Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-12-07
A Thrilling Recital.

Thrilling Recital.
'My God! Ny God have no longer
country! This is the end of constitutional lib
erty in America
These were the words spoken with startling
emphasis on the evening of the 18th of April,
1865, by John Wilkes Booth He was passing
down Pennsylvania avenue, in Washington, and
near the corner of 18th street had met John
Matthew's fellow actor and a boyhood friend,
whom he thus addressed.
''He was pale as a ghost when he uttered
those words, said Mr.. Matthews to me day
or two since. while relating the occurrence.
There were quite number of confederate
prisoners passing along the avenue as he spoke,
and when he said, This is an end to constitu-
tional liberty in America, he pointed feelingly
toward them He looked at them moment,
after they had passed, and was thoughtful. He
then turned to me quickly and said:
"'I want you to do me favor
Anything in my power, JOHN I replied.
He thrust his hand into his pocket and drawing
the National Inteuigencer, tonight by eleven
O'Clock unless see you before that. II do
can attend to it myself
II took the letter. saw that it was sealed. put
1t into my pocket and walked on. Booth. who
was en- horseback, rode rapidly down the
street, and / never saw him again until he
jumped from the box in Ford's Theater to the
stage after shooting the President. I was then
playing at FOrd's, the piece being Our Amer
lean Cousin. Laura Keene was the star.
Booth almost ran against me as he leaped
across the stage on his way to the door. There
was, OF course, great commOtion, and l at
once went to my dressing room and picked up
my wardrobe, passed under the stage, out
through the orchestra and the auditorium and
into the street with the audience NY room
was directly opposite, at Mr. Peterson's the
house in which Mr.. Lincoln died. / walked
quickly across, locked the door of my room,
and began at once to change my clothes. In
picking up my coat the letter Booth had given
me upon the street that evening before the
theater opened dropped out of my pocket upon
the floor. Ihad almost forgotten it in my ex-
element. / quickly picked it up. tore it open,
and read it very carefully. My Cod thought
l, this self-cOndemnation of my friend shall not
be found in my possession and l threw it into
the fire, watched it till it burned to cinders and
then mixed the atoms with the coal ashes. In
the excitement and horror which followed the
shooting the Archangel could never have eX-
planned the possession of that letter. l did not
then realize, however. by what slender thread
my LIE hung. My impulse when l burned the
letter was that the evidence to condemn my
friend should not remain with me-"
"Who else saw that letter besides YOURSELF"
mo other living man after it came into nv
possession. 1t was sealed and directed to Mr.
John F: Coyle, one of the editors of the Ma
tiOfsal Inteligencer."
''Do you recall it's contents?"
Almost as wildly as though l had just COM
mltted it to memory. 1t began:
BOOTHS LAST LETTER.
WASHINGTON, D. c., April IA, 1865.
"'TO My CO,l,.t,7nnen:
For years have devoted my time, my ener-
gies and every dollar l possessed in the world
to the furtherance of an object. have been
baffied and disappointed. The hour has come
when 1 must change nv plan. MANY, know.
the vulgar herd-will blame me for what t
am about to do, but pOsterity am sure will
justify me- Right or wrong, God Judge me,
thing 1 am sure-the lasting condemnation Of
the North. l love peace more than life. Have
loved the Union beyond expression. For four
years have waited, hoped and prayed for the
dark clouds to break and for q restoration Of
our former sunshine. To wait longer would be
a crime. My prayers have proved as idle as my
hope. Gods will be done. go to see and
share the bitter end. This war is ut war with
the Constitution and the reserved rights of the
states. 1t is war upon southern rights and in
situations. The nomination of Abraham Lin
coin four years ago bespoke war; His election
forced 1t. l have ever held the south were
right. In foreign war too could say 'coun-
try, right or wrong But in struggle such as
ours (where the brother tries to pierce the
brothers hearty for Gods sake choose the right
When country like this spurns justice from
her side she forfeits the allegiance of every
honest freeman, and should leave him untram-
meled by any fealty sOever to act as his con-
science may approve.
"PeOple of the north, to hate tyranny. to love
liberty and justice, to strike at wrong and op-
preston was the teaching of our fathers The
study Of our early history will not let me forget
it, and may it never!
"I do not want to forget the heroic patriot
ism of our fathers who rebelled against the on
preston of the mother country.
This country was formed for the white. not
the black man. And looking upon African |
slavery from the same standpoint held by the |
noble trainers OF our constitution l, for one |
nave ever considered it one of the greatest bless
!ngs, Doth FOR themselves and Us, that God ever |
bestowed upon favored nation Witness here
to1ore our wealth and power: witness their ele-
walton and enlightenment above their race else |
where have lived among it most of my life
and have seen less harsh treatment from master
to man than l have beheld In the north from
father to son. Yet, Heaven knows no one wonld |
be willing to do more for the negro race than /
could but see way to still better their condi-
ton. ON-
49,. But lin i.incons policy is only preparing the
not. nor have they been, fighting for the con-
tnuance OF slavery. The first battle of Bnll RIM
did away with that idea Their causes since for
war have been as noble and greater far than
those that urged our fathers on. Even should
We allow they were wrong at the beginning of
this contest, cruelty and injustice have made
the wrong become the right, and they stand
now before the wonder and admiration of the
world as noble band of patriotic heroes.
hereafter reading Of their deeds, Thermopylae
viii be forgotten.
=. hen aided in the capture and execution
ol John Brown (who was murderer on our
western ooarder, and who was fairly tried and
convicted before an impartial Judge and jury of
treason. and who, by the way, has since been
maze god, was proud of my little share in
tLe transaction, for / deemed it my duty, and
shat was helping our common country to per-
form an act of Justice. But what was q crime
III poor John Brown is now considered (by them
seives) as the greatest and only virtue of the
whole republican party.
strange transmigration! Vice to become
virtue, simply because more indulge in it.
Thought then, as now. that the abOlitionists
Were the only traitors In the land, and that the
entire party deserved the same fate as poor old
Brown. Not. because they wished to abolish
slavery. but on account of the means they have
ever endeavored to use to effect that abolition.
If Brown were living doubt whether he him.
self would set slavery against the Union. Most.
or nearly all the North, do openly curse the
Union if the South are to return and retain q
single right guaranteed to them by every tie
which we once reyered as sacred. The South
can make no choice. 1t Is either determination
or slavery for themselves (worse than deathl to