Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-04-05
SPICY DEBATE IN THE HOUSE.
THE BUTLERBINGHAM QUARREL.
Fort Fisher and $pconS-'ts" Ha~:s>S2.sa-
tEon Conspiracy and 'iie Ean%-
iu. IF GTr~. SuIratt.

The bear fight between Butte. and Bing-
ham, (yefeIred to briefly in orr tcIegraphic
columns Thmst}ay,l was renewed iii ihe
House Tuesday. Butler, it will he seen.
again made the ''damninG admission" that
Mrs. Surratt was an innocent woman.
hanged upon the scatfold" \ great deal
more is destined to come out. if these two
Radicals continue thcir quarrel. and it re
mains to he seen whether snch admissions
will damage the Destructionists IN tho eyes
OF the loyal North.
Mr. Butler asked and obtaiu"l unani-
nous consent to MAX" Il personal cXplana
ton (the time heing limited 10 fifteen min
utes. He stated that hc had caused to be
placed on the desk Of each member a copy
of Mr.. Bingham's speech the other day, Ill
the personal discussion with himself, show
ing. in parable! columns, the speech as it
appeared in tie manuscript Of tn" report
ers, and the speech as Published iii the
Globe. The speech. rs written, con
tanned JS9 words; rs printed, it contained
| OF words and there were, in the report
erS manuscript. 2.l2 CTaSurcS and alJera-
tons He mad understood that in q per
sonal debate. member had no right to
make any changes unlcss they were sub
mitted to tine membcr affected Iy them.
That rule had been violated in this case
In tlc matter thus intcrpoIatoi was tie
sentence, .'What does the gentleman
meaning NJ. Butler know OF the evidence
in the case, and what does he care for the
evidence when he tllus assails the official
conduct OF those men who constituted the
court ?" He would state the evidence on
which H. had made tue other day the state
ment that Mrs. SuTatt was improperly
convicted. He held in his hand tie print
ed report OF thc trial. and had examined it
with great care long before, becatt>o this
was no sporatic Thought Of his. It was the
! result OF careful, anxious investigation, for
another and different purposc-~to sec who
were III the great conspiracy, The gentle
man (Mr. Bingham had said that lie was
the advocate Of the United States On that
trial That WAS great mistake. lie Was
the special Judge Advocate, whose duty it
was to protect tic rights Of the lri s0ner as
well as Of tie United States and to sum up
the evidence and state tlr laW. But there
was one piece Of evidence within the gentle
mans S Mr.. Bingham's) knowledge VII ich he
had not produced on that most nomcntous
trial When Booth was captured by Lieut..
Colonel COngcr, there was, said Nh. Butler,
: :
/ now hold in my hand, (holding up "a small
morocco covered pocket daryl IN which
he set down day by day. his plans, his
thoughts, his motives and Lis excuse. That
was put into possession Of the Government,
but it was not laid before the Military Com
mission, although the gentleman (Nil. Bing-
ham, did lay before the court Booths to-
baccO pipe. spur, knife, and other articles
found on his person. The diary was not
produced. That diary appears now before
our Judiciary committeeman let me say
here that [ did not obtain my intormas
ton from that committee-vith eigh.
teen pages OF entries, made prior to the
time Of Mr.. Lincoln S assassination, absent
The edges show that these pages were all
cut out. What ] want to know is, first, was
that diary whole when it came into the
hands OF the Government. Second, Wheth-
er it was good judgment on the part OF
those who were prosecuting the aAsassins
of Abraham Lincoln to put IN a tobacco
pipe found in Booths pocket as an eyi-
dence against the prisoners, while the diary
in Booths own handwriting, detailing ali
the particulars Of his crime, was withheld?
[ did not charge the able, brave and gal
liant soldiers who SIT on that court with any
wrong They did not see the diary. They
did not know Of its existence If they had
of the matter. Who spoilated that book?
Whosuppressedt that evidence? Who caused
that innocent woman to be hanged while
he had in his pocket the diary which would
have shown at least what was the idea and
what were the thoughts OF the main con-
spiratOr? There is still remaining III that
diary memorable instance written but
few hours before Booths death. quote
it from memory: Il have endeavo~ed to
cross the Potomac five times and failed. /
propose to return to Washington and give
myself up, and clear myself from this great
crime" How clear himself BY giving
himself up and disclosing his accompIices?
Who were they? Who spoiIated that book
after it got into the possession Of the Coy
ernment, if it was not spoilatpd before?-
Why was not Lieutenant Colonel Conger
allowed to go on and state what had been
found on Booths body? The question was
carefully put to nim so that he should not
tell about the book. He identified knife,
pair of pistols, holster, tobacco pipe, car
tridges, q bill OF eXchage, &c, but he was
nowhere asked ''were these all the arti-
cles that were found on Booth p II he
had been asked that question, he would have
answered that he took Booths diary from
his pocket rs he lay there gasping i'll death.
I DO not know what would have been
the verdict of the Military Commission
if that evidence had been Produced
That evidence, found on Booths per-
son, should have been produced.-
] understand the theory TO be shat the roa-
son it was not produced WAS lest Booths
glo1ifcation of himself should go into the
case think that Il lame excuse. If IN
assassin can slorify himself, let him do 50.
There is no danger Of il. Therefore, [
again say, here was a most remarkable
piece Of evidence found on the body OF the
great conspirator concealed. l will take
that back mean it was not put forward,
not brought to the great public mind. |
believe that piece of evidence would have
shown what, in my Judgment the whole
case now shows-tllat Booth, up to u GER
tain hour, meant Il capture and abduc-
ton of Mr. Lincoln, and that lie changed
his purpose and rcsorted to assassination.
Mrs. Surratt may or may not have known
of that change Of purpose. What | lind
fault with in the Judge Advocate, who did
not sum up for the prisoner, IS that there
was no notice by him brought to the mind
of the court, in bis very able but very Bit
ter argument against the prisoners, of this