The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1916-04-23

! In thiS connection | VIII say WOTu
about the death of Lincoln. Perhaps
| may be able to throw some new
! light upon the motive that actuated
/ Booth in the commission of the crime.
! Various motives have been advanced.
II was said at the time that it was
a plot amongst prominent Confeder-
| ates. that it was a Catholic plot, or
! that Booth was insane, but think the
! following account will add another
| and more reasonable motive:
John Young Beal was dashing,
/ brilliant cultured young man of the
southern type. He lived at Winches-
ter, Va. He graduated at the Univer-
sty of Virginia at the beginning of
! the war between the states. Just be-
fore the war began, during the win
ter, he made frequent visits to Wash
ington City, and formed an attach
ment for John Wilkes Booth, who
was then playing in Richard the
Third 1t was said that some of
his leaps in that play were startling
and would almost take the breath Of
his audiences. He was one of the
most handsome of men, possessing a
graceful figure and cultured manner
that captivated every one. No lady
it is said, could ever behold him and
not love him. He became acquainted
with the beautiful daughter of Sena-
tor John p. Hale of New Hampshire,
and they became lovers. She was
so infatuated with him that she sad
that she would marry him under the
sallows.
Beal, after sntering the Confederate
army, went up to Buffalo, on Lake
Erie, and captured and destroyed
some northern vessels. He was cap
tured, placed in jail tried by court
martial, and convicted of piracy and
condemned to be hung, John Wilkes
BoOth loved Beal as a brother, and
his life. He sew some prominent re
publican senators and military oftic-
ers, amongst whom was Senator Hale,
father of his sweetheart, who went
with him, with others, TO see Mr..
Lincoln and secure Beats pardon.
Booth made an earnest plea on his
knees, and, being an actor, threw all
his dramatic powers into the appeal,
making a plea so pathetic and ear
nest that he won the sympathies Of
Lincoln and Ae promised to pardon
Beal Booth trusted him.
The next day the president inform
ed the cabinet in session what he had
done. Mr. Seward the secretary of
state, arose from his seat and paced
the floor like mad lion. He told
Mr. Lincoln that if he did pardon Beal
that he would resign his seat in the
cabinet and denounce him on every
stump as being in sympathy with the
ernment could not hang such pirates
and traitors as Beal, then they had
as well turn it over to the rebels.
Mr. Lincoln saw that at that critical
time such a result would be dsas-
trous and he reconSidered his determi-
nation, and so Beal was duly exc
cuted. Mr.. Morse, in his American
Statesmen series, says that Booth
was aCtuated by revenge, but does
not state the cause. Here it is. 1t was
natural that Booth, dashing, high
strung as he was, should seek ven
geance. SO he organized a plot TO
kill Mr.. Lincoln, which he did. The
vengeful plot was to include the cabi-
net, but especially Seward and Stan
ton. Seward, after being stabbed,
barely escaped with his life.
I have never seen this account in
history, and consider it so plausible
that l attach large measure OF Gre
dence to it. am told by reliable
parties that the account was pub
lished generally in the newspapers
just after the war and largely be
lieved
Though a son of Confederate sol
der and loyal to the south, | have
been a student and admirer of Mr.
Lincoln. For this an apology is
unnecessary.
close this article by quoting the
celebrated proration of Henry Waiter
sons address on Lincoln, delivered
before the Lincoln Club, Chicago,
April -, 1905. am glad that these
sentiments were expressed by a SOU
thern man. believe they are eX-
preSsive OF the vast majority of
southern people today:
Born as lowly as the Son of God, |
in a howell reared in penury, squalor, !
with no gleam of light or fair sur
roundings. without graces, actual or
acquired: without name or fame or
official training, it was reserved for