Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1867-04-02

- Ne - uC1b ~ u II NUM- EObtOrs
TUESDAY EvENiN1..........A APRIL 2.
- Glen. Daalcr's Mystery.
!. General Butler said some things in his
place in Congress. and on his responsibility
" member Of Congress, which scarcely
all to arouse painfully the curiosity Of the
and which demand some further
- psnatioa either = his hands, or from
hose who may be supposed to have known,
md knowing TO have concealed, the impor.
ant facts Of which he has now for the first
lime 81 ea The public Information.
We have hitherto printed tho press report |
81 General B1tlse's remarks We hsvs
now before us the full ofBcisl report 10 the
GloDe-prsbabIy revised BY the speaker,
and Of this ~ mean 70 mako brief ana
lysIa At the close Of the speech General
Butler said:
Ian NOT now speaking Of anything which
10 mere heassay. but Of that whtch knor
am speaking Of that 10 which, If speak
wrongly. any eeatlcman Of the Judiciary
COMMITTEE She has had this book before
hin con sssssct me-"
What be thus enforcss, a. known to his-
sslf and TO other responsible men, h this.
We cut IL from the 1iste, only emitting
passages which interfere with = connected
narrative:
when Booth was captured by the force
under Lieutenant Colonel Conger there was
taken from hrs pocket diary like the one
sow hold in my hand. In this diary Booth
had act down day by DAY his plans. his
thoughts, his motives, and the execution cf
his plans. That diary came into possession
Of the Government, but il VAS not brought
before the Military Commission. Although
even Booths tobacco. ripe. spur, and com,
pass, found in the same pocket with the dis
ary, we're put in evidence, The diary Was not
produced. That diary has been before your
COMMITTEES on the Judiciary. Let me say
here, 10 exclude cencluaions. that Go not
obtain my evidence from them. That diary.
- nov produced, has eighteen pagea cut
out, the paess prior 10 the time whom Abra>
ham Lincoln was mastered, although the
sdges yet shoW they Asd all been ~riften
orsr.
There 10 still rssuaisine in that diary
aost remarkable ssntsncs. written appsrsut-
" but few hours before Booth died.
give il from memory:
"'l have endsavored 10 cross The Poto.
msc avs times. bat failed. proposes TO re.
surn 70 Washington and give myself up.
and clear myself from this great CRIME"
This 10 General Bstler's story and We
remark that, though he referred to the Ju>
dietary Committse Of the House as knowing
the truth II what he said, 10 member Of
that committee ross 10 rrfuts his assertions.
IL Is . very strange story aud We do not
believe any American can read il without
ssking the very same questions which Gen.
Butlcr asked
"wss that diary whole when Il csme into
the hands Of the Government II It was
good judgment on the part of the gentleman
prosecuting the assAssins OF the President
10 put in evidence the tobacco>pipe which
was found in Booths pocket. Why was not
the diary. Ia his own hand writing, put in
evidence. wherein he himself had detailed
the Particular. Of that crime Who spoil
s,ed the book ? Who suppressed that evil
dence, Why was most remarkable piece
u ev,dcn ~ which Was found ON the body Of
ia. great conspirator, not brought to the
knowledge Of tie public mind.
"ilow was Booth 20 clear himself by going
back TO Washington from the great crime
hc had committed, That Booth thought ne
could do 50 appears from what still remains:
h. Me-
they gons when Tho book came into she pos
session of the learned Judge Advocate II
they were, Why DID not he inquire when
and where they wentY When Lieut.. Co.
longer gave il TO somc one, Why lid he not
inquire, Was il whole then" When il
went into the hands Of the next man was / I
whole theny Whose was the knifs that
Gu, out he leaves in way that is plain to
be seen Of all men
"uow was Booth 20 clear himself, BY
ise'os.ng his accosnPliesss Who were
they ! Who apOliascd that book after it
got into the possession Of the Government,
e IL was not spoliatcd before! Aud what
evidence 10 there that II was spclated be.
icres Why was not Lieut.. Col. Congss
allowed 10 state fully in regard to this mat ;
ter z"
These ere questions which must pass
through every ones mind as he reads Gen.
Eu,ler's statement, aud they imply what
his statement gives color to-,hat justice
has been demanded, that the people have
teen hood winked. that the foulest aud
most inexcusablc crmo IT modern times has
Teen hushed up, thar the evidence which,
When it was ye. fresh, would probably, in
the hands OF acute aud Jealous men, have
led TO thorough exposure Of the conspiracy
against the heads Of our Government, was
consolidation We do not hesitate to use the
word which Gen. Butler took back.
Gen. Butler very rightly said
''lf NC had only the advantage Of oil the
testimony. Mr.. Speaker, We might then
have been able, with the testimony Of wits
nSsses fresh in mind. TO find who, indeed,
were oil ths accomplicss OF BoosA"
He added, Is his opinion, II believe thsl
piece Of evidence would have shown what
the whole case. in my judgment, nos shows:
that w to cartain hour Booth contc,npla
ted capture and sbiuetion, and that be az
forwards changed HE parposs to sssasaina-
ton, on consultation with::the conspirstors
about him. We have always thought tAis
to be the fact but the questioa remains,
how did Booth propose - "elsar himself Of
this great crime" - hs is nsv asserted to
have written in his diary. What sxtcnuatien
vas there possible, what terrible secret
did he posssss. Whieh 10 disclose would
"cisar him Of this great criae," and clear
hun SO surely that 10 uas sssdy to give
"hiassM ap." and bad attempted Ave tsess
to cssss The Psssoas fse that purpose.
We do nee follow 0enseal Better il his
insinuatieas; L b MT b eur spinisn lais
or honorable b hines and innusidoes TO try
70 connect ~ - with - uons,rous Z
crime. But ~ sSnembss that on the "a -
May. 1866, PRECEDENT Johnson issued proc
'ams'ion offering rewards Cor che capture OF
Jefferson Davis, Jacob Thompson, Clement
T. Clay. Beverly Tucker Geo. N. Sanders,
". I. C'cssy. and others, % The ground
shrt "it appears from sr,denee in the Bureau
Of Military Jusiice that she asrceious muir,
der Of the late President" &c, &c., were