Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-03-28
BINGHAM AND BUTLER.
Another Passase-EIrs SurrRtt's I'm
nocence-BO0fh-s diary" Bottles -
ANA Spoons


ANA Spoons
On the 10Th the "iussle' between
Hons. Bingham and Butler was renewed
in the House Of Representatives at
Washington. The second round was
brougG about and conducted as FOL,
lows
Mr.. Butler called the attention Of the
members to the fact that Mr. Bingham had
revised and altered aud materially changed
the Globe reporters manuscript of the per-
sonal debate Of last week between himself
Butler and Bingham.
Mr.. Butler then laid on the desks Of the
members printed pamphlet showing the
report as written and printed. He charac-
terized this proceeding as most unfair, in
defense of his assertion made the other day
that Mrs. Surratt was hung without snffi-
cient evidence He charged John Wilkes
Booths diary, which showed all his meye
ments preparatory TO the assassination of
Mr. Lincoln, was kept from the knowledge
Of the court, and it now appeared that
eighteen pages Of it had been cut out after
it got into the hands of the government.
lie said there is still remaining in the
diary remarkable instance written few
hours before Booths death, and he quoted
from the diary: 81 have endeavored to
cross the Potomac FIVE times and failed; |
propose 10 return to Washington and give
myself up and clear myself from this great
crime. He conteuded that this piece of
evidence would have shown, in his judg-
ment, that Booth, up TO a certain hour,
meant the capture and abduction of Lin
coin, and that he changed his purpose and
resorted to assassination. If Mrs. Surratt
did not know of this change she would
have had no knowledge of the intended as
sassination, and therefore could not have
been convicted.
If all the testimony had been presented
we should have been able to pursue the ac-
completes, and find out who it was that
changed Booths purpose from capture to
assassination; who it was that was to pro-
fl by the assassination and that would not
profit by the capture of President Lincoln :;
who should succeed to the Presidency in
case bullet made vacancy.
Mr.. Bingham replied: In the excite
ment and hurry at the time il happened
that the report of my reply TO the gentle
sent to me Of remarks made by me in the
House. ANY gentleman may examine it
and will fail to find in the correction a
single accusation that is not in my express
words or necessary Implication in the re-
porter's notes. defy his calumny. What
charge is he complaing of-that 1 said he
had condemned without knowing or caring
anything about the evidence? say 80 yet.
If he is the lawyer he 81 reputed to be, he
is to be pitied for coming here and arraingn-
ing his peers for not conserving to admit
the testimony Of a man accused made after
the fact.
/ defy him, by any investigation which
he dare institute here, or anywhere, 10 show
that any communication came into my
hands purporting to be the production of
j. W. Booth that was not made after this
fact, and long after this fact Is there any
lawyer in America or England who would
say words and declarations of an accused
felon after the fact is evidence which the
advocate Of the government is bound to
admit in any court? ! treat with contempt
and scorn any intimation, from any quar-
ter, that | or my associate counsel were
under obligation to admit any such evil
dence. The law does not require it. The
common law-the growth and gathered
wisdom of a thousand years-excludes it.
Perhaps that great genius of the uncon-
qnerable hero OF Fort Fisher Laughter,
which the Speaker endeavOred to suppress. !
Mr.. Bntler tried TO get in a remark, but
Mr. Bingham would not let him, here adj
ding that the gentleman from Massachu-
sets had no right TO ask fayors at his
hands.
Mr.. Bingham continned-I never saw
any memoran6a by J. w. Booth which in
Dictated any plan or motive by which he
was 10 carry out his projected conspiracy.
never saw any such thing, and | am not
surprised that the gentleman would not
let me see the book which he put into his
pocket.
Mr.. Butler again essayed to make an ex-
PLANTATION, but with no better result.
Mr.. Bingham said, no sir, do not care
about il having refused 10 let me inspect
the book on which he based his charge, he
may now initiate the example seen in the
vision Of the Apocalypse, and turn around
and eat it. Laughter. The gentleman
talks of spoliated book. Who spoliated
it? That is about as interesting a query
as that which ] referred 20 the other day
who killed Cock Robin? Who knows that
IL is spoliated? III. w. Booth tore pages
out Of il, was Interpolation The gentle
mans words are as impotent as they are
unwarranted; let the galled jade Vince, my
withers are unwrung.
i challenge him, dare him here or any
where, in this tribunal or any other tribu-
nal, to assert that spoliated. Such a
charge as that, without any evidence, is
only fit 10 come from a man who lives on a
bottle and is fed with spoon. Laughter.
What is the other statement here showing
the heartlessness of the accusation, its utter
disregard and contempt for all deceney and
all law? 1t is that controlled the evidence
in the court. The gentleman knows that l
was not the official organ of the court. lie
knowsiis Recorder was the Judge Advocate
General of the United States, and yet am
TO be at fault because | did not override
the official organ of the court. The gen
tleman has undertaken a task entirely be-
yond his powers.
Let the gentleman read my argument on
that subject and let him show wherein il is
false corrupt malicious or unjust.
Mr.. Butler tried TO make a brief expla-
nation, but Mr.. Pike and others objected