Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-04-30
THE SURRATT MYSTERY.

Horace Greeley MYsfiGed and IEapR-
tIent-He Demands "a Showing Hands
and the Trial or Release Of Jefferson
Davis.
From the New York Tribune. April 26th.
A dispatch from Washington 20 The Her
aid says:
at is the opinion Of persons high in
authority aud influence here, that the trial
Of John III. Surratt will be ultimately
abandoned. The impression is that there
is general conviction prevailing in official
quarters that the unfortunate Mrs. Surratt
was not guilty Of the crime for which she
was executed, and that the trial Of her son
would only result in more clearly estab-
fishing that fact Such development, Of
course, would not be relished 10y the Ad-
ministration and others concerned in the
trial and condemnation Of the mother
There is another cause, however, not very
creditable, assigned why the President
wonld not wish the trial 10 occur but, as
it would cast deep slur upon the reputa-
ton Of one who lately has not been sleep
ing in a bed of roses, | refrain from giving
it publicity. 1t might only be creating
another sensation and, perhaps, without
justification, for the qualification of scandal
mOngers. However this may be, it is not
believed that the evidence in possession of
the government will warrant the trial Of
John H. Surrau."
We think il time TO say that the many
mysteries surrounding this Surratt case
should cease. Since the assassination OF
President Lincoln, we have had endless
aurmises, and makeshifts, and tricks, in
reference 10 the crime and those accused.
ln the first place, we had the government
proclamations accusing Davis, and Sanders,
and Thompson Of the assassination. Then
we had the trials, in which these persons
were Bolemnly arragned rs participants in
that crime There are few things that our
children will less care to read than that
self-same trial, with its Maynard and rude
Justice. Then came the swift execution of
Mrs. Surratt, although Payne, an assassin
by his own confession, asserted her inno-
cence. We had the escape of Surratt-
his wanderings under government espion~
age-the fact that il was known where he
was, and no effort made 10 arrest him until
Mr.. Boutwell,, speaking the public opinion
Of the nation, compelled his arrest. We
have also had the Imprisonment of Davis
as an assassin--if there is any value in the
Judgment Of the commission that tried
Payne and his companions. His continued
imprisonment without trial, or the pretense
Of a trial, is in itself a mystery and a
shame. Then came Gen. Buffers famous
speech, showing that the diary Of Booth
had been suppressed on the conspiracy
trial, and the declaration of a great lawyer
that Mrs. Surratt had been innocently
al.
ment that the War Department would print
the Booth diary so soon as something or
other occurred. Well, time enough has
passed for twenty things to happen, and
nothing is heard of the Booth diary Finally
We have the most provoking delays about
the trial of Surratt, with 40 announcement
that he is not to be tried, because the trial
might establish the fact that Mrs Surralt
was not guilty at all ......
II is time that this Juggling should cease;
and especially as the Surratt case is only
part of the juggling that has been per-
united since the death of Mr.. Lincoln.
That tragedy is one OF the most mysterious
in the annals Of crime. There is some
thing hidden that we crave 10 know. What
IL is we cannot say; but the records Of the
trial, the continued imprisonment of Mr.
Davis, and especially the shufliing of the
government compel distrust and suspicion.
Why has not Booths diary been published?
Why is George n. Sanders not demanded
from the British government il the Adj
ministrstion really believes he was a part
ner in the crime Of Booth? Why is not
Davis either punished or released And
Why is not John II. Snrratt, against whom
at least all the evidence We have points
unerringly, brought TO usiice2