The south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1879-1883, 1880-07-06
HANCOCK AND MRS. suRRATT
Some Inside History Touching the
Latter's Trial and Execntion-An-
drew johnson Vindioatcd-His
Opinion of Hancock.
cincinnati Commercially

cincinnati Commercial.
The nomination of Gen. Hancock
recalls the stirring incidents connect.
ed with the trial of Mrs. Surratt, aud
in some quarters it has been urged
against hlm as n campaign document
that he was in some way responsible
for the execution OF Mrs. Surratt, and
that he might have prevented 1t ii he
had intcrposed his power at that
time. Knowing that the gentleman
was In Cincinnati at the convention
who could answer some questions
connected with those times, n Gem
niercisl reporter called Oh Mr.. Sam,
w. Small, OF tue Atlanta Constitu.
iion, better known as old ISL" BY the
characteristic sketches in that paper,
and propounded to him some queries
OF the subject.
Mr.. Small for come time acted as
the private secretary of President
johnson, after his retirement from
the Presidency, aud IN the interval
between his retirement and election
Nc United States Senator from the
State OF Tennessee. In that capacity
IL fell In the line of his duty TO colate
and put In shape the official aud pri-
vnte correspondence OF the cx-Presi-
dent, which cauie from the White
llsuBe in n stale OF confusion. In
dlscharging this duty he became fa.
niliar " ilh the contents Of many doc
uments important on account OF their
historical and personal benrings, and
among them those papers which Mr..
JvhD.on most particularly preserved
III CO.., ,neouon with the charges and
the facts conccrning the trial and ex-
ecution OF Mrs. Surratt.
Reporter What do you recall oi
the facts OF the evidence in that com.
niission2 p
Il recall that Gen. Hancock was By
the Circumstance Of the situation ia,-
pediatcly following the surrender oi
Appomattox aud the assassination
OF Lincoln, the department command
er In tile department embracing
Washington City. Iknow The COM
mission which sat for the trial of the
mHrderers Of Mr.. Lincoln. | know
that the constitutionalily Of that CON-
luission was questioned, debated and
settled In tho Cabinet. | know that
President johnson doubted, and did
until The day, of. .his death, the coasti-
lu,ionaliiy or those proceedings. |
know SO far ne can know from its
own declarations that he yielded 10
the decision OF his Cabinet rccog-
nized the legality Of the acts Of the
commission, aud that lo awaited its
decision without the desire or inten.
lion Of further questioning It's author.
ity." &G 9 ESQ
when tho decission OF this com.
mission was rendered. what was
MIR. JonNsoS's ATTITUDEr"
"Mr. Johnson has frequently said
10 me that when tho record of that
court was prescAted to him he care
fully considered it--frst, for the pur-
pose OF discovering whether upon
evidence that judgment was correct,
and second, whether from tho evil
dence there were any reaeons why the
discretion OF the Executive should be
exercised upon tho side of clemency
toward anyone of those in'
cluded in the sentence Of the court
lie decided that tho judgment upW
the evidence, ss presented was cor.
rect, and tint there was no reason FOL
any distinction between tho con
deinAed, except the sex Of Mrs. Sur
rait.
"Iie held then as he had continued
TO hold, that sex neither forgave MOI
expanded the character OF the crinlo
that the woman who committed 4
crime, aid that the crime being
proved, was subject TO the same pen
allies that the law prescribed, with
out regard TO sex or the condition o.
the offender.
"Mr. Johuson approved tho sen
tence, then ,akiug that view Of tho
situation Z"
"Yes, he did approve II. but he ap
proved II upon the naked presenta
ton of tho official records Of the court
Unfortunately for his fame IN thi,
connection, 1t transpired long aftcl
the decease OF Mrs. Surratt that tht
court had privately -timidly, yol
may say-sgreed and recommended
10 the President, signifying that Mrs
Surratt might in justice and In view
OF all her surroundings have hcr sen
tencc commutcd from the death pen
atty to imprisonment. These recon-
mendations OF the commission wcr,
not given 10 the public, but intrustct
to Gen. Joseph Holt, the Public All
vocate OF tho commission, to DO b,
him transmitted to tho President, Ii
connection with the other papers
Mr.. johnson always claimed that HI
had never escn the recommendation
OF the ccart until HE attention wa
called TO 1t by an article, | believe, Il
the New Yerk Tribune, after Mrs
Surratt's death. The announcement
was surprise to him, and cause,
him to 70 ut onceto the War De
parimcnt and Inspect the papers OF
flo ia the case. lie found that III
court had recommended Mrs. Surrat
to the clenency OF the Executive, bu
that tho recommendations OF III