Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-08-16

| IL an application 10 the Executive Tor pardon.
| CHAs. A, DUNHA1r.
The above are all the papers which have
come to my knowledge in relation to the
application for pardon. When considered
in connection with other papers, ADVENT
tiously received, they excite peculiar inter
! est, and command careful attention. And
| it is the extraordinary gravity OF the import
of these papers, last mentioned, IN connec-
ton with the source whence they come,
which makes it my delicate duty to submit
| their contents for your studlous consldera,
ton, and to suggest that some proper dis
position ought to be made of them, in con-
sonance with the dignity of the Govern
ment, and in justice to all parties. intro,
| duce them as follows
! First, a communication addressed to the
President of the United States, bearing
date Washington, July 30, 1867, and signed
g Charles a Durham" 1t will be seen
that this person, who is certified by gentle
men of official and professional RESPONSE
Lility, and of distin guished sagacity, to be
capable of great and valuable service in
the disclosure of crime, makes startling as
severations directly against prominent
members Of the National Legislature
WASHINGTON, July %, 1867.
To HIS ErceNe,scy A12d,eec johnson, President q
the United States
In applying to your EXcellency for pardon, had
not intended to offer any disclosures concerning
the pIOttiur of YOUR enemies against you, which
cOuld be retarded as an inducement for granting
my application. | instructed my wife, IN present
ing the petition, to refer to the conspiracy OF
Ashley x Co., 50 far only as might appear Eeces-
sary to remove any unfriendly feeling that might
have been cngcndered within you toward me by
the newspaper reports, that had engaged TO as
slst your enemies III their Enetarious designs. l
adopted this reserve in the belief that the servi-
ces / had rendered the Government, as ccrtIhed
by Judge Holt, the Hon. Mr.. Riddle and Nil Ash
ley, would in your view and Judgment, render me
deserving Executive clemcnCy, and because de-
sired that it should appear on the record, ana on
the face of my pardon, that clemency mad beeh
extended to me solely in consideration OF my ser
vices to the Government, and eNcIuelFely on inc
recommendation Of prominent Radicals, to the
cndgthat when I should come to expose the atro-
COus plot of Ashley& Co., the Radicals would not
be in a position or able to charge me with dong
so in consideration of pardon, OF that the lreSi-
dent had pardOncd me on cOndltloh Oh my 4IlPIi-
eating his enemies in All Infamous conspiracy.
From the moment l was forced into ASSOCIATION
with these traitors and cOnspratCrS, determined,
as soon as [ should be released, to place IN the
hands of your EXcellency, or lay before the pub
lie d complete exposure OF their diaDo!IG3I de-
signs and most astounding proceedings ms, L
believed, would be my sacred duty, Tor although
accused of crime, am not 80 destitute or h"nor
and patriotism as not TO feel some interest," III anu
obligations to my country:
The interest these persons have felt, and the
efforts they have made, (Which would have sue
ceedcd ere this but fer the blunder OF one OF
themD and which they still propose to make for
nv release IF CT, | know were prompted by the
most selfish motives, III order that they mig Use
me as all instrument to accomplish Their ueVlllSh
designs, and shall not therefore be guilty or III
gratitude in abandoning and exposing their VII
lainy.
My wife has, beneve, explained TO You low
Ashley, first through his man Friday, Matchett,
and afterward in person, managed to make known
to me his wishes, aims, and purposes, and enlist
meas far as forced promise would S0--ln his
enterprise. | shall, therefore, only adYer here to
some thin, which have been said and done by
the constructors which are susceptible of being
proved against them by the most lrretraSabie evil
dence.
After obtaining my promise to render all the as
sistance in my power, Mr.. Ashley eHplalneI to me
the kind Of evidence he thought it most advisable
to present against You. Il must be very brief
He thought it would be very plausible to prove
1st That Booth had on several occasions paid
YOU familiar visits at the kirkwood. This, 1t was
hoped, might be able to induce some Ct the old
female servants to testify to. 1T this could not be
done, then it should be proved by some or my
friends who happened to be at the house at the
time who knew Booth, &c, and saw the visits.
ID That you correspondent with Booth, which
should be SHOWN by one or more persons who had
taken notes from Booth to you, and your replies
contents unknoWn) thereto to Booth. The wit
nesses should be persons who profess to have
been intimate with Booth, and TO have been en-
listed by him to take part in the assassination.
3D. That the placing Of AtZer0dt with weapons
al the kirkwood was only sham although At
Zerodt was not aware of ito make it appear
that YOU were intended as victim, and thus dis
tract all suspicion from you of cOnniving at Lin
cons murder. This also, it was suggested could
be proved by persons who could testify that they
had been induced enter into the conspiracy Wit h
Booth and had performed part in organizing it,
&c, which persons, it was to be understood, we've
induced to testify under an assurance from the
Government that they should not be prosecuted
for any part they had taken.
The resolution under which Buffers committee
was appointed. it will be observed. provides for
the protection Of such persOns-who are furnish
ed with q good excuse for not coming forward be-
fore-by offering immunity to all who were con-
nected with the conspiracy who will now come for
ward and disclose their knowledge on the sub
ject.
4th That Booth, just after the 18th of March,
stated to intimate friends in New York, whom he
endeavOrcd to enlist in the conspiracy, that he
was acting width the knowledge OF the Vice Presi-
dent: that it had been arranged to kill Lincoln on
the day Of the inauguration, which would account
for Mr.. JohnsOns strange conduct on that Occa-
sion, which had provoked so much comment IN
the press; that you expected the tragedy to be en-
acted then, and had taken several rotations to
compose and nerve YOU for the event; and that
you were not so much intoxicated as nervous and
excited.
I fee! mach dolicacy in referring to this topic,
but l cannot inform you of your enemies plans
and projects without being plain, and l am OBJ
hged to write in too much haste to DE choice i'll
/ assured Ashley that I should have no difficult
ty III finding persons Of good standing and moral
character to prove these matters, and 1t was
agreed that should do so as soon as released,
IA, T, G.
As an earnest that possessed the ability to do
what engaged, and in order to satisfy some of
their party who doubted the existence Of evidence
to connect you with the assassination conspiracy,
Ashley and Butler desired and pressed me to send
for two three persons of whose intelligence and
qualifications they could satisfy themselves, and
whom they could parade before their increduous
friends
[ consented, and Ashley supplied the facts it
was desired they should know and repeat, and |
forwarded them to trusty friend, with secret CX-
plantations to my own purposes, and instruc-
tons for him to procure two other friends to COM
nit to memory the statements enclosed to him,
and when sent for, to come here and repeat them
(but not under oath) to such persons as l should
indicate.
After allowing my friends sufficient time to learn
their parts, the Rev. Mr. Matchctt b was sent
for them, III order that it might be said that he,
agent for the impeachers had found the witnesses,
and that their character tor Veracity was above
suspicion.
On arriving here, these persons were inspected
by Ashley and Butler, and were found to possess
the requisite qualifications to intelligence and
personal appearance; but, unfortunately for the
impeachers it was deemed necessary make
some changes-mO il some, and addi-
lions to other portions of their stattments-be-
| fore presenting them to the lukewarm Radicals it
was intended to intlame It being impractcable
Tor the men to see me at the jail on such business