Assassination of Lincoln: a History of the Great Conspiracy: Trial of the Conspirators by a Military Commission, and a Review of the Trial of John H. SurrattHarris, T. M. (Thomas Mealey)
History
Assassination of Lincoln: a History of the Great Conspiracy: Trial of the Conspirators by a Military Commission, and a Review of the Trial of John H. Surratt
Harris, T. M. (Thomas Mealey)
Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865 -- Assassination; Surratt, John H. (John Harrison), 1844-1916
"They, however, undertake to say that the crime of the murder of the
President of the United States in time of war or great civil commotion,
is not as henious a crime as it would be in England to murder the Chief
of their country; and that there is no divinity about our government.
What is its origin? All government is either of God or the devil, and
they will have to take their choice. I say that the government is of
God, and that no other government will stand. What says the civilized
world upon this subject? I wrote a note to the Secretary of State two
days ago, asking him to send me the letters that were transmitted from
the different governments of the civilized world upon the subject of
this murder, and what do you think he sent me? He sent me the note I
hold in my hand and with it this large printed volume. It takes every
line and word of that book, a book of 717 pages, closely printed, to
contain the letters of condolence that were written to this government
from the foreign governments of the world. Entire Christendom wrote,
entire Christendom looked upon it as one of the most horrible of
crimes--one that required every nation, even to the Turk, to write
for the purpose of expressing their abhorrence of the crime. And,
gentlemen, I hold in my hand the original paper sent by some 13,000
rebel prisoners, and our prisoners, at Point Lookout. Here is the paper
in which these rebel prisoners, met together, passed their resolutions
of condemnation, and their curse upon this crime. I would try this
case before any twelve of those rebel prisoners, and feel certain of
a verdict, and yet the gentlemen tell us this murder is like that of
the commonest vagabond that ever walked the streets, and the crime no
higher. Not so thought the rebels; not so thought any honorable man in
arms against us; not so thinks any right-minded man upon the face of
the earth."
The judge in giving his charge to the jury, addressing himself to this
point, spoke as follows:--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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