National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1879-01-31
THE HANGING or Mrs. sunRArr.

on Such topic, but every little while some |
Hotspur Southerner or Doughfhced North |
erner repeats the morbid tale and causes to
be published in some form or other an arti-
Gle on the death of Mrs. SURRATT, implying
and even directly accusing the Government
of hanging an innocent woman. One of
these sensational articles recently appeared
or rather re-appeared, in the New Orleans
PicdWoie, and therein said to have been
copied from a New York paper" but what
New York paper it did not state. Was II
ashamed of the source from which IL drew
its sensation article headed with large type,
Was it Murder?" &c. Cunningly wrought
in with this was much about Mr.. STANTON;
that he, through remorse for killing an in-
nocent woman, was driven to commit sui
eide, &c.
Providing this sensational story were
true, even in its minutest detail, what need
is there at this time OF harping upon il and
endeavoring to prove the Government guilty
of murder? Have not many innocent pco-
pie been killed in times Of great excite
ment? Has it not often been absolutely
necessary for the Government TO exercise
IFS prerogative of taking life, and in the ex-
citcment and pressing necessities of the
hour has it not as often happened that the
innocent, from their intimate association
with the really guilty, have been caused TO
| suffer even with them the most severe pun
ishment of the law? That such things
have happened all know who are at all
| familiar with the history of mankind or of
| the world. 1t may be asked, when times of
! peace come, if such things are to be in
dorsed No wise man would maintain that
such should be the case neither will they
admit that it is well in times of peace to
Judge q government, or even an individual,
on peace basis for what was incidently
done in time of war. This however, is far
enough at present to carry this side of the
question.
We are all familiar with the sad story of
the death of LINCOLN, and how his murder
ers hung about his tracks; and that their
place Of rendezvous was at one Mrs. SUR
RATS house and that all the evidence
went TO prove that this persona woman
was intimately acquainted with their vile
plans; and that in her house, and well
known to her. were gathered most of the
friends who took upon themselves the exc
cution of the diabolical plan that so startled
the whole nation on that April morning,
1865.
1t is said, for what purpose 1t may easily
now be seen, that ii was not at first the in-
tention to kill Mr.. LINCOLN, but simply to
abduct him; and that the killing was sOme-
thing sudden; and that it lay almost, if
not wholly, with BooTH; and that, though
the Others, Mrs. SURRATT included, may
have been acquainted with the plot TO alb
duct they and she had no knowledge OF
the individual intention of BooTH to kill
The very attempted escape of BOOTH, il
would seem, was enough to conclusively
controvert this. 1t was not all an accident
that his path of escape was all laid out be-
fore. This whole plan of escape from Wash
ington, after the killing at the the
atre, shows conclusively that his
route was prearmnged, and that it mus
) have been planned some time previous, and
, that Others were in the secret and performed
their part Of successfully carrying it out
But for BooTH's unforeseen accident ht
, would have probably then have escaped
and would, if living, probably be now sen
} by the Hotspurs of the South to Congress
= II was natural that Mr.. STANTON, as Secre.
tary of War, should have ordered the arres
e of this nest of traitors, and quite proper
$ that the arrest should have included Mrs
! SURRATT, at whose house the unhol,
3 scheme was day by day advocated and ar
= ranged, even to minute details.
A pocr insignificant person name,
D WEICHNIANN seems now TO be the scape
l goat for these vile traducers of the Govern
ment officials who were earnest il
e endeavorng to arrest and bring Il
= Just punishment the plotters against tn
q Government and its worthy President
t The principal figure in this last article
| said to be from "a New York paper" i
C "my informant" whoever he was. He seems
to have been pretty big individual, a
| least sufficiently large "when his dande
c twas up" TO successfully neutralze MI
l boutwell, in his so-called attempts to b
. advancedto the Treasury. No names O
C authority is mentioned. The whole thin,
= Is plainly most Infamous contrvance /
= create q false idea of the Government whicl
h was then and is now in the hands of TN
c Republican party. The vile statement end
j in n most vile manner, and it is natura
o that ii should. 1t calls attention
g whether truthfully or not, TO som
c violent or unnatural death, or degradation
e of those who took part in the trial.
g there is anything contemplate in huma
c nature it is this style Of argument; and
h well becomes such men as could hang jon
o BROWN, be guilty of the Fort Pillow mas
|, sacre and of all the horrors of the Souther
: prisons, and of the sending of poisonou
J. clothing to Northern cities, and the III
= necessary killing Of such man as was tn
:, "martyr President" This style of argr
u meut well becomes bull-dozers, wholesal
n murderers, and the like, and those VII
l. support and defend such fiend-like acts.
d is such logic as only such men can full
c, appreciate.