The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1867-03-30
The Bingham.Butler 1mbroslio.


radical leaders of note--Judge Bingham, of
Ohio, and Ben. Butler, of Massachusetts, and
below We give the particulars of another set-to
between these worthless. This is one of those
| fights that ought to be encouraged on the
principle that "when rogues fall out" &c
Bingham charges boldly against Butler, az a
notorious crime, what it would have been
treason for Democrats TO sllege against him as
fault two years ago. that his punderings in
New Orleans, &c, were purely wanton, illegal
and outrageous and Butler in return charges
that Bingham had Mrs Surratt hung for con-
nectlon with the assassination conspiracy when
there was no evidence against her to sustain
the charge This is a sort of Estates evil
dencc democrats little looked for from such Is
quarter, however much they approve its jus
tics.
In the setto given on our second page, But
Ter rather had the start of Bingham in the
following we think the latter is little ahead
We shall watch the further progress of this in
teresting mill with curiosity.
| MI. Duticr called the attention OF members 10
| the fact that Mr. Bingham had revised, and alter
ed, and materially changed the GLOBE reporters
manuscript of the personal debate last week be-
tween himself and Mr.. Bingham. Butler then
| laid or the desks of members printed pamphlet
showing the report AZ written, and the report
printed. he characterized this proceeding US
! most unfair. In defence of his own assertion
madc the other day that Mrs. Surratt was hung
without sufficient evidence, he charged that J.
IL lx.a L =,
movements preparatory to the assassination of
Lincoln, was kept from the knowledge of the
court, and it now appeared that it had been
sPoliated by having eighteen pages of it cut ont
| after II got into the hands of government.
he said There is still remaining in the
diary remarkable passage written "A few hours
before Booths death, which l quote from MEM
ory: 4 have endeavore9 TO cross the Potomac
five times and failed. 1 propose to return to
Washington and give myself up, and clear nv.
| self from this great crime"
He contended that this piece of evidence would
have shown in his judgment what the whole case
| now shows, that Booth, up to certain hour,
meant the capture and abduction of Mr. Lincoln,
and that he changed his purpose and rcsorted to
| assassination. If Mrs. Surratt did not know Of
| this change, she would have had no knowledge
of the intended assassination and therefore could
not have been convicted. If all the testimony
Auu pccI pItSeHteu, We hNOulu nave DetO aDle 10
pursue the accomplices, and find out who it was
that changed Booths purpose from capture to as
sassination-who it was THAT was to profit by the
assassination and would not profit by the capture
| OF Lincoln-who il was that would succeed 10
Lincoln in case the bullet made a vacancy.
Mr.. Bingham replied: sin the excitement and
hurry at the time, it happened that the report Of
my reply to the gentleman was the most imperfect
| report ever sent to me. The remarks made BY
me IN the house any gentleman may examine
and he will fail to find in the correction single
accusation that is not by express words, or BY
necessary implication. III the reporters notes. ]
defy his calumny. What charge IL he complain
ing OF That said he had condemned without
knowing or caring for evidence! l say 40 yet
If he s the lawyer he is reported to b. then he ia
| to be pitied for coming here and arraigning his
peers for not Consenting to admit testimony Of a
man accused, made after the fact | defy him
by any investigation which he dare institute
here, or anywhere, to show that any communca-
ton came into my hands purporting to be the
production Of j. Wilkes Booth, that was not
made after the fact, and long after the fact Is
there any lawyer in America or England who
would say that the words and declaration OF an
accused felon, after the fact, are evidence which
the advocate Of the government is bound to admit
in any court' treat with contempt aud scorn
| any ntimation from any quarter that l my
oosONiatc cuuuStl were uuutT ODilSitlOu 10
| any such evidence. The law does not require it.
The comman law, the growth and gathered wis
dem OF thousand years excludes it. Perhaps
! that great monument of wisdom and learning is
not equal to the Incompatible genius Of the in.
comparable hero of Fort Fisher" Laughter,
which the speaker endeavored to suppress
Mr.. Butler tried to get in remark but Mr..
Bingham would not let him, adding that the
gentleman from Massachusetts had no right to
ask favors at his hands.
Mr.. Bingham continued II never saw an
memoranda by Wilkes Booth which indicated
any plan or motive by which ne was to carry ont
| his projected conspiracy. l never saw any such
thing, and am not surprised that the gentleman
would not let me gee the book which he put iuto
his pocket
Mr.. Butler again essayed to make an explana-
ton but with no better success
Mr.. Bingham said: mo, sir do not care about
it. Having refused TO let me inspect the book
on which he based his charge. he may now i'm.
itate the example seen in the vision of the apo
| calypso, and turn round and eat it. Laughter
The gentleman talks OF a spOiated book. Who
spoliated it That is about interesting query
as that which | referred to the other day--who
killed Cock Robin: Who knows that it is spoil
| ated? If John Wilkes Booth tore pages out of it,
was that spoliation! The gentleman's words are
as impotent as they are unwaranted. Let the
CALLED jade vince my withers are unwrung.'
chall ange him. and dare him, here or anywhere
in this tribunal, or any tribunal, to assert that
spoiated any book Such charge as that, with.
out any title of evidence,is only hit to come from
man who lives in bottle and il fed with a
spoon. Laughter.
"What is the other statement here showing the
heartessness of this accsation? 1t il utter dis.
regard and contempt for all decency and all law.
II is that controlled the evidence in the court.
The gentleman knows I was not the official or