The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1867-04-05
Booth $ Diary.


Butler in the house, in reply 10 Mr.. Bing.
ham OF Ohio. of which brief mention was
made in our last paper:
The statement made the other day
was moi a sporadic thought with me but
il was the result OF Il careful examination
OF this case for another and different
purpose, in the endeavor 10 ascertain who
was concerned In fact in the great con-
Spiracy TO asSasSinate President Lincoln.
When Booth WIS captured by the forces
under Lieut.. Col. Conger. there was taken
from his pocket diary. like the one
now hold in nv hand. In this diary
Booth had set down. day by day, his
plans, his thoughts, his motives, and the
execution OF his plans That diary came
into the possession Of the government. but
it was not brought before the military
commission, although even Booths tobac-
co pipe, spur and compass, found in the
same pocket with the diary. were in put
evidence. The diary was not produced
That diary has been before your commit
tee on Judiciary. That diary, is ROW pro-
ducei, has eighteen pages cut out-the
pages prior TO the time when Abraham
/ Lincoln was murdered - although the
edges, us yet, show that they had all been
written over Now, what | want 70 know
is this /: Was that diary whole when it
came into the hands of the government
And. second, if 1t was good judgment on
! the part of the gentleman prosecuting the
ii-s;lssln> of the president 10 put III cvi-
'!ence the tobacco pipe which was found
in booths pocket. why was not the diary.
J i'll his own handwriting. put in evidence.
wherein he himself hal detailed the par
tlcular- OF that crime And. therefore. |
do not charge the able and gallant soldiers
who sat on that court with having done
any wrong They di,l not see the diary.
Ihcy did not know OF the diary. II they
hld they might have .iven q different
finding upon the matter OF the great con-
spiracy- Vino spoiled that book Who
suppressed that evidence! Who caused
an innocent woman 10 be hung when he
had in his pocket the diary which had
stated III least what MAS the Idea. ihc pur-
pose ot the main comSpirator> in the ease
There l. still remaining In that diary a
most remarkable sentence, written appar-
entity but 4 lew hours before EOoth died.
| give it from mcmorv:
Il have endeavorcd Ia cross the Poto-
mae five times, Int failed. | propose TO
return 10 Washington AMI give myself up
and clear myself from this .rc.t; crime. -
low clear himself i;v disclosing his
accomplice> Who were they Who
>poliatci that book after it got into the
possession of the governmental ii w;t>
not >p"liat,'l h.tore Why WI not Ii;
Col. Con@rr allowed 10 state fully in re-
gard 10 this matter 1t viii hc seen that
the questions were carefully ru:. - that
Congcr. when on the wilnc,> stand. should
not tell about that book
believe that piece OF cvi-
dcncr would have shown what the whole
case, in my judgment. now show<-that
TO Il certain hour Booth contemplated cap
turr and abduction, and that he after
wards changed his purpose To a~>;l>>in;-
ton. on consultation with the conSpirstor~
about him. Mrs. Surratt may or NAV
have not known of that change ot
purpose from abduction 10 ASSASSINATION.
Now. what lind fault with In the iud"e
advocate. who did not sum up. i that. in
his very bitter argumcn; against the rri~-
oner>. no notice l. taken oi this cilamne of
purpose, nor l. il brought 10 the attention
oI the men VINO composed that military
tribunal. And If Mrs. Sunatt did not
know OF this change of purpose (ihcre is
no evidence that she knew in any WAY oi
the assassination she ought not. in my
Judgment, 10 have been convicted of tax
ING part IN ii. Mr.. Speaker, these are.
briefly, some of the reasons why. in NV
former remarks. | said. :" am glad tlc
blood OF that woman, be she guilty or IN
nocent, Is not upon my head :" hut in no
manner, in no way, by no intenlmcnt or
word OF mine did mean to say that those
able and discreet officers, military men
who relied fol the law OF the case upon
the special Judge advocate. and who
thought they had ail the fact, which could
throw light upon the case, but before
whom all the facts were not put, did any
wrong whatever. | DO not mean TO say
they Judged wrongly under the lights they
had but the point make-and the
point which shall stand made before this
country-iS that all the testimony possible
TO throw light on that case WAS not before
that tribunal. For if we had only the
advantage of all the testimony. Mr..
Speaker, we hi ght have been able, with
the testimony of witnesses fresh in mind.
to find who indeed were all tine accomplic-
e. of Booth ; 10 find who it was that
changed Booths purpose from capture TO
aSSaSsnate who it WAS that could profit
by assassination who could not profit by
capture and abduction of the president
who it was expected by Booth would sue
coed TO Lincoln if the knife made Va
cancy which we cannot do now, hui
we might have done if we could ascertain
what was in that book. Although in some
aspects of the case, it might not have
been legal evidence, yet, in all respects, it
Is moral evidence, carrying conviction tc
the moral sense. 1t is the dying declara-
ton Of a man. Assassin though he be,
/, he was Speaking the truth, probably tc
himself, as between himself and his God.
Ii we had all the pages we should have
J somc eXplanation of Iii, areat Eict. How