The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-12-24

Malta.
From the London Times, December G.
Events have just occurred which will revive the
tragical story CT President Lincolns DEATH and at
the same time reopen questions connected with that
most embaII assng subject-tne extradition ct sus,
last nth, the American Consul at Naples received
definite uctious by telegraph to ap1rehend the
fugitive, but it was too late; ,...,,
ssa s;t Naples sZ shs
work and the Consul. General of the United States
at Malta was directed to apl rehend Surratt while
the IripoH was in harbor Accordingly, this officer
applied to the Ma tese Government lor the neces-
sary powers, out was informed uhat there was no
sufficient authority for the suggested action. I'm
mediately afterwards the TTipoH lett for A exam.
dra, and there, as we are now apprlsed Surrat has
been actually seized and detained.
In the present state OF our information on the
subject 1t is impossible to pass any opinion on the
conduct Of our authorities at Malta, though II Is
by law for the arrest and eXtradition of fugitive
could not have been so completely satisfied by
teleGraphic message as to justify action at mo
ment's notice. If, however IL snould be anywhere
ssumed tnat we, either through negligence or IN
Egyptians have done, the conclusion would
assuredly be wrong. he law of extradition is full
of difficulties at the lest, but 1t is perfectly clear
that the evidence and authority required for
the arrest of fugitive would be the same IN ali
cases, whatever might be the nature OF the crime
imputed tor good reason must be shown for appre-
hending murderer as tor appreheudlng a fraudu-
lent bankrupt. We would not claim the law in
Surratts case. whatever might be our detestation
of Il crime laid TO his charge II the man has met
in Eg! pt the fate which he escaped in Malta, that
must be either because the Egyptian authorities
required less proof than we do, or bee use greater
proof was forthcoming. Not IN the whole of this
king dom would there have been any party found to
sympathize with an assassin
AT the same time it need not be disguised that
raised if the xtradition Of surratt had come in
regular and formal shape before our Government
ent debates upon Ts he &radtOn treaty with
Fence, whether the murder OF President Lincoln
was or was not political crime-the object OF
the question being to represent by such illustration
the embarrassments by Which the proposed con-
ventIon might be attended. In compacts of this
der s q crime unwortY of asylum, and yet uniyer-
sally required that political refugees should be
What then, was to be done with political mur-
dererY What was TO be the treatment OF man
nevertheless, was, IN Its origin and circumstance,
entirely and purely politlcalY Nobody would deny
that the motives Of Booth and his accomplices, in
were political exclusively. The assassination was
an incident ofthe great Rebellion, plotted and COM
mitted in the cause of the Confederate insurgents,
by them regarded patriotic, ana not suggested by
any OF the ordinary incentives to such a:rocous
deeds. Was the crime, therefore thus originating,
political crime and, as such TO be brought within
! the limits of international protectionf
! We answer without hesitation that 1t would have
deserved sstch shelter. Political ofenses may be
clothed with character of their own, and yet it is
certainly not every oense which can be extenuated
| by q political motive. There are things which are
not TO be done in any case, and murder is one OF
them; Assassins mn masSed as pSy,ripts have never
murder, and cannot be mitigited by any explana-
| tory epithet. We have lately been discussing
and anaIyzing this most henous OF crimes, and
| seem actually TO have arrived at some dscrimi-
nations in the degree of gilt involved; but we
have never recognized such definition as political
murder. We have always acted, too. on the princi,
| pie that q murder committed with political views
| deserved hanging as much as anyother murder.
For instance, the Cato t'eet conspiracy was con-
cocted with political motives, but the consprators
were promptly executed and even in the present
day, with all our leniency nothing would save such
ruthans from the Pallows, except perhaps, the tact
that their designs were not actually contaminated
Take, again, the case of the Fenans. A more
| absurd and hopeless plot than theirs was never
| have been attended by the most shocking scenes,
the conspIrators did get the benefit of their poiti
| cal character. Even in Canada, whore loss OF life
actually eDsued from an outbreak, the criminals,
| though captured and sentenced, will probably be
saved from the scafold. But suppose halta'dozen
| Fenians had deliberately panned and executed
| murder for the sake OF promoting their GAUGE
w0nld there be any chance of their escaping the
gaIlowst fhe crime might be designated as politi-
/ caI" but would the Canadian authorities have any
! hesitation In dealing with the criminals or would
any party either in England or America ipIeKcede
| for themi SS1eH
acting the evidence which our magistrates require
before surrendering fugitive; and at this minute
is before the public In which IL is made grave
charge against the Canadian authorities that they
deprived an offender Of the privileges which our
regards such crimes aB the murder OF hr. Lincoln