No sympathy for George

[GARY POPOLO]

(06-21-2013 04:54 PM)Dave Taylor Wrote:  Up on eBay right now is a set of letters sent in July of 1865. Every once and awhile there are letters or diaries like these on eBay that make a passing mention of the assassination along the lines of, "How terrible for our republic, etc." This letter discusses briefly the execution of the conspirators. The eBay seller put up this excerpt which I found humorous:

"...what do you think about Ms Surratt being hung, it ought never to have been, imprisonment for ten years would have been about right for her and Harrold, but Payne & Atzerodt of course deserve hanging, they were cowardly wretches..."

Based on Powell's crime, I don't think anyone expected him to live and, of course, it surprised many that Mary was hanged due to her gender and age. However, I found this interesting as it is the first time I've ever come across someone who would have spared Herold's life. What humored me, however, is the lack of sympathy for George. Even though he didn't technically do anything, this author still saw him as a cowardly wretch deserving of death.

As far as sympathy for George I don't think he deserved any. Although he did not (do any outward crime) he was in the meeting with Booth and the other conspirators when the plan to kidnap / kill Lincoln was finalized. After first refusing to kill V.P. Johnson as Booth requested then agreeing to his part knowing that he would in fact not follow through he should have been man enough to report the plot and he could have ended up being the hero who saved Lincoln instead of ending up at the end of a rope with the other conspirators. He was as much at fault as the others in the group. That is my feeling on George. As far as Herold and his guilt he also deserved to hang. I have read a lot as the rest of you about him and he to me was a lot smarter and devious then a lot of people gave him credit for. He was with Booth from the beginning and loved the attention and the thought of being known as Booth's friend. He lived in Booth's inner circle and enjoyed all the benefits that came with that relationship. To me he was as guilty as Booth in the murder of the President. As if he had pulled the trigger himself. Best Gary