Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-04-05
not mean to say that they judged wrong
under the light which they had. The point

which make, and the point which, should
stand made before the country, is that all
the testimony was lot before the tribunal.
Ii al the testimony had been presented We
shoQid have been able to pursue the accOm-
plices, and to find out who it was that
changed Booths purpose from capture to
! assassination who it was that was to pro-
! fit by the assassination, and that would not
profit by the capture of Mr.. Lincoln who
II was that should succeed Mr.. Lincoln Ill
! case the bullet made 4 vacancy. In some
aspects Of the case that diary might not
have been legal testimony, but its moral
evidence would have carried conviction to
! the mind Of everybody, because it was the
/ dying declaration OF man who, assassin
! though he was, was telling the truth be-
tween himself and God. How was Booth
| by coming back to Washington, going to
| clear himself Of the great crime commit
/ ted That question still remains, were
/ the eighteen pages of Booths diary gone
when it comes into the possession Of the
7 learned Judge Advocate? If SO, why did
! he not inquire what had become of them,
whether Lieutenant Colonel Conger gave
! tho book to somebody, whetheT il went
from his hands into other hands, and
whose knife it was that cut out those
leaves / should not have pursued this
matter further except that the gentleman
! (Nlr. Bingham) charged me with having
made the assertion / did without an exam
ination of the evidence. He has chosen
to bring this matter here, not |. And /
desire now that, in some form, this mat
! ter shall he fully and thoroughly investi-
gated.
Here The fall oi The Speakers hammer
indicated the termination OF the fifteen
minutes allowed to Mr.. Butler A propo-
sition for fn extension Of time Was made.
! bat NeserS. Nan Nycl1 and BToomaII Oh
iectcd.
! Mr.. Bingham asked leave to reply to Mr..
Butler.
Mr.. Broonlall inquired as to the length
Of time lie desired.
Nh Bingham said that he only wanted
tlc time that was given 10 his assailant and
! GCcusCr,
The House granted him fifteen minutes.
Mr.. bingham commenced by calling on
Mr.. Butler for the book.
Mr. Butler, holding up the report Of the
! assassination trials, asked was that tho
book
No, sir. said AIR. Bingham, mean tho
diary,
Oh, said Mr., Butler, the gentleman can
not have that
Note by the Reporter. Nj bingham
/ supposed that Mr.. Butler had Booths diary.
while he only Lad one which hc said looked
like it III outward appearance This misap-
prchensi0n caused Mr.. Bingham to say. |
Yes, sir that is another exhibition of
/ fairness and manliness.
Nj. Butlcr tried to explain, but MI.
Bingham would not permit him, and rc-
quested that he should sit down. If he
had not the diary, lie said he should not
! have said word about It.
/ But intcTpoecd Mr.. Butler, | know who
/ has.
1Ir. bingham said And [ do not He
then went on to say: As to the report fur
nished to me Of the hurried and excited
debate which took place between myself
and the gentleman, and which was proyok-
ed by an unjust and unWarranted imputa-
ton on his part, none the less unjust and
disreputable because he selected the softest
word i'll the language
The Speaker intimated that the word
& disreputable was not Il proper word to
apply to another member in debate.
Nlr. Bingham-l beg the Speakers par
don. 10 say that an accusation is disrepu-
table is not parliamentary. l did not
say the gentleman is disreputable. l am
only sorry that the Speaker did not discov-
er such words as that when used by my ac-
/
ton Of the Speaker, and perhaps [ will not
be permitted to say anything.
The Speaker intimated that Mr.. Bing-
ham might proceed in order.
Mr.. Bingham continued In the excite
ment and hurry of the time it SO happened
that the report of my reply to the gentle
man was the most imperfect report that was
ever sent to ME Of remarks made by me In
| the House. Any gentleman may examine
it, and he will fail to find, in the corrections
| that [ made q single accusation that is not,
by express words or by necessary implica-
ton, in the notes of the reporter. | char
ged the gentleman Mr.. Butler) with con
Shutting himself an unjust accuser. !
charged him with having assailed my Off.
cial conduct on this floor and elsewbere.--
/ charged him with having assalled the Of
! ticial conduct of men who were his peers III
the field. And yet the gentleman is driven
to such straits after making this assault
upon me, and tries to get out Of the diff
Guilty into which he has put himself by get
! ting up this mutilated report Of my remarks
and printing it. He is entitled to all he
can gain by any such course of procedure.
And therefore / leave him, simply adding
| the remark that, in the condensed reports
| of the morning papers, [ find substantially
every word that Is recorded in the Globe,
even down to the very last word that L ut
tered, and which the reporter had the kind
ness to preserve, that defy this calumny.
What charge is he complaining of ? That
| 7 said he had condemned without knowing
Or caring for the evidence, L say so yet. Ii
he is the lawyer he is reputed to be, then
he is to be pitied for coming here and ar
raigning his peers for not consentinG to adj
NIT the testimony OF q man accused, made
after the fact. | defy him by any inve5ti-
cation which he dare institute, here or any
| where, to show that ANY communication
came into my hands, purportins to be the
production Of J. Wilkes Booth, that was
! not made after the fact, and long after the
fact Is there any lawyer in America OF
! England who would say that the words and
declaration OF an accused feIOn, after the
fact, arc evidence which the advocate for
| the Government is bound to admit Ill any
court [ treat with contempt and scorn
any intimation from any quarter that | on
my associate counsel were under obligations
to admit any such evidence. The law does
not require il. The common law, the
growth Of centuries, the gathered wisdom
Of thousand years, excludes it. Perhaps