Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1867-08-05

presaeing that great Judgment day when all
men shall stand equal before the throne of God,
and when Mrs Surratt is called to testify
against Joseph Holt what will he in yndica
ton say? .ae.5....
Gentlemen Of the jury, if my learned breth-
rem are going to try her in this case, why not
give us the benefit of her dying declarations !:
Mr. Darlington, your Honor, has gone outside
Of this record, and must follow him to some
extent, at least He has gone outside OF 1t IN
speaking of the military commission, defending
the major generals and others. an glad
required to Il. for it reminds me of statement
of his that [ desire to correct He says We
accused these honorable men OF murder. No,
sir; refrain from any expression of opinion
on that subject 1t is true that the most ex-
ated judicial tribunal in the world, vindlcating
the liberty Of American citizens and their Con
stitutional right against military authority
and maintaining the supremacy OF the courts
over the military law, has pronounced that
and all other commissions similarly constituted
to be illegal but what | denounce here Is not
the men who in Judgment sat there, but the
men conducting the trial, and who with this
diary of Booth in their hands, could have
proved Mrs Surratt's innocence by showing
this conspiracy to have been organized on the
18th day of April; but who, though producing
the toothpicks and the penknife found on
Booth, yet never even so much as disclosed the
fact that such Il diary existed. They never
made it known to these men or to the country.
Do they not deserve to be denouncedI Now
that it has become known to the country, they
come in before this jury to get them, with the
diary in evidence before them to lind the same
verdict that the military commission found. L
put witness on that stand and asked him,
Did you administer the consultations OF reli
gon to Mrs. Surratt?' Il did. | gave her
communion on Friday, and prepared her for
death" | asked him, did she tell you, as
she was marching to the scaffold, that she was
an innocent woman?' | told him not TO
answer the question before [ directed him to.
He nodded his head, but he did not answer
the question, because he had no right to, as the
other side objected. If you are going to try
that woman, and she being dead, is unable to
be here to defend herself, can you not at least
have charity enough to let her last words come
in in her defence? Will you try one who is
not only absent from the court, but who IS
dead? Whilst trying one that is dead will
vou w deny to her the poor privilege of having
the last words she uttered on earth spoken in
her vindica,ion? Were you afraid oft? Did
YOU feel that the words would sink deep into
the heart of everybody that was here in this
room, and in tie United States, and cause to
we'll up from that heart fountain of mercy,
rich and pure as the fountain that sprung from
the rock at the bidding of the sacred rod p
Shame on you Prepared for the world to
come, and marching to the scaffold, with her
God before and the world behind her, and 4
load of sin laid at the feet OF Almighty God,
and no hope but in that eternal mercy upon
which we must all rely, ask whether she can
not at such an hour speak for herself. "No,"
YOU answer. Why not? lsitlikely she would
lie? No, gentlemen, they will not say that.
Then why is it? They did not want to hearit.
Oh, they must indeed be hard Of heart,
reckless of guilt, and Indifferent to justice. =
But, although they had no desire to hear it,
they do hear it, and you hear it, Tor as that
voice spoke then, it speaks nov, and will con
tinue TO speak until justice is meted out 1t
whispers and is heard. 1t descends upon the
head of that boy, and breathes upon each OF
your hearts. Yes, gentlemen, that woman in
the nameless grave in yonder arsenal yard, the
carements Of which have been broken by the
Government, comes here to vindicate her child;
"a nameless grave, did say? Yes, alas
too true. Aye sir, it would seem as it The
ordinary feelings OF humanity and common re-
spect for the dead, to say nothing Of regard for
the honor OF our county and sympathy for
the sutferings of q distracted and loving daugh-
ter, would suggest to those pressing this prose
culon land who have charge OF the matter) to
allow this poor girl the privilege Of paying 4
simple tribute to Il mothers love by having
her remains removed from lelon's grave
Yes there that mother lies in nameless
grave, on which no flower is allowed to be
strewn by that heart broken daughter, who for
the past two years has been earnestly pleading
that she mi ght have the privilege OF placing
those last sad, and to her sacred relics where
flial love might weep the tear, and tlla
hand nlant flower ON iAn tomb