The Placer herald., 1868-11-21
THE SURRATT CASE...M0THER AND
SON.

For two years or more all tho exertions OF
this powerful Government were employed for
the arrest Of the young man known as John
H. Surratt 1t was made the subject OF
grave communications from the Secretary OF
State to our diplomatic agents abroad. Sc.
cret detectives we're placed on his track.
Large rewards were offered for his apprehen'
sion. So great were the efforts made to cap.
ture him, that 10 no part Of the civilized
world, not even iu it's most inaccessible cor
ners, was he in position OF the slightest
safety Knowing that the bIoodbounds
were on bis scent and remembering the fate
Of bis innocent and unfortunate mother, be
fled from one quarter Of the globe to the
other-from America TO Europe from Europe
to Asia, from Asia to Africa, and from Africa
back to Europe. There, while in disguise 10
tho PapaI service in Italy he was betrayed to
lbe detectives by pretended friend 10 whom
be had reposed confidence, but who was will
ling to sacrifice him, and sell bis hearts
blood for the Government reward. BY the
tasest act of treacbery, and the encourage
ment of the vlest of informers, the Admins
tration affected his arrest, and brought him
in triumph on a Government vessel to the
United States. His capture was considered
great national event-one upon which we
should feIicilate ourselves The charge
against him was being one Of the murdersrs
OF Lincoln, aud the whole country, almost
as one man, took it for granted that the &C.
cusatiou was true. Had be been brought
before that ,yrannica mockery known as the
military commission, be would have had a
short shrift to the galows.
But the nation had recovered in some de-
gree from the deadly stupor which afflicted
it in 1865, and The reign ofIaw was partially
re established. He was at first with extreme
severity, thrown into a dungeon, and heavily
ironed. But his trial, after a long delay, al
last came. His innocence was made perfect
Iy manifest, despite the bold and audacious
efforts Of witnesses of the Copover stamp 10
swear bis life away. But be proved by ire
lSoachsble testimony, that he was hundreds
Of miles from Washington when the pistol
of Booth put an end to the career Of Mr..
Lincoln. Booth conceived the idea of assas-
sinatng Lincoln that very day, after be heard
that he was going to the theater, and it was
certainly improbable that be could have been
aided, either before or after the crime by
man who was then at a great distance away,
and with whom he could have had no COM
munications whatever relative TO the murder.
But he was not acquitted although he made
plain case of innocence. There were men
on the jury with whom it was part of their
politics to take the life of Surratt. A disa-
greement was the result. The Government,
however, ashamed Of the frauds and perjuries
that had characterized the murder trial,
dropped it, and commepced another action
based on a "crimina conspiracy" which it
was easier to establish by loose and reckless
testimony. But fortunately for the ends of
justice, they delayed the case so long as to
bring it within the statute Of limitations, and
under it, the prisoner for whom we traversed
the earth, and whom we brought home 10
special National vessel, was discharged.
The result Of this case against the son only
exhibits in blacker coors the ioiquity Of the
proceedings which led to the murder Of the
mother under pretended judicial form and
soIemnilies The evidence on the trial Of
John H. Surratt, proved conclusveIy what
all intelligent aud dispassonae men were
WINGED OF before, that Mrs. Anna Surrstt
bad nothing to do in the murder of Lincoln.
The case against her would not have gone to
jury before any fairly constituted court in
Christendom. But she was before that
which was infinitely worse than a mob, a
tribunal existing in defiance of law, and gov
erned by none of the rules Of ordinary courts
and which was organized solely to convict.
Among its members were such men as Gen.
ersl Hunter, General Lew Wallace base
parasites of power-who, fit for nothing 10
the army, were convenient tools for tyranny
to use in such objects as it desires to effect
outside of legitimate military duty. They
we're men who would recoil from nothing
which they were ordered to do by Stanton
and Holt no matter how repuguant it might
be 10 justice aud humanity.
For sixty days or more this conclave con.
tinued to assemble 10 Washington. 1t con-
tinued to assemble right in the seat OF the
law whose majesty it was its especial purpose
to outrage and violate. There it held its pris-
uners in it's iron grasp, in the face Of habeas
corpus aud Of all the exerticDs Of its Courts
for their release. If we had President who
dared to take his just responsibility, be would
have dismissed this infamous commission TO-
stanter, instead Of which be ave bis coun-
tenance to its illegal action. Arrayed in
military toggery; with all the insignia Of
dsspolism, this monstrous military court WAS
the great feature Of Washington during the
spring and summer months Of 1865. 1t bad
for Judge. advocate the hard featured, relsnt'
less and cruel Bingham, Of Ohio, who is ad.
mirably qualified to have been the Prosecu-
ling Attorney under such Judge as the in.
famous Jetfries, Of England, aud who only
wanted little experience to have even riv'
alsd that Judge himself in bis worst traits Of
character. The Jack Ketch service was 80
captivating to some men. that General Bur-
nett, Of this city, by some means or other,
GRO wded himself into the case as an assistant
! or volunteer. Before such a tribunal, and
with perjured witnesses like Conovsr, backed
up and sustained by all the power Of Stanton
and Holt, it would have been miracle il
n