The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1876-04-27
vas always ready to serve his

was always ready to serve his
friends.
1t was an hour or more past mid
night when Hale, Forney, Mclean
and Booth were driven to the White
House. The guard, at the request
of Forney, admitted the carriage to
the grounds. Mr. Lincoln was
called from his sleep, and there in
the dead of night, he sat and listen
ed to the prayers of Booth and the
Endorsements of those who came
with him to ask the favor of Execu
tive clemeney.
That interview lasted till 4 O'Clock
in the morning. 1t was one of tears,
prayer and petition. There was
not a dry eye in the room as Booth
knelt at the feet Of Lincoln, elasped
his knees with his hands, and beg
ged him to spare the life of one
mana personal friend, who, in
serving the ones he loved, had come
to the door of death.
Booth told all. He told how,
long before in fit of passion to do
some bold deed, he had Joined in a
conspiracy to abduet the President
and to hold him as a hostage for
the release of certain military pris
oners who were Booths friends,
aud who it was thought, were to be
shot. He told OF the meeting they
had held at the house of Mrs. Sur
raft, and that all of that plan had
fallen to the ground long before.
He offered his services at any
time, and in any place or capacity,
free of cost or fearless of conse-
quences. The eminent gentlemen
who were with him joined in the re-
quest that the prayer of Booth be
granted, and that Beal should be
pardoned.
At last President Lincoln, with the
tears streaming down his face, took
Booth by the hands, bade him rise
and stand like man, and
gave him his promise that
Beal should be pardoned. He ask
ed the party to depart that he might
gain rest for the work of the NOR
row, and said that the official docu-
ment they asked for should be for
warded at once to United States
Marshal Robert Murray, in New
York, and through him to the off
GERS charged with the execution of
Beal.
After breakfast, Lincoln inform
ed Seward, Secretary of State, what
he had done or promised to do
Seward said it must not be. That
public sentiment in the North de-
manded that Beal should be hung.
He declared that to pardon Beal
would discourage enlistments,
lengthen the war and insult the SEN
timent that called for blood. He
chided Lincoln for making such
promises without asking the advice
of his Cabinet, or advising with
himself, Seward on State policy
AS the argument grew contentious,
Seward declared that if the conduct
of the war was to be triIed with by
appeals for humanity, he should go
out of the Cabinet and use his in
fuence against the President and
should charge him with being in
sympathy with the South.
Lincoln yielded and Beal was ex-
ecuted to the carrying out of the
sentence of the court The reac
tion to Lincoln's nervous system
was such that for days he was far
from we'll
The effect on Booth was terrible.
He raved like a madman, and in his
frenzy swore that Lincoln and Sew
ard should both pay for the grief
and agony he had been put to-
From the death of Beal, Boot /
brooded vengeance for that viii ch
he onsidered a personal afFront.-
His rage took in Seward, and he en-
gaged Harold Azterodt and Others
to avenge Bears death by killing
Seward, while he, Booth, wreakeC
human vengeance on the President
At last came the hour. Booth
killed Lincoln. His friends and the
relatives or avengers of Beal trieC
their best to kill Seward, and wher
they left him stabbed, bleeding anC
, limp as a cloth, as he rolled over
behind the bed whereupon they
found him, they supposed theii
work was completely done.
= Our story is told. We have Civ
/ en- the truth of history, and told ex
actly why Abraham Lincoln, tn
humane President of the UriteC
States, was killed.