e murder the rope and wrench were neglected.

This view derives support from two directions. In Booth's diary is
this entry. "April 13-14 Friday. The Ides. Until to-day nothing was
ever thought of sacrificing to our country's wrongs. For six months
we had worked to capture. But our cause being almost lost something
decisive and great must be done. But its failure was owing to others
who did not strike for their country with a heart."

Colonel Baker, a detective, testified that when he was in Canada,
engaged in negotiations for the purchase of letters that had passed
between the Confederate authorities at Richmond and Clay, Tucker,
Thompson and others, he read a letter from Jefferson Davis to Jacob
Thompson dated March 8, 1865, in which was this expression: "The
consummation of the act that would have done more to have ended this
terrible strife, being delayed, has probably ruined our cause."

The scheme for the abduction of Mr. Lincoln was a wild scheme, born of
desperation, and its success would have worked only evil to the
Confederacy. The purpose of the North would have been strengthened,
the public feeling would have been embittered and the friendship of
England and of the Continental states would have been suppressed.
When Lee had surrendered, when Davis was fleeing from Richmond, when
Benjamin was preparing to leave the country, the leaders of the
Confederacy could not have entertained a project for the capture of
Mr. Lincoln, nor of any injury to him whatever. Their opposition to
Mr. Lincoln was not tainted with personal hostility. One fact remains;
the persons who had knowledge of the project to abduct Mr. Lincoln and
who were engaged in it at Washington, were implicated in the final
crime.

If Booth's diary can be accepted as a faithful representation of his
mental condition it will appear that he had on that fatal Friday
submitted himself to the influence of three strong passions. He had
accepted the South as his country, and he had come to look upon Mr.
Lincoln as a tyrant and as its enemy. Hence he was influenced with
hatred for Mr. Lincoln. Finally he had become maddened by an ambition
to rival, or to excel Brutus. The influence of his possession is to
be seen in the entries in his diary in the days following the 14th of
April:

"I can never repent it, though we hated to kill. Our country owed all
our troubles to him, and God simply made me the instrument of his
punishment.

"The cou