The Irish standard., 1907-11-30
The Career Of Andrew johnson, Who Sue.
ceeded Lincoln, Following the
Latter's Assassination.
Has Little to Redeem HIM Except His Pat
riotisn, Declares the Writer, George
Alfred Townsend.

those newspapers have lost their party
control.
1 Joined fellow correspondent on
the World, Mr.. Jerome B. Stillson, in
revising the hidden history Of Rich
mond in the war, signing our names
mutually.
He then went off to try to overtake
Grants army, lost in the route to APP
pomattox, while I remained at Rich
mond, to which Col. Forney had come
with Samuel j. Randall and others.
Forney had supplied johnson with his
ill-timed drink when johnson baran-
gued the diplomatic corps.
Saturday night, April is, 1865, I
learned of Lincoln's assassination from
Col. Forney. The next day, Sunday, we
started on the military engineers train
to see Petersburg, John Wyman Of
Boston, assistant to Gen. McCallum,
being one of our small party, but the
tragedy at Washington dispelled all
other curiosity, and we switched off
for City Point, and. went down the
James river that same day, Apri, 16,
and arrived at Washington the morn
ing of Monday, April IL.
Forney, it was thought. expected to
Johnson was naming his dead
duck" in White House oratory.
1 described Lincoln's funeral at the
White House April 19, his body having
been kept five days. I went into the
large east room early and looked at
Lincoln's face at leisure.
On my way to Richmond had been
introduced to Booth and spent two or
three hours with him at the Metro
politan hotel. 1 therefore guessed him
at Fortress Monroe to be the Booth
who was on the spot and acted the
deed, though Edwin Booth was there
stated to be the assassin. Booth had
been confidential, engaging and hand
some, and belonged to the aristocracy
of actors, with the low companionships
of his father. Mr.. Clarvoe, the detec-
tive, who kept the run Of town char
acters, said he knew of Booth as "a
bar-room fighter"
The manner of his taking Lincoln off
resembled the murder of the Regent
Murray by Hamilton of Bothwellhaugh
in the year 1870, a private box, front
door barred, horse saddled behind, es-
cape, etc. I described the trial and
execution of Booths band, to whom
President Johnson was remorseless,
though he afterward meanly Put it
upon Gen. Holt, the Judge advocate.
Mr.. Stoner, counsel for Mrs. Surratt
and Herold, told me that the court
martial was just, and could have ex-
Lincoln and take him to Virginia had
been plotted by several others, among
them Bradley Johnson Of Maryland,
and one Taylor of Zachary Taylor's
connection in Kentucky; the latter
plan Jefferson Davis rejected at his
breakfast table in Richmond. Davis
hated johnson, not Lincoln.
Davis and Lincoln.
Davis, some 10 weeks before Lin
coins death, communicated with
Lincoln through the elder Francis
Blair, and sent Stephens. Campbell and
Hunter to Hampton roads to meet Lin
coin and Seward. The two latter of
these men met in Richmond where
| they were trying to get Lincoln's per-
mission to convene the legislature.
Campbell, an ex-supreme court Judge,
was a subtle specimen Of man, re-
sembling Chief Justice Chase. never
saw an able civilian in the southern
galaxy, but plenty of able military.
Years later interviewed Hunter for
the New York Herald, and he had no
praise for w. H. Crawford, Calhoun or
any Of his political forerunners.
During the civil war congress had