The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-03-29
THE PRESS.
Friday Morning, March 90 1867
fFrom the NcU York Euening Post.l
EgOOih's Diary.
STATEMENT BY GEN. BUTLER

REMARKABLE STATEMENT BY GEN. BUTLER
We print below the remarkable statement
of General Butler in the House of Representa-
tives yesterday, not because of its bearing
against Mr.. Bingham, for we do not think the
quarrel between Butler and Bingham of great
interest," but because of the great public inter-
est in the matters put forward by Geher''
Butler. We cannot see how this matter can
ba left to rest where it lies Where Is Doo'h
diary? Why was it concealed? VINO 'ore
ont tbe laaveso What did those leaves con-
.o;,,o What hos become OF them? Unless
General Butler has INDUCED himself in insin-
nations which would be monstrous, there is a
mvsterv here which justice demands should be
ferretted out.
He would state the evidence on which he
had made the other day, the statement that
Mrs Surratt was improperly convicted. He
held in his hand the printed report of the trial
and had examined it with great care, because
this was no sporadic thought of his. 1t
was the result of careful, anxious inyesti "a
ton for another and different purpose
TO see who were in the great conspiracy.
There was one piece of evidence within the
gentlem ans (Bingham's) knowledge which he
lieta iioe piouuccu vi tuat flOSb InoHeHbouo VII
al. When Booth was captured by lieutenant
Colonel Conger there was, said Mr.; Butter
taken from his pocket diary like the one
now hold in my hand holding up a small mo
rocco-coyered, pocket diary IN wh WHICH, HE Hs
(Booth) set down day by day MS plans h's
thoughts, his motives and his excuse: a.,
That diary was put into the possession Oh tne
government, but it was MOI iaiu oeioio tne
Military Commission although Ine Bent,ehah
(Binqham) did lay before the Court Booths to-
bacc9 nine. spur, knife, and other articles
found on his person. The diary acds not pro-
duced.
Ihat diary appears now before our Judiciary
Committee, and let me say here that did not
obtain INV information from that committee,
agithf the eighteen pages Of entries made in the
diary prior to the time of Mr.. Liacolls assassi-
nation absent. The edges show that the pages
were all cut out ss e't ''-Ateh A aIli
what want to know is this: First-Was
that diary whole when it came into the hands
of the government? Second-Whether it was
good Judgment on the part of those who were
prosecuting the assassins of Abraham Lincoln
to put in tobacco pipe found in Booths pOck-
ct as evidence against the prisoner, while the
diary in Booths own handwriting detailing
all the particulars of his crime, was withheld?
Who spoiiated that book? Who suppressed
that evidence? Who caused that innocent wo-
man 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 cOnspirator? 3 gro t'ii
There is still remaining in that diary a
memorable entry written but q few hours be-
fore j. Wilkes Booths death. i quote from
memory: Il hare endedUored to cross the Poto-
mae fUe times and failed propose to return
to Washington d'ad,giue myself up and clear my
self ofHtis great crinse.s lfss5%
How clear himself? By giving himself up
and disclosing his accomplices! Who were
they? Who spoliated that book after it got
into the possession of the government? If it
was not spoliated, why was Lt.-Colonel Conger
allowed to go on and state what had been
found on Booths body? The questions were
carefully put to him, SO he should not tell about
the book.
lie identifies the knife, pair of pistols, hol-
ster, tobacco-ppe, cartridges, bill of exchange,
&c; but he was nowhere asked, Were these
all the articles that were found on Booth?" II
he mad been asked that question he would
have answered that he had taken Booths diary
from his pocket as he lay gasping in death. i
do not know what would have been the YER
dict of the Military Commission if that evil
dence had been produced. The evidence found
on the person of Booth should have been pro
duced. .4.i u-.F i4E -4ERE eu ta5t
understood the theory to be that the reason
it was not produced was lest Booths glorifica-
ton of himself should go into the case. l think
that a most lame excuse. Ii assassin can
giorify himself lei him do so but there is no
danger Of 1T. Therefore L again say here, ii
was most remarkable circumstance that a
piece OF evidence found on the body of the
HGtstb CUHspuatoi ouOulu NC COHCtaltu. IL Will
take that back-I mean that it was not put
forward-not brought before the great public
mind ! betieOe that piece of evidence so0atto
hare soUn scdt IN my Judgement the aofaOte case
aoe0 shotos-ttdt Booth up to a certain hour
meant capture and abduction Of Mr.. Lincoln,
and that he changed his purpose and res0rted to
ASSASSINATION" Mrs. Surrast may or may not
have known of the change of purpose. 81 IS ,Al
Ii all the testimony had been presented, We
should have been able to pursue the accom-
piiees, and to fad QUE ,oh0 1t ,ods that changed
Booths purpose from capture to assassination
scho it ,0as that aeds to profit by the assessing
ton, and that toouid not profit by the capture OF
Big. Linclon-soho it aOds that shonid succeed to
M. Lincoln IN case the bullet made Udcafcy.
In some aspects the case that diary might
not have been legal testimony, but its moral
evidence would have carried conviction to the
mind OF everybody, because it was the dying
declaration OF a man, assassin though he were
who was telling the truth between himself
and God. - = r.U5.r' 4sfas4t ui aBa i.tsH
HoU soas Booth, BY coming back to Wash
itgton, going to clear himself of the gredl
crtnaeY That question still remains. ii fl