The day book. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1857-1867, 1866-08-03
The Assassination PIot-The Minority
Report.

ROGERS, a member Of the Judiciary Commit
tee, who entered upon the duties assigned to
him with view to elicit truth, and not to
make out a case or give prominence to facts
in order to support previously received the
Org The majority Of the Committee, whose
report is before the public, and to which we
have referred, threw every impeachment III the
way of Mr.. ROGERS The papers wCro put
away from him, locked in boxes and hidden,
and he was refused the privilege Of inspecting
them. It was not until II o'clock on Friday.
the day before the adjournment Of Congress,
that he was fully allowed to look through
them and derive any knowledge, based upon
examination, for the purposes of his report.
Tbs testimony, Mr.. ROGERS says, shows con-
elusively the existence and fostering, the hiring
and paying, Of the most wicked combination
Of perjurers the world has ever known. The
evidence taken was in the absence of Mr..
DAVIS and Of any counsel for him. Most of
the evidence was as the Acknowledgement
said, ezpdrte, and without notice to the ac-
cussd. Mr.. ROGERS says tina. even in the
committee room he seemed to be acting with
sort of secret council Of inquistion. The
first and most important part of long tissue
Of falsehoods was introduced at the trial of
Booth and others to connect Mr.. DAVIS with
the assassination. It was in secret, with
closed doors, the perjured reporter present,
that the chief testimony alleged to implicate
Mr.. DAVIS was taken--aud the testimony
would not be publicly known batfor its pub
LEGATION in Cincinnati, through PITMAN's VIC
lation Of bis oath. After reviewing the tes-
timony of CoNovEs and Others, and the action
of Judge Holt, who also gave testimony de-
rived from the testimony Of the parties de-
scribed, ard for which they say Judge Holt
paid them, Mr.. Rogers says;
It was not till noon Friday yesterday the last
day but one of the session, that the commit
tee and the gentleman from Massachusetts
alloweu me to read the testimony, or parts
thereof, that my memory alone should not be
trusted to report. 1t was then within TWEEN
ty-four hours Of its adjournment that Con-
sress, through this committee, allowed me to
got ready to prepare this report, when the
unfinished business of the session was crowdine
upon me, and no time was left me to pursue
to the head the vllainies I detected in the
hand, or might have been a plainly to
tell Congress and the country teat II in this
plot we had Titus Oates il Ca.oyer, so also
we had SALISBURY somewiefe. Had more
than twenty-four hours been allowed me, or
had those twenty-four hours been less bur-
dsned with other duties requiring immediate
discharge, might have been able i'll addi-
ton to exposing the perjury, to have told this
House who concocted it; who screened til
do not attack the COMMITTEES; why it was con-
cocted and screened and finally, why COM
mittee of Congress acted towards one Of its
own members like Venetian council Of ten.
whose legislation and inquiries were being
kept secret for the benefit Of some Foscari.
Need l add, in conclusion, that, neither in
verbal or written testimony, is there any
credible evidence whatever to criminate Mr..
Davis AZ an accomplice before or after the
fact in tbs murder Of Mr. Lincoln There is
not any evidence worthy of the slightest
credit that connects either Mr. Clay, Mr.
Cleary, Mr.. Thompson, MIR. Tucker, Dr. Pal
lin, Mr. Stuart, nor any others charged there
with, now at liberty, with that assassination
directly or indirectly.
Nor is there the slightest possible tinge Of
probability, according to the results of inves-
tigation, that any plot or plans ever did ex-
ist among those charged Herewith to poison
or infect t9ltb Jevers tie good people Of this ma
tio7a.
The discoveries Of the doings Of the Bureau
Of Military Justice render it duty that
whatever be done in this matter hereafter, be
done in less suspicious locality, and freed
from secrecy. Evil motives alone fear the
light. The Government of this country
should have in this matter nothing to hide or
fabricate in darkness.
As regards the charge OF treason That is
alrsady before the proper tribunal, and have
only to express surprise that the judi ial
branch of the Government should SO long
have deferred trial, and that prisoner could
be ready for trial so long, ask Tor it so per-
sistently, and yet in defiance of law and
usage be so long denied it,
The assertion that legislation by Congress
is needed ere the crime of treason can bring a
man to trial is wholly unfounded, and sounds
like shrinking from the fulfIlmeut of a
most plain duty.
The report of Mr., ROGERS is extended, and
enters into details which our space precludes--
but it is an effectual antidote to the majority
report, which sought to implicate the dis
tinguished prisoner of Fortress Monroe-and
will so be regarded by all unprecedented men,
Cursed be he that taketh reward to STAY an
innocent person. And all the people shall
say, Amen.
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