Maryland free press., 1867-01-10
DAVIS, HOLT AND CoNovER.

Judge Advocate General Holt. The object
of giving this information to the public is
doubtless to screen Judge Holt from that
condemnation which his conduct in the
matter so justly merits by ascribing to
him the part Of an injured innocent. 1t is
too late in the day for Judge Holt to seek
to remove, by such transparent means the
stain that rests upon his character. His
published correspondence with Conovor
and others, settles that matter conclusively
to all intelligent minds not warped to a
partisan bias, and yet retaining some
regard for good morals. The conspirators
testified to all he desired, and for the
reward he SO lavishly dealt out to them
we're prepared to swear away the life Of
Mr.. Davis, and to justify, so far as their
evidence could do it, the vindictive course
pursued against him by Judge Holt---a
course which, to many persons, seemed to
take the color, not of calm judicial feelings,
but of personal amin osity. That Judge
Holt should seek to repudiate Conover,
his accredited agent in the disreputable
business, now that the whole of the testi-
mony against Mr.. Davis is known to have
been false, is quite as natural as that he
should have endeavored to shield him
from public execration until the damaging
revelations that subsequently startled and
astonished the public made the "bureau
of military Justice synonym for all that
is base or cowardly, or treacherous, or
cruel. His winning appeal Ito all loyal
men," to believe that he was the dupe of
Conover was sufficient, of itselfto cast a
doubt upon the truth of his declarati on. d.
That this cold blooded, asnte lawyer be
forced to acknowledge himself fool to
escape the imputation of being a knave,
was but proof of the desperate shift to
which he had been obliged to resort in the
endeavor to rid himself of the bascr appel
lation. 1t was no marvel, therefore, that
in his confession that he had been tricked,
hoodwinked, bamboozled and cheated by
Conover, was received even by the -cspec-
tally "loyal" men, to whom he condesce D.
ded to make the explanation with mute
surprise. and by those who knew the char
racter of the man who affected to have
been gulled, with shouts ofscornful laugh
ter.
1t is alleged that at the time of the
investigation, Judge Holt "refused to
admit any testimony that tended to expose
the alleged person of Conover. The
charge has been made before, and it is
entirely in keeping with many of his acts
since he has held the Office Of Judge
Advocate General that he should have
undertaken to do so. One other damnins
fact is patent. While the Investigate on
was going on before the congressional
committee, a written paper. reciting all
the particulars relating to the assumed
completely of Mr.. Davis with tho assassi.
nation of Mr.. Lincoln, was put in evi-
dence. IS, 500 e.. b.s.aJ ....,
1t was the identical paper drawn up by
Conovcr and handed by him to the man
Campbell to learn by rotc and to repeat
afterwards to Judge Holt. .
Tt was proven by competent witness that
the paper was in the handwriting of Con.
over. and yet this man was not only nut
upon the stand and allowed to perjure
himself, but with all the knowledge that
Judge Holt and the committee had of his
villainous practices, he was allowed to
leave for New York, ostensibly under
guard, and was permitted-or, if that
phrase is, too strong, managed to escape
by the way. Not one of the many suborncd
agents who were engaged in this conspi-
racy to murder, by judicial process, an
innocent man, was arrested at that time.
either by the order of Judge Holt or at
the instance of the committee of investi-
cation. And these agents acknowledged
that they had received large sums of
money from Judge Holt, by the hands OF
Concver, who assigned to them the several
parts they were to play in the terrible
drama. They were allowed nevertheless.
to go at large. and as fl as it could
be done, the whole matter was hushed
up.
The fragrant indecency Of the conduct
of J udge Holt in becoming party to tho
investigation, and acting as the legal ad-
wiser of the committee in q case in which
his own character was concerned, was not
the least suspicious part of this Infamous
affair. BY this tardy arrest of Conover,
Judge Holt evidently desires to make it
appear that the grossest deception had
been practiced upon him. But UNANIMOUSLY
as Conover is known to have acted, his