Abraham Lincoln - American Memory

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56 as devastate the country of the enemy, and fill his people with ter-' ror and consternation. * * * For the purpose of satisfying your mind upon the subject, I respectfully, but earnestly, request that you will give an interview with General Harris, formerly a member of Congress from Missouri, who, I think, is able, from conclusive proofs, to convince you tliat what I have suggested is perfectly feasible and practicable." No one can doubt, from the tenor of this letter, that the rebel Davis only wanted to be satisfied that this system of arson and murder could be carried on by his agents in the north successfully and without detection. With him it was not a crime to do these acts, but only a crime to be detected in them. But Davis, by his indorsement on this letter, dated the 20th of February, 18G5, bears witness to his own complicity and his own infamy in this proposed work of de- struction and crime for the future, as well as to his complicity in what had before been attempted without complete success. Ken- nedy, with his confederates, had failed to burn the city of New York. "The combustibles" which Kennedy had employed were, it seems, defective. This was "a difficulty to be overcome." Neither had he been able to consummate the dreadful work without subjecting himself to detection. This was another "difficulty to be overcome." Davis, on the 20th of February, 18G5, indorsed upon this letter these words : "Secretary of State, at his convenience, see General Harris and learn what plan he has for overcoming the difficulties heretofore experienced. J. U. n This indorsement is unquestionably proved to be the handwriting of Jefferson Davis, and it bears witness on its face that the monstrous proposition met his approval, and that he desired his rebel Secretary of State, Benjamin, to see General Harris and learn how to overcome the difficulty heretofore experienced, to wit: the inefficiency of "the combustible materials" that had been employed, and the lia- bility of his agents to detection. After this, who will doubt that he had endeavored, by the hand of incendiaries, to destroy by fire the property and lives of the people of the north, and thereby "fill them with terror and consternation;" that he knew his agents had been unsuccessful ; that he knew his agents had been detected in their vilhmy and punished for their crime ; that he desired through a more perfect "chemical preparation," by the science and skill of Professor McCulloch, to accomplish successfully what had before been unsuc- cessfully attempted? The intercepted letter of his agent, Clement C. Clay, dated St. ••••••••
57 Catherine's, Canada West, November 1, 1864, is an acknowledgment and confession of what they had attempted, and a suggestion made through J. P. Benjamin, rebel Secretary of State, of what remained to be done, in order to make the "chemical preparations" efficient. Speaking of this Bennett II. Young, he says : "You have doubtless learned through the press of the United States of the raid on St. Albans by about twenty-five confederate soldiers, led by Lieutenant Bennett H. Young; of their attempt and failure to burn the town; of their robbery of three banks there of the aggregate amount of about two hundred thousand dollars ; of their arrest in Canada, by United States forces ; of their commitment and the pending preliminary trial." He makes ap- plication, in aid of Young and his associates, for additional documents, showing that they acted upon the authority of the Confederate States government, taking care to say,however,that he held such authority at the time, but that it ought to be more explicit, so far as regards the par- ticular acts complained of. He states that he met Young at Halifax in May, 18G4, who developed his plans for retaliation on the enemy; that he, Clay, recommended him to the rebel Secretary of War; that aftej this "Young was sent back by the Secretary of War with a commission as second lieutenant to execute his plans and purposes, but to report to Hon. and myself." Young afterwards "proposed passing through New England, burning some towns and robbing them of whatever he could convert to the use of the confederate government. This I approved as justifiable retaliation. He attempted to burn the town of St. Albans, Vermont, and would have succeeded but for the failure of the chemical preparation with which he was armed. He then robbed the banks of funds amounting to over two hundred thousand dollars. That he was not prompted by selfish or mercenary motives I am as well satisfied as I am that he is an honest man. He assured me before going that his effort would be to destroy towns and farm- houses, but not to plunder or rob; but he said if, after firing a town, he saw he could take funds from a bank or any house, and thereby might inflict injury upon the enemy and benefit his own government, he would do so. He added most emphatically, that whatever he took should be turned over to the government or its representatives in for- eign lands. My instructions to him were, to destroy whatever was valuable; not to stop to rob, but if, after firing a town, he could seize and carry off money or treasury or bank notes, he might do so upon condition that they were delivered to the proper authorities of the Confederate States"—that is, to Clay himself. When he wrote this letter it seems that this accredited agent of mmm
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TRIAL OF THE CONSPIRATORS FOR THE A
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The crime charged and specified upo
Page 6 and 7: .-..,.- 6 the conspirators be numer
Page 8 and 9: 8 President a mere nullity, a usurp
Page 10 and 11: 10 question that it does not exist,
Page 12 and 13: 12 Ml objected to the same stern ju
Page 14 and 15: 14 •heir serene brows to the dust
Page 16 and 17: 16 be tried for any crime whatever,
Page 18 and 19: 18 veteran and hero, General Scott,
Page 20 and 21: 20 lighten us in regard to the ques
Page 22 and 23: 22 but as an institution as permane
Page 24 and 25: 24 subject property on tbe seas to
Page 26 and 27: 2G by indictment, in terms embracin
Page 28 and 29: V wmm 28 by citizens in time of war
Page 30 and 31: 30 authorize it—bis office not be
Page 32 and 33: mm V 32 tution of the United States
Page 34 and 35: • 34 people of the several States
Page 36 and 37: TL. - 36 great extent, inoperative
Page 38 and 39: 38 his great decision in. the case
Page 40 and 41: 40 tion. suspend as far as may be n
Page 42 and 43: V 42 privilege of the writ of habea
Page 44 and 45: 44 proceed no farther in the cause
Page 46 and 47: "•• V 46 that the learned gentl
Page 48 and 49: V ———— 48 ria, cli. 35, ent
Page 50 and 51: V 50 MAT IT PLEASE THE COURT: I hav
Page 52 and 53: 52 actually assembled, for the purp
Page 54 and 55: N 54 in the service of the rebellio
Page 58 and 59: 58 Jefferson Davis was as strongly
Page 60 and 61: 60 rebellion. You hear it in the re
Page 62 and 63: 62 suggested in the letter of Oldha
Page 64 and 65: 64 that Booth was one of the party
Page 66 and 67: 66 also George Harper, one of the c
Page 68 and 69: 68 the meeting of Thompson and Surr
Page 70 and 71: V 70 Jefferson Davis's purpose to m
Page 72 and 73: . _.dMi •9M 72 Mr. Kerr, who woul
Page 74 and 75: ^«^M 74 The learned gentleman, (Mr
Page 76 and 77: V 76 he lived, and all that was ask
Page 78 and 79: 78 Richmond, which the gentleman (M
Page 80 and 81: 80 that the proprietor admits that
Page 82 and 83: N 82 says he went to Gardner's part
Page 84 and 85: 84 Mr. Norton identifies the prison
Page 86 and 87: ^ 86 him in this conspiracy to murd
Page 88 and 89: «i V 88 and Arnold, was the declar
Page 90 and 91: 90 I shall be better prepared to ag
Page 92 and 93: 92 and unimpeachable witnesses who
Page 94 and 95: ~"3i 94 was arrested, in which he d
Page 96 and 97: 9 96 previous to the assassination,
Page 98 and 99: 98 John had gone away not to return
Page 100 and 101: 4 W 100 except that he was bound to
Page 102 and 103: 102 the two about which Weichmann t
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V 106 save by some evidence which t
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108 House, and left his card, now i
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110 eight revolvers, the Derringer,
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112 Atzerodt, near midnight, return
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114 there last fall, he knew that o
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116 merely a suspicious person, but
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118 '18th of April, when he said th
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V 120 from the negotiation of bills
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N 122 selves ; his act, done in the
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Abraham Lincoln - American Memory

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