The Van Buren press., 1873-11-18
TELEGRAPH NEWS.
Especial Dispatch to the Republican,
JOHNSON.
The Elk President on the Trial, Imprison.
ment and Execution of Poor
Mrs. Surratt.

WASHINGTON, Nov IL.
E1 President johnson has addressed
communication to the Washington
Chronicle in reply to that of Judge Holt,
published In the same paper in August
last. on the subject Of the execution of
Mrs Surratt as one Of the assassins of
President Lincoln. After reviewing the
evidence advanced by Judge Holt, John
son says: "ln his search for testimony
Holt succeeded in discovering only one
witness who said he saw the record OF the
case, with the petition attached, in the
President s etlice. This witness is Hon.
James Speed, then attorney general, who
Is undoubtedly mistaken in his state
ments, for, as already shown, the findings
and sentences Of the court were submit.
ted on the fifth OF July; he and being
alone, they were then and there approved
by the executive and taken By the Judge
advocate general to the war department,
where, on the same afternoon, the order
to carry them into effect was issued. Mr..
Speed doubtless saw the record, but il
must have been in the department of war
ard not in the executive office. The
record OF court was submitted to me by
Judge Holt. on the afternoon of the fifth
day of July, 1865. Instead of entering
the mansion in the usual way he gained
admission by the private or family en-
trance to the executive office. The ex
animation of the papers took place in the
library, and he and | alone were present.
The sentences Of the court in the cases
OF Harold, Aatzorote and Paync were
considered in the order named and the
sentence in the case Of Mrs Surratt. In
acting upon her case no recommendation
for the commutation Of her sentence was
mentioned or submitted to me, but the
question Of sex, which had already been
adverted to and discussed by the news
papers, presented itself and was com
mented upon both by Judge Holt and
myself with peculiar force and solemnity.
He gued that the fact that the criminal
was woman was in itselfno excuse or
palliation. That the woman unseyed her.
self and enteie ed the arena Of crime. 1t
was rather an aggravation than a mitiga.
ton OF otfsnsc That the law was not
made to punish men only, but all, without
regard to sex, who violated its provis
ions, That to discriminate in favor of
Mrs Surratt and against Harold and At
zerote and Payne, who were sentenced
by the same court and at the same time
to suffer the penalty of death, would be
to offer a premium to the female sex to
engage in crime and bribe the principal
actors in commission that since the re.
bellion be un, in some portions of the
country, females had been prominent in
aiding and abetting traitors, and he
thought the time had come whom it was
absolutely necessary in a case so clearly
and conclusively established, TO set an
example which would have a salutary in
fuence. lie was not only in favor of tho
approval Of such an application, but it
would have been duly weighed by the
executive before final action in the prem
ises Mr. Johnson says, in conclusion,
it being absolutely certain if the petition
was attached to the original record be
fore it was submitted to the President, is
not to be found in the printed record au-
thorizcd by Judge Holt, and certified to
by Colonel Burrett. special Judge slvo.
cate of the commission. The question
aries, which Of the two is the authentic
and genuine? 1.-THE record in possession
OF the Judge advocate. general is true,
then that is false which he has given to
the public. If, on the other hand, the
record published with his official sanction
is true, then that in his bureau is false,
necessarily. Judge Holt is at liberty TO
accept either alternative. and to escape
as he may the inevitable conclusion that
he did not only sentence her but caused
her execution at the earliest practical day
Upon the termination Of our consultation
Judge Hit wrote the order approving
the sentence Of the court, and | affixed
my name to it, rolling up the papers he
took his leave, carrying the record with
him and departing as he had come thro'
the family or private entrance. From
the above statement it will be noted the
papers were not submitted in the usual
way by the secretary OF. war, but were
brought to the President by the Judge.
advocate general. under, Of course, the
instructions Of Mr.. Stanton. This, doubt
less, was done TO- save time and hasten
the execution, and evinccs the spirit
which animated Judge Holt durag the
entire proceedings.
DEATH OF MRS. GEN. r. L. LEE.
RICHMOND, Va, Nov. s.
The obsequies of Mrs. Mary GUSTS
Lee, widow Of the late Gen. Robert L.
Lee, took place to day in Memorial
chapel, Lexington Her three sons, w
II, L. Lee, Custis Lee and Robert + Lee,
and her daughter, were present. besides
large concoursc of friends. Her relnains
were deposited by the side of her husband,
in the memorial-room. Mrs Lac was
sixty seven years Of age. Business was
entirely suspended, many places being
draped in mourning.
FLORIDA.
KEY WEST, Nov 10.
A letter from Havana, dated November
9th, gives the following account Of the
execution of the Virginius prisoners Mt
Santiago de Cuba:
The four prisoners were shot at the
place made famous by previous execu-
tons, and in the usual manner, knccling
close to the slaughter hoose wall. All
marched to the spot with tirmness. BAN
BETA and Ryan showed marked courage,
although the former was slightly affected
toward the last The two others quite
broke down before they were bandaged,