The Sun. — 1865-05-19 (London, England)

HALE."  President Johnson's Proclamation.  MONTREAL, May 5.  A profound sensation was created here yesterday by the publication of President Johnson's proclamation, asserting that, from evidence in the Bureau of Military Justice, it appeared the recent tragic events which took place in Washington were incited and concerted by Jefferson Davis, Jacob Thompson, C. C. Clay, Beverley Tucker, Georgh N. Sanders, &c., for the apprehension of whom large rewards were offered.  Sanders and Tucker departed for Quebec last evening, for the purpose, it is stated, of having an interview with the Governor-General. Tucker has addressed the following letter to the people of Canada :  " Montreal, May 4.  " I have this moment seen the proclamation of Andrew Johnson, acting President of the United States, stating that 'it appears from evidence in the Bureau of Military Justice that the atrocious murder of the late President Abraham Lincoln, and the attempted assassination of the Hon. W. H. Seward, Secretary of State, was incited concerted, and procured by and between Jefferson Davis, late of Richmond, Va., and Jacob Thompson, Clement C. Clay, Beverly Tucker, George N. Sanders, W. C. Cleary, and other rebel traitors against the Government of the United States harboured in Canada,' and offering rewards for the apprehension of the accused, $25,000 boing the sum offered for my arrest. It is scarcely possible that such proclamation would have been issued unless some such evidence has been adduced. What such evidence is I am totally at aloes to conjecture. lam compelled, therefore, to content myself with the declaration, that whosoever hath sworn to anything authorising in the slightest degree suspicion of my having incited, concerted, or procured, or of any knowledge whatever by me of the attacks made on the President and Mr. Seward, or any acts or projects of a kindred character, or of any plan to kidnap or capture either of them or any of the Federal authorities, hath blackened his soul with diabolical perjury. Until information reached here of the attack on President Lincoln by Mr. J. Wilkes Booth, and that on Mr. Seward by some other person, I did not know that any such person as J. Wilkes Booth existed. I had never heard of him before. Ido not know any of the persons in arrest at Washington, and never heard of them till I read the notices in the United States newspapers of their apprehension. I have within a day or two past made inquiry, and ascertained that Mr. Booth left St. Lawrence Hall, Montreal, on the 27th of October last. The officers of the Ontario Bank state that on that day he purchased of the bank a bill on England for £6l 12s. ld., for which he paid in American gold, and at the same time made a deposit of $355 Canada money, which yet remains to his credit, and that he stated he intended to run the blockade. Whether he made such attempt or went into the United States by railroad I have not ascertained. "The clerks in the St. Lawrence Hall inform me thathe arrived at the house on the 18th of October, being there nine days. I was not in Montreal during that time. My association with the other gentlemen named in this atrocious proclamation has been intimate for years, and I admit it would be strange, if they had any knowledge of Mr. Booth's purposes i that I should be in utter ignorance of it. '• The whole business is, in my deliberate judgment, an attempt to get up a pretext for a difficulty with the British Provinces, and the consideration that since I have been here I have received nothing but hospitality, and kindness from you impels me to make this brief address, to aid in the dissipation of such pretext. "I have to-day appealed to President Johnson and Secretary Stanton to allow me copies of the alleged evidence with respect to myself, to give me a chance to disprove it. "I will add, that I will go before any magistrate here and verify the above by my solemn oath, and that I will agree that the United States Consul, or any respectable counsel he may designate, shall cross-examine me in relation to the alleged evidence,'or any other and all acts of my life. (Signed) "