St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1878-07-05
The New Stories of Lincoln's Assassi-
nation.

We have published the substance of
the statement made by John T. Ford,
manager of the theatre where President
Lincoln was assassinated, main tanning
that Booths murderous intent was sud-
denly f. med on the very day preced-
ing the evening of its execution. Mr..
Pitman of Cincinnati, the Government
reporter during the assassination trials,
also states in recent interview that he
has no doubt of the correctness of Mr..
Ford's theory, both as to the sudden
ness of Booths designs, and also as to
the innocence of Mrs. Surratt. At the
same time comes another story connect
ed with the matter, written by MI
Alexander Hunter of Virginia, and en-
bodying a narrative given by Mrs.
Temple, one of the circle of Mr.. and
Mrs. Lincoln's friends residing at the
National Hotel at Washington during
the winter of 1865. This is love story,
revealing the bitter jealousy said to
have been harbored by Booth against
Robert Lincoln, the Presidents Oldest
son, on account Of their rival regards
for daughter of Senator Hale.
Here, it will be seen, is quite an ac-
cess of new matter respecting one of the
most grave and deplorable events of
American history. We do not see, how
ever, that there is anything in it all to
change the general Judgment which has
been passed upon the affair. As to
Mrs. Surratt, while there have always
been doubts as to her guilt, no conclu-
sive evidence has yet come to light to
destroy the force of that upon which
she was convicted. The enormity of
Booths crime does not in the least de-
pend upon the length of time he had
been designing its perpetration. There
was no sudden prOvocatiOn in that case,
no provocatiOn at all, to overcome his
judgment and arouse his murderous
passions. He felt toward Lincoln at
the last as he had for months or years
previous, only an opportunity for his
assassination suddenly presented itself.
Booth might have been ready for any
such opportunity long before. The
only important point in Mrs. Temples
love story is the following quotation of
Booths remark to her as he referred
with an oath to Robert Lincoln, at a
certain reception where President Lin
coin was also present: "Oh, could
kill him-and his father, too; and by
the Lord of Hosts, the sands of his life
are fast running out" This was months
before the assassination, and if there is
any truth in the language, who can be-
lieve that Booth had not been revolving
such deed in his mind long before the
day on which he undertook it?
In fact, Mr.. Ford's theory raises more
difficulties than it allays. How, for in
stance, could the other assassinations
planned for the same night have been
so quickly arranged The events plain
ly pointed to completely on the part
of many people, which must have re-
quired considerable time for its forma-
ton. 1t is very likely that what Mr..
Pitman says about the officers engaged
in the prosecution being swayed by an
undue sense of the magnitude of the
conspiracy, is true. 1t is quite natural
that such bolt falling from the sky OF
peace, after the war was over, and its
passions were beginning to subside,
should have originated some unfounded
suspicious; but the deed, even as now
viewed in any reasonable light, was one
of the worst known to history, the most
lndefensible, the most wicked, and il
matters very little how long or how
brief 1t was in preparation.