The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1873-10-15

Especial to the Cincinnati Commercial

WAsH1NGToN, Oct. Sex. Presi
dent johnson. whose coming here
has been frequently announced, has
failed to turn up. His letter stating
that he would be here was written
before the failure of the First Ma
tional Bank of this city, of which be
is said to be a creditor in sixty
thousand dollars. This sum grew
out of the bonds to the amount
named, which the Butler smelling
committee in the impeachment trial
found to be in the hands of the bank
above named, and which was proven
to be Johnson's private property.
made up of the hard earnings dur
ing his lifetime. When he ceased to
| be President, the First National
Bank proposed to him to convert
the bonds into money and leave the
proceeds on deposit with that bank
allowing him six per cent. interest
on his deposit. He had the utmost
confidence in the concern, and readi-
ly accepted the proposition.
Mr.. JohnsOn's purpose in coming
here is, however, to gether testi.
mony from Witnesses and from the
records to meet the allegations of
Judge Advocate General Holt. who
seeks to prove notwithstanding the
military commission unanimously
recommended that the sentence of
death upon Mrs. Surratt be commut-
ed to imprisonment for life. johnson
heartlessly permitted her to be hung
This Surratt hanging disturbs all the
principal actors connected with the
Administration who had RESPONSE
bility in the case. 1t is the ghost
who will not down. It has more
heads than Banquo's ghost. 1t tor
lures Stanton and haunts Holt; and
plrsues Bingham and the rest of
them. These men feel now that the
woman Surratt was not proven to
have been cognizant of Booths pur-
pose to kill Mr.. Lincoln, but that
her knowledge extended to the long
previously planned abduction of the
President. Butler on the floor of
the House. it will be recollected.
charged Bingham. a Judge Advo-
cate in the Commission, with being
guilty of legal murder and the
blood of Mrs. Surratt was on his
hands. At the same time Butler
charged that Booths diary. then in
the possession of the War Depart
ment, and not at that time made
public, had been tampered with in
o.Io- -, coma ,,ooocnro 70 cLPouC% boY1
the case against Mrs. Surratt. and
protect Bingham ct al. from public
censure. This Booth diary when af-
terward examined. gave no evidence
that it had been tamperod with but,
nevertheless. there remains that
ugly legal question standing against
johnson, Stanton, Holt, and Bing-
ham ct al. which Butler referred to.
and i'm which he has been sustained
by the Supreme Court of the United
States in other cases. The Civil
Courts were open in this district and
friendly to the administration, hav-
ing exclusive Jurisdiction, and were
ready to speedily try this case. Mr..
Holt's Military Commission, there
fore. had no legal existence. 1t is
this in part that disturbs the snrviv-
ing managers of that trial.
A member of Mr.. Lincoln's Cabi-
net informed your correspondent
yesterday that he called on Mr..
johnson a day or two after the hang
ing of Mrs. Surratt, and inquired
about the recommendation of the
commission for commutation of the
sentence. Mr.. johnson was surpris-
ed, and said he had not heard of
such a document. This ex-member
Of Lincoln's Cabinet says, from all
the proofs, he is satisfied that Judge
Holt purpQsely withheld that recon-
mendation from Mr.. johnson until af-
ter the execution. knowing we'll that if
the latter had seen it. Mrs. Surratt
would not have been hung. and that
there is evidence that the recommen-
dation was not with the body of the
papers of the trial when they were
handed to the President.