The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1867-04-05
BO0TH'S DIARY,


We give below the remarks OF Gen. But
Ter in the House in regurd to the personal
debate between himself and Mr.. Bingham,
ullusion to which was made ly us last
week. In his foolish fling at the press he
damaged himself, to say the leust. but we
Rec no reason on the rat Of our cotcmpora.
ries in denouncing him for the unfortunate
alteration of bingham vs.. Butler. Ben is
not the man to act without some facts to
back him.
Mr.. Butler began by stating that he had
caused To be placed on the desk of each nem-
Der q copy Of Mr.. Bingham's speech the other
day, In the personal discussion with himself,
appesrel in the manuscript of the reporter,
and the speech as published In the Globe. The
specch as written contained $50 words, rs print
ed Il contained loaf words, and there were IN
the repcrters manuscript 2S2 erasures anu al
terations. have always, said Mr.. Butler un-
derstood the rule to he that In q personal de-
bate, q member had no right to make any
changes unless they were submitted TO the
member affected by them. That rule In: been
violated In this case. In the matter thus inter-
nolated il the sentence:-"What does the gen.
tlemsn know Of the evidence In the cise, and
what does no care for the evidence when he
thus assaiis the Official conduct of those men
who constituted the COURT" l will state the
evidence on which made the other day the
statement that Mrs Surratt WAS improperly
convicted. I hold In my hand the printed re-
port of the trial, and had examined 1t with
great care long before, because this was no
sporadic thought Of mine. 1t was the result
Of careful. anxious investigation, for another
and different purpose. TO see who were 70 n ,ne
had said he was the advocate Ut the United
States on that trial. That was great mistake.
lie was the special judge-advocate, whuse duty
Il was to protect the rights Of the prisoner as
well as Of the United States, and to sum mp the
evidence and state The law. But there was one
piece Of evidence within the gent . knowl'
edge which he had not produced on that mo-
mentous trial. - Off,,
Conger, there was taken from his pocket dia-
~ like the oEe now hold In my mann lho,ding
up email morocco-covered pocket diary, In
which he SGT down day by day his plans, his
thoughts, his motives and his excuse. That
was put into the possession OF the government,
but Il was not laid before the military commits.
sion, although the gentleman from Ohio did
Law before the court Booths aobacco, pipe.
spur. knife and other articles found on his
person. His diary was not produced, That
diary appears now before our judiciary COM
mittee, land let ne say here that did mot Oh
tain my information from that committee
With The eighteen pages Of entries made prior
10 the time OF Mr.. Lincoln's assassination ab-
sent. The edges show that these pages were
all cut out. What I want to know IS, nrst,
was that diary whole when II came into the
hands Of the government; and secOnd. whether
Il was good Judgment IN the part of those who
were prosecuting the assassins of Abraham Lin
coin TO put Id q tobacco-Dipe founi In Booths
pocket rs evidence against the prisoners, while
The diary in Booths own handwriting, detail
ing all the particulars of his crime, was with;
held. I did not charge the able, brave and
HmnR. They did not see the diary. They did
not know Of It's existanoe. II they had they
might have given different account OF the
matter. Who spolatsd that bookf Who sup
pressed that evidenced Who caused that inno-
cent woman to be hanged while he had In his
rocket the diary which would have shown, ut
east, what vas the idea and what were the
thoughts Of thu main conspiratori ,..-..-
There Is still remaining In that diary mem
orsbls instance, written but q lew hours before
Booths death. quote II from memory: ~
have endssvored TO crOss the Potomac hve
times aud failed. tpropose to return to mssn.
inrton aud give myself VI. and elear, myself
from this great crime" How clear hlmselfi
Nv giving himself up and disclosing his accom-
piices. Who werc theyI Who spolated that
book ai,er u got into the possession OF The gov
eminent, " Il was not spoliated beforef Why
Was not Lent Colonel Conger allowed to 60
on and state what had been found on Dooth
bodyl The questions were carefully put TO
him 20 thai he should not tell about this book.
lie identifies the knife, pair OF pistols, holster,
tobaceo-pipe, cartridge. bill ot exchange. &C.,
but he was nowhere asked ''wefc these oil the
articles that were found on BOOTH" II he had
been asked that question he would have an
sWered that he took Booths diary from his
pocket as he lay there gasping in death. do
not know what would have been the verdict OF
the military commission u that evidence nsd
been produced. understand the theory to be
that the reason Il was not produced was lest
Booths glorihcation Of himself should 60 into
the case. I think that lame excuse. II an
assassin can clorify himself. let him do 30.
There Is no danger OF II. Therefore, again
say, here Was most remarkable piece OF evil
fence found on the body Of the great conspir-
ator, concealed. I viii take that back. l
meant Il Was not put forward, not brought to
the great public mind. believe that piecs, of
evidence would have shown what In my judG-
mcnt inc WnOto CIV uoW uuoWus tuos Dootu ~
to certain hour meant . capture aud a6duc
ton OF Mr.. Lincoln, aud that he changed his
purpose and resorted to assassination. Mrs.
Surrsts may or may not have known Of that
change OF purpose.
what nnd fault with In the chief advocate.
who did not sum up for the prisoner, Is that
there was no notice by him brought to the
view or The court, In his very able but very
bitter argumsa. against the Grsou;r a, e this
NOV 81 this change, she would have he'd NO
inov,edro Of the intended assassination, and
tberefore could not have been convicted. These
arc the reasons Why say that l am glad the
blond Of that woman. whether she wsrs limo
cent or guilty, d not on my head. meant
by no iotsndment TO say word against the
olsoefs Who composed that commission. They
were rpea who relied for the law upon the
80, k-Sns. tk.ru hut hef,va whom all Tia