for that officer, for when, thirteen years later, for the Cabinet members denied that they he was a candidate for President, the much- had ever seen the paper. But under date repeated charge, •' he hanged Mrs. Surratt,", of 1873, in replying to Judge-Advocate circulated among the religious body of which Holt, who had declared that he duly laid the she was a member, lost him undoubtedly request before the President at the time' hundreds of thousands of votes; and yet his of applying for the death-warrant, and thus duty in the matter was perfunctory and dis- j raised an issue of veracity, that President, cretionless. then out of office, and who had again be During the brief interval telegrams and ■ come a Federal Senator, wrote thus : " Hav letters came to the White House invoking ing heard that the petition had been at mercy. Numbers of callers on the same tached to the record, I sent for the papers errand invaded its doors. At that time ex- on August 5, 1867 (this was soon after the Senator Preston King of New York, and Pierrepont announcement), with a view of collector of its port, was a White House ' examining, for the first time (those words guest, and had long been the President's being underscored), the recommendation in intimate friend. Also in the city was the case of Mrs. Surratt, a careful scrutiny another close friend. General James Lane of convinced me that it was not ith the record Oregon. It was claimed at the time and when submitted for my approval, and that I since that these two, in constant attendance had neither before seen or read it." On this upon President Johnson, persuaded him issue of veracity history must leave the against mercy, and indeed, did much to mystery. keep him in seclusion, even against the ap The issue of veracity derives support for peal of Mrs. Surratt's daughter. Supersti the President's side from the omission to tious sympathizers with Mrs. Surratt have give a copy of the document to the news invited attention to the fact that both those papers eager for any information about the gentlemen some time afterward committed fate of Mrs. Surratt; from its non-appear suicide at different times and different places, ance in the published official record of the and that the President had to endure a trial Military Commission, or in the reports thereof of the Judge-Advocate to the Presi of impeachment. dent or to Congress; and from its omission Now comes consideration of the most re markable incident connected with the whole from a book compiled by Stenographer matter. As yet the public were uninformed Pitman for popular use, professing to give a of the existence of any official request for history of the trial and its results. When the death-warrant was read to Mrs. commutation and recommendation of Mrs. Surratt, at noon on the day before the date Surratt for mercy. And some years afterward President of death, she protested that she had no hand Johnson made the astounding declaration in the President's death, and was entirely in that he had never been shown the request nocent of any criminal complicity. There for Mrs. Surratt's commutation, and only after she remained in a state of collapse learned for the first time of its existence under medical treatment — even denied the when Attorney-General Edwards Pierrepont, presence of her daughter, who was at the opening the case against John H. Surratt, prison under escort of the priest. On the produced the original and declared that it next morning her counsel obtained from had been laid before the Cabinet by the Judge Wylie a writ of habeas corpus for President, and that every member voted her production. This was met by a return against the commutation. The Attorney- from General Hancock, to whom it was ad General had been erroneouslv instructed. dressed, to the effect that the President, un
