Abraham Lincoln - American Memory

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the meeting of Thompson and Surratt in Montreal, and the delivery
of the despatches from Richmond, on the 6th or 7th of April, first,
in the fact which is shown by the testimony of Chester, that in the
winter or spring Booth said he himself or some other party must go
to Richmond, and, second, by the letter of Arnold dated 27th of March
last, that he preferred Booth's first query, that he would first go to
Richmond and see how they would take it, manifestly alluding to the
proposed assassination of the President. It does not follow because
Davis had written a letter in February which, in substance, approved
the general object, that the parties were fully satisfied with it; be-
cause it is clear there was to be some arrangement made about the
funds ; and it is also clear that Davis had not before as distinctly ap-
proved and sanctioned this act as his agents either in Canada or here
desired. Booth said to Chester, "We must have money ; there is
money in this business, and if you will enter into it I will place three
thousand dollars at the disposal of your family; but I have no money
myself, and must go to Richmond," or one of the parties must go, "to
get money to carry out the enterprise." This was one of the arrange-
ments that was to be "made right in Canada." The funds at Thomp-
son's disposal, as the banker testifies, were exclusively raised by drafts
of the secretary of the treasury of the Confederate States upon Lon-
don, deposited in their bank to the, credit of Thompson.
Accordingly, about the 27th of March, Surratt did go to Richmond.
On the 3d of April he returned to Washington, and the same day
left for Canada. Before leaving, he stated to Weichmann that when
in Richmond he had had a conversation with Davis and with Benjamin.
The fact in this connexion is not to be overlooked, that on or about
the day Surratt arrived in Montreal, April 6, Jacob Thompson, as the
cashier of the Ontario Bank states, drew of these confederate funds the
sum of one hundred and eighty thousand dollars in the form of cer-
tificates, which, as the bank officer testifies, "might be used any-
where."
What more is wanting? Surely no word further need be spoken
to show that John Wilkes Booth was in this conspiracy ; that John
H. Surratt was in this conspiracy ; and that Jefferson Davis and his
several agents named, in Canada, were in this conspiracy. If any
additional evidence is wanting to show the complicity of Davis in it,
let the paper found in the possession of his hired assassin Booth
come to bear witness against him. That paper contained the secret
cipher which Davis used in his state department at Richmond,
which he employed in communicating with his agents in Canada,
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