Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1866-08-31
DARK CHAPTER In AMERICAN
HISTORY.
The Infamy of Judge Joseph Holt.

1
one more damaging to the patiopal homo
than that contained in the report OF MI
Rogers, from the minority of the com
| mittee TO which was.reierred the investl
| CATION as to the completely Of jefferson
Davis and others in the assassination
| Mr.. Lincoln, was ever presented TO tn
| American people. Though denied ac
cess to the greater part OF the document
and testimony before and in possession
of the committee, Mr., Rogers was abl'
to secure enough to show that 1T wa
sought BY the most astounding and in
comprehensive yillainy, to establish thu
fact of criminality, where it was clearly
apparent that none existed, and by the
bribery of witnesses, subordination O.
perjury, and all the other appliances ane
arts BY which false testimony is obtained
the attempt was made to fix. upon Mr.
Davis participation in crime OF which
he was innocent as child unborn.
The assassination of Mr.. Lincoln was
a shocking and CHASTITY crime, yet it was
small and excusable compared with that
contemplated by some of the, persons en-
gagged in this attemptto establish Mr..
Davis completely with that crime. He
who slew Mr.. Lincoln boldly assumed
tie responsibility of his crime He COM
mitted it in the presence of thousands,
exposed himself to instant death and ig-
nominy, and paid the penalty of his dar-
ing with the sacrifice of his life. But
those who concocted this conspiracy
against the life Of Mr. Davis were at the
same time cold-blooded, usprincipled
dastards, and heartless assassins. They
conspired against the life of man
whom they knew to be innocent, and
sought to convict him by the testimony
of, men whom they had paid to swear to
falsehoods they had manufactured for
them; with systematic diabolism they
had drilled these men in the statements
they were to make before the jury as
teachers drill school children in their
lessons They had paid them money in
advance for the preparation of the hor-
rible crime, and promised more. With
a malignity and deliberation which only
fiends could rival, they worked day after
day to perfect their deviiish scheme, and
only failed from the want of nerve in the
agents they had selected, and who, as
the time approached for the preparation
of the horrible crime against God and
man to which they had pledged them
selves, and for which they had been pre-
pared with so much care and paid with
so much liberaity, shrunk back appalled,,
and broke down in their resolution at
the very time when they were expected
TO act. The testimony Of the witnesses
to these sickening details is clear and
uneduivocal and cannot be doubted, be-
cause they are confessions which crimi-
nate themselves. They also criminate
high officer of the Government in this
diabolica plot man whose character
before was above the suspicion of such
crime, and whose connection with the
Government, it there were no other con-
siderations, should have kept him clear
of such a monstrous and devilish attempt
upon an innocent life.
That officer was Joseph Holt, the head
and chief ofthe Bureau Of Military JUS
tice. By him the suborned witnesses
were examined, by his agents they were
employed, and through him they re-
ceived their pay.
Think Of il Jefferson Davis. a soil
tary prisoner, in lonely cell at Fortress
Monroe, denied all communication with
his family; confined upon the charge of
treason and awaiting his trial; helpless
and almost hopeless; sustained only by
the consciousness of innocence and the
rectitude Of his intentions, the object of
an infamous and horrible conspiracy in
his life, concocted by officers Of
the government in whose hands he was
prisoner. And so clear was his inno-
cence of the crime which it was sought
to fix upon him that the conspirators
we're obliged TO resort to monstrous and
system Of perjury, sustained
by bribery, and paid for out of the pub
lie treasury. ia
Who can measure the extent of the in
fanny which should, and will gather
around the names of the men engaged
in this monstrous crime; this perversion
of Justice, this cold-blooded and fiendish
purchase of mems souls to commit the
dreadful crime of perjury, in order that
an innocent man might be made to suf-
fer a cruel death. The mind recoils
with horror and disgust from the con-
temptation of so terrible an oBense
against the laws OF 'Iod ana man Inere
was a fearless sen-aoeralioh IN me CRIME
OF Booth, and a bold assumption o. per
sonal responsibility winch, WINE We
his bloody act we cannot neip
admire bnt TINS recent piottlng aeslns'
the LIE OF Mr. DAVIS, TINS heartiess drih'
ing Of witnesses IN their lessons oil per
Jury, to convict HIM oi CRIME win
which the conspiratOrs knew ne hau NJ