The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1866-09-08

involve the fearful and the terrible. Dr..
Pallin, the man Blackburn, Mr.. Robinsonj
and other innocent citizens, nearly fell d
sacrifice to the fury and fear of poison, ar.
son, and murder which these witnesses crea-
ted, and owe their safety only to peculiar
ity Of our national temperament. We are
most easy OF all people satiated with bloody
punishment. Other nations are like the
tame tiger, which when its native appetite
for slaughter is'indulged in one instance,
rushes on promiscuous rayage.
The whole Of this affair, which would sim.
ply pass down 10 posterity as an absurdity
unsurpassed in the history Of nations, were
it not for the serious dangers and conse-
quences IL came near entailine, was drawn
into the arena Of politics.
A few weeks ago Radical editor wrote ::
"Would that the hand Of Booth had been
less steady, that Of Atzerodt more sure;" and
n woman in the employ Of the employ of the
Government, published an accusation against
the President as one Of the conspirators
against the life Of Mr.. Lincoln. Recollect.
ing that the taking Of his own life was a
leading object Of Atzerodps and Booths,
one may say Of Andrew johnson what a
writer Of the Popish plot said against Charles
the Second: ''IIe should be tried for con-
spring his own death and hanged in terro-
REM"
That this plot, to prove designs ofpoison-
| ing by infection, Of completely with the past
and future transformations, should have cul-
minated into such absurditics, is natural,
for falsehood run mad Outstrips itself, and
the dangerous allegations Of Conover, Mer.
ritt, Hyams, Campbell, Sneyel, Montgome-
ry, and Fincgas, have their prototypes in
lbthcr lands and times, though to Con0ver,
the original idea Of advertising for his own
apprehension rs a false witness is an ever.
lasting claim to high place in the pages Of
this age. Thank heaven, however, that we
are only to blush at the fact that, upon the
accusation Of the most infamous Of mankind.
common informers, melted if not bribed, by
offers Of reward, Of these sc0urings Of jails,
and the refuse Of the detective Office, Gov
ernment like ours should brand those who
had been It's ministers with crimes known
only 10 the inferior civilization Of the mid.
die ages, and that we have not to sorrow
over their guilt.
Who originated this plot, and placed the
Government in 40 embarrassing an attitude,
! cannot ascertain. The jealous secrecy and
care exercised by the gentlemen from Mas
sachusetts in keeping most Of the documen-
tary evidence from me for careful perusal,
the secrecy attending every step Of these pro-
cecdings, makes certainty on my part i'm
possible an to the authorship Of these i'll
linked perjurics. Although do not attrib
ute the course Of the committee toward me
to any desire on their part 10 screen them
selves, and | am 10 deeply impressed that
there must be guilt somewhere, that ear.
ncstly urge upon the House an investigation
Of the origin Of the plot concocted 70 alarm
the nation, To murder and dishonor innocent
men. and 10 place the Executive in the un-
/ dignifed position Of making, under procla-
nation, charges which cannot, in face of the
accused, or even In their absence, stand a
preliminary examination before justice Of
/ the peace.
II was not till noon Friday, yesterday, the
last day but one Of the session, that the com
mittec and the gentleman from Massachu-
setts allowed me % read the testimony or
| parts thereof that my memory alone should
not be trusted to report. IL was then with
IN twenty four hours Of its adjournment that
Congress through this committee allowed
me 70 get ready to prepare this report, when
| the unfinished business Of the session was
crowding upon me, and no time was left me
| 30 pursue 10 the head the villainies | detect
cd in the hand. or | might have been able
plainly to tell Congress and the country that
/ If in this plot we had Titus Oates in Como
&
Had more than twentyfour hours been al
allowed me, or had those twenty four hours
been less burthcned with other duties re-
quiring i'm mediate discharge, might have
been able, in addition to exposing the PERU
ry, 10 have told this House who concocted it;
who screened it do not attack the com
mittce; why IL was concocted and screened;
and finally, why committee Of Congress
acted towards one Of its own members like a
Venitian council Of ten, whose legislation
and inquiries were being kept secret for the
benefit Of some Foscari.
Need add, in conclusion, that, neither
in yorbal or written testimony, there is no
credible evidence whatever TO criminate Mr..
Davis As an accomplice before or after the
fact in the murder of Mr.. Lincoln? There
is not any evidence worthy of the slightest
credit that connects either Mr.. Clay, Mr..
Cleary, Mr.. Thompson, Mr.. Tucker, DIR.
Pallin, Mr.. Stuart, nor any others charged
Herewith, now at liberty, with that assassi-
: nation, directly or indirectly.
Nor is there the slightest possible tinge oi
probability, according to the results of in
vestigation, that any plot or plans ever did
exist among those charged Herewith to poi
son or infect with fevers the good people oi
this nation.
/ cannot agree with the statement mad'
in the concluding paragraph of the majori
ty report, that
at is the duty of the Executive Depart
ment of the Government for a reasonable
time, and by the proper means, to pursue
the investigations for the purpose of ascer
tanning the truth"
The Government, through the Bureau o
Military Justice, has pursued its investiga
tions over one year with the rigor of military
power, and the expenditure of vast amounts
and in Conover, Campbell, Snevel and com
pany we have the result of their labors.-
How long is Mr.. Davis to lie under these
imputations without even preliminary ex
animation This is worse than the treat
ment Of ID D'Enghten, worse than the quicker
cruelties of an auto da-fe. Disagreeine
with majority report on this point as or
most others, | believe it to be the duty o.
the authorities holding Davis to give him {
preliminary examination, as provided by th'
usages and practice of all civilized nations
If in that examination it be found there re
main anything unsatis6ed, it is the duty o
the Government to Immediately hand hin
to the civil tribunals, that he and the Others
l accused may have opportunity to show th
. wicked accusations.
The discoveries of the doings of the Blu
q reau of Military Justice render it dut,
!. that whatever be done in this matter here
4 after, be done in a less suspicious locality
a and freed from secrecy. Evil motives alon
r fear the light. The Government of thi
q country should have in this matter nothin
to hide or fabricate in darkness.
;. As regards the charge of treason, that
a already before the proper tribunal, and
!. have only to express surprise that the Judi