The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1866-12-21
che wate Gitp.


The Arrest ~ SohA n. ouxrat4.
[From the Detroit POST
The arrest of Surra,t, the escaped accom-
pGce of Booth, the assassin of Abraham
Lincoln, will excite all sorts of reflections in
the minds of different men. One of the cue
roua FEATURES Of the case Will not fail to fx
the attention of the philosophical student of
human nature. 1t illustrates principle that
is as old Is humanity, and Jet never fully I'M
derstood. The principle WAS once stated by
Daniel Webster, in conducting q prosecution
for murder. 1t is the well known but unacs
countable truth that crime mar be greater
than the individual who commits it and that
great crime, committed by a person of
weak mind, becomes the master of its per-
petrator. The soul of the criminal is often
too small to contain the greatness of his
deed; and, like an overfowing vessel, it
drips confession and exposure on every
side.
this truth than is afforded by j. 81. Surratts
race. Surratt was not an uneducated man.
Next to Booth, he was the most intelligent Of
the conspirators, having received an
academical schooling. But intelligence is
not strength. 1t is only the development of
the mind, which, if originally feeble, no
training can make powerful without years of
growth. Still, when Surratt had escaped, he
was intelligent enough to understand his sit
uation. He found himself fugitive with
secret in his possession in which not only a
great and powerful nation, but the whole
civilization of the world was interested. He
knew that the vengeance and justice of one
of the most powerful and influential nations
Of the globe would speedily search for his
track; that its eyes, its hands, and its brains
were omuipresent throughout the world
that no corner, however obscure, and no
power, however mighty, could or would
shelter him from its remorseless and every
where present pursuit, except the presence
Of an absolute seeresy. and the power of to-
tai self abnegation. He had repeated warn.
ings OF this before he left Canada, aud
on his way TO England, and after he
reached Europe, wherever he wandered,
he heard the hue and cry all
around him. TWAS there before him, and it
followed after him. Hence he changed his
name, his habits and his appearance, as much
Is possible, and sought the only refuge, ex
cept the grave, that seemed beyond the reach
ofthe all persading search of the Republic,
carefully studied security. He attempted to
bury his identity in the depth of the ocean of
humanity by pluuging into one of its lowest
orders-of intusoria and becoming the next
thing to an ltallan beggar, one of the soldiers
OF the Pope, OH a daily pittance that would
hardly purchase the tobacco an American
laborer smokes in his pipe. Here, if any
where, it seemed as if the fugitive might be
safe. He was buried deep in insigni6cance,
under an assumed name, among others doubt
less, with assumed names, whom crime or
misfortune had driven into the meanest ser
vice in Europe.
But his great crime was his master, He
M If faru
for the dimensions ofhis own will. The mo-
tive which had led him into the conspiracy
was stronger than his love Of life, or his fear
of death and it mastered his conscience as it
mastered his honesty. Neither Of the con-
spirators had any personal hatred Of feeling
towards Presiden, Lincoln. Booth, who was
the most yindictive of them ALL and Payne,
who was the most resolute, were moved BIZ
political hatred. not other victim, but of his
course. and by semi-insane ambition. The
rest. and among them Surratt, were ruled in
what they did by a love of notoreV, artfully
stimulated by Booth. When Surratt es>
capped, he took with him an overmasterng
sense OF self-importance. He felt himself a
person who had, at one stride, become one of
the notable characters of the world, an object
of interest TO all CIVILIZATION. and one in whose
history the world was Interested. He felt
himself able to shake off ana bury his Titles
ness Of character, poverty of birth and &C
quiremenis, and his obscurity of name and
lineage, but he had not sufficient capacity OF
sonl 10 disown and bury his importance and
notoriety. Even at the risk of the gallows,
he felt himself continually urged TO disclosure
at least to some one supposed sympathizing
spirit. An irresistible temptation was con.
tinuslly upon him to reveal himself, and &C
cept the world wide, the never dying notoriety
Ii.
The very reward which had tempted him
to commit his great crime, now tempted him
with ten fold force to disclose it. For, when
the promise Of world wide notoriety before
the crime tempted him to join the conspira-
cy, ii was but promise, uncertain OF fuihl-
rient, and only living in anticipation. Now
IL was constantly before him in its gigantic
and accomplished certainty. Then 1t was
bat vision Of the future now 1t was an ever
present, ever mastering reality. And long
contemplation OF it, struggling with forced
and unwilling denial. had so perverted his
moral vision as to make 1t appear to hin like
crown OF glory, which he bad only to claim
as his own.
Hence We fnd him in Canada, on the voy
age 10 England. in Liverpool, and finally IN
Rome. seeking ont some person 10 VII m he
dare entrltsl his secret, ifuiH V h0g he could re
ce5ce the infuxie .in homage paid TO his no
t0-i~tr he c4rsef El.e E4t-Uit pressed upon
hlu eni the mtu s60ce aud secrecy be
Ialat $50 nj .ll 81, spie.y, me more MS Re
Yress,d ,avty .aasglea and fought Tor. ex
ts.4rts Drztssd 81 tie uniform of private
8cs s1,Sed service Of Flu
g@as s0 htM latriy a,hrst with an ir
tsplesslbe desire % declare himself to hi
e.y,praies. rs sseS ont q, least, those lie be
ls,et sts- rea- and say TO them, !
:uG.E- e,- s.e ile IL tins uniform. like your
sefyee. psag aud insignificant, and unknown
apparently, Jes / GA nos common man.
am Of more importance in the world than an
of our Generals yes than our whole army
am Inc nan the whole world is speculatin
about ! am he whom the greatest nation O
Christendom is seeking after. Monarchsan
Governments are looking for me as an impoi
tant Object Tor their attention. ! have adde
10 change the history of a nation In shor'
ara thar John H. Surratt who was one {
the censpirators by whose hands Abraham
Lincoln was slain. Aud that is preeisei
wha, he did do and this is exactly the mar
per IN which he betrayed himself.