The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1866-08-02
The Minority Report on tho Assnssinatio
Com plicIlY Cnse.

Com pltct'y Case.
Representative RoaERs, on the 29th, made O
minority report, signed by himself only, as q
member of the Judiciary Committee, to which
was referred an Investigation as to what compl-
city, If any, JEFFERSON DAVIS and others had in
tho assassination Of President LINCOLN.
He says for some reason or reasons, not fully
stated, the majority OF the committee determined
to throw in his way every possible impediment,
them in what he considered common task inn
posed upon them by the House, but even in his
working out any conclusions for himself, when it
have none of his assistance or fellowship, but
resented deeply any attempt of his to render
It. The papers were put away from him, locked
he was told day after day and week after week. that
he could not have access to them. It not until
noon of Friday that he was allowed freely to look
through them and derive any knowledge based
upon their examination for the purposes Of this re-
port. Had the majority permitted him to use the
eluded him, this report would have been Of moro
benefit to the cause of justice and truth than
ne could now hope to make it. MIR. Rogers says
connect Davis aud others with the asssssna-
tion OF President Lincoln was all er parte, and
IN the absence OF any person cross-questioning
nation Of Sanford Conover, the principal
witness and originator of all the oral tes-
Of %afy nep te By the BugsaR
had given at the assassination mock trials
ON ON, the e,,:a 2o'h OF May 1865, vas read to
Rogers examined at some length the testimony
of Conovor, Merritt and others, to show it's
last named boing wholly inyalidated BY his con-
tr tradictions, would amount to nothing unsup-
gp9rted' with its evident perjuries, unexplained
When MIR. Holt forwarded il with the rest he ac-
companied the whole Of it with an explanatory
argument, every sentence Of which is redolent
with the logic OF prosecution, and to him (Rog-
q fp1t n ola1 kos.~
personal motive in the conviction. The sending
OF any argument to convince the committee was in
itself a step>of doubtful proprety. In conclusion,
he says: Il cannot agree with the statement made
In the concluding paragraphs Of the majority re-
port, that it is the duty Of the Executive Depart
ment of the Government, for a reasonable time
and by the proper means, to pursue the nvesti-
cations for tho purpose Of ascertainipg the truth
The Government" Mr.. Rogers says, "through
Investigations over one year with the rigor Of
military power and the expenditure OF vast
amounts, and in Conover, Campbell, snevel Co.
this man to be under these imputations without
even preliminary examinations This is worse
than the treatment OF DEnghein-worse than
ing with the maturity report on this point as on
most others, believe it to DO the duty Of the
authorities holding Davis to give him a prelim-
nary examination, as prescribed by the usages
and practices OF all civilized nations. If in that
examination It be found that there remsins any
thing ~ muhsatsaed it is the duty Of the Govern
itles, that he and the others accused may have
opportunity to show to the world the mslce and
falsehood OF these wicked accusations. The dis.
coVeries OF the doings of the Bureau Of Military
Justice render it duty that whatever be done in
this matter hereafter be done in a less suspicious
locality, and freed from secrecy. Evil motives
alone fear the light. The Government Of this
country should have 10 this matter nothing to
hide or fabricate in darkness. AS regards the
trial for troason that already before the proper
tribunal, and have only to express surprise that
the judicial branch of the Government should
have SO long deferred the trial; and that prison.
or could be ready for trial 30 long, ask for it SO
persstently and yet, in defiance Of law and usage,
be 80 long denied"