents In other ca ses-ior Instance, il
the case of Beall Kennedy, Burleigh and
the St.. Albans raidersAhad not been ex-
tended, and that the present project ocould
not be executed without express authority
and assurance of protection from the Gov,
etnnient bhat after some further converl
| sation between Davis aud Beiljamin, which
itisihotihecessafy to give here, the Presi-
deiit directed SufTatt to call the next day
at iio6hp ON the! Secretary, whenyhe, woiIld
receive all the authority, &c. he required
| That on the Following day they (Surratt
and deponentI ,aecbmpanied bY "a man
| named Shevel, Called on Benjamin as direct
cd. but the papefs had not been sent to HIN
North iniaisdiately, ,Behja amin at once start
pleaded jiaaEIiisp position for not having the
papers ready. By the time indicated, but
said they had Just been finished, tin 5tSneyel
was now presented to, his E&cellency as one
Of the braves ready to enter upon the
bloody work y Mat after g little conv vefsa-
ton, d1rlng Which Davis Inquired Of Sur.
fRtt what route be intended TO take. and
when he expected to pass the Federal lines
His Excellency placed q letter in Surratt's
hand saying This TIhli is Tor Colonel Thomp: