The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1868-12-09
Release These Prisoners,

Considering the proofs which have come
to light since the assassination trial. il i
doubtful if even Judge Bingham himself
can unless lie has wilfulIy ignored every.
thing relating to the subiect) swear that
he believes Mrs. Sufratt to have been gull.
ty OF the crime for which she was HING.
The communication in another column. In
which the attention of all persons who had
an olhcial concern or personal or curious
interest IN Mrs. Surratt's fate is directed,
appears to present, as a sequel to the for.
mer letter by the same correspondent, an
absolutely conclusive showing, not only OF
Mrs. Suaratt's guiltlessness Of any partici.
patton in the plot for the murder of Mr..
Lincoln, but Of the impossibility Of her
having had any knowledge of it. More
than this, he impossibility of Arnold, DR..
Mndd, O,Laughlin. Spangler. or John H.
Sarratt having foreknowledge of or any,
thing to do with the assassination seems
equally evident. p
Mrs. Surratt and .O'Laughlin are dead
John IL. Serratt, after enduring the suffer
ings and anxieties as an exile and priaon.
er which were enough to have turned his
hair as white as the, Prisoner of Gibbons.
has been discharged from CUSTODY. But
DIR. Mudd, Arnold, and Spangler are still
confined at the Dry Tortugas. John II.
Surratt's release, after passing through the
gauntlet of a trial which, though Conducted
in civil court, was nearly as partial and
malignant as the proceedings against the
executed conspirators before the military
commission, is in itself reason whv his
mothers memory should be acquitted and
the prisoners held by the government se,
at liberty. With neither Mrs. Surr,tt nor
Arnold, Mudd. Spangler, and O'Lauehlin
was Booth hall 80 suspiciously intimate as
ne was with John II. Surratt. But the
sharp, singing summing up of the matter
10 that the conspiracy was not, and could
not nave been. ten hours old that the de.
termination to assassinate. Mr.. Lincoln Mt
the theatre must have been coneoeted nt,e,.
Booth learned, in the forenoon, that Mr..
Lincoln was to attend the evening perform
ance; and that Mrs. Ssrratt. who was alb
sent at Surrattsvilie, John H. Surratt, who
was in OF nea, .Eimira, N. Y, Arnold. who
was at Fortress Monroe, DR.. Mudd. who
was at bis. home several miles from Wash.
ington, and OLAughlin, whose movements
that day were accounted for by certain M.
Wy officers With whom he was engaged. were
all outside the pale Of communication with
Booth, Payne Tor Powell,) Herold, and
Atzerodt, who were really concerned. So
was Spangler, who is shown to have been
at or about the theatre, to which Boot,
did not return after he had been there and
ascertained the Presidents intention, until
night when the performance had begun.
President Johnson, not less certainly
than every other fsir-minded citizen, must
be deeply interested in seeing that the one
reparation which can be afforded tn ner
sons so infinitely wronged is promptly
made. lie cannot have forgotten that. on
the morning of the fatal It'll of July. 1868.
young girl, Anna Surratt by name, came
suppliant to the White House and threw
herself prone upon The steps beneath IT'S
portico, and vainly besought permission 10
enter and plead to him for her mothers
life. He cannot forget how his enemies.
who did not hesitate in the passion OF that
time to bruit the foo!-hardy but terrible in
situation that he, the Vice. President, had
abetted the assassin who made the Presi-
dents chair his seat, also openly charged
his refusal Of mercy 10 Mrs, Surratt and
these prisoners was inspired by personal
fear. Nor can he forget that his best
friends regretted ut the time, and have
never ceased to sorrow, that his magnanim-
ity did not ct once impel him to stay the
course of slaughter and injustice which
swept On innocent woman off the scaffold
and four innocent men into disgraceful SER
vitude. What is there now to prevent
President Johnson from instituting an in
quiry into matter so notorious as tins
and yindicating this womam's memory, for
her children's and the nations sake, and
giving these men their rights Us citizens |?
For his own sake, as well, we call upon
him to do justice, and release these prison-
SIN. Y. World.