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90 Lincoln Assassination Conspiracy Theories

The Weirdest Lincoln

Assassination Conspiracy

Theories

Continued from Page 89

The Order Came Straight From
Jefferson Davis

Shortly after Lincoln's passing, suspicion
naturally fell on Confederate States of America
President Jefferson Davis. As head of the
rebellious cabal that Lincoln ordered crushed,
Davis would certainly have the motive to seek
revenge on Lincoln - and likely had the
resources to as well. Reflecting rumors of a
grand conspiracy, Edwin Stanton (himself a
subject of conspiracy theories regarding
Lincoln's demise) ordered Davis be tried on
charges that he conspired with Booth to fell the
president, but nothing came of it.
Further study would prove that any
evidence Davis was involved in ordering or suffrage, and equality for freed blacks. He was constant throughout the 19th century, so it's not
funding the conspiracy was all circumstantial. relentless in his criticism of Union Army a surprise that in 1885, former Catholic priest
One of the men involved, John Surratt, was a leadership in general, and Lincoln's actions Charles Chiniquy published a book called Fifty
Confederate Secret Service agent, but Surratt during the Civil War in particular. During the Years in the Church of Rome that put the blame
and Davis probably never met. Surratt was never conflict, he's alleged to have remarked, "By for Lincoln's demise at the feet of the Pope.
convicted of any wrongdoing in regards to the God, the sooner he is assassinated, the better." Chiniquy, who left the church after becoming
slaying, though his mother was hanged in While scholars dispute what Wade might convinced it was a pagan, anti-Christian cult,
connection to aid she gave to the conspirators. have meant by this, and indeed, if he said it at alleged that the Jesuit order accepted a $1
For his part, when he heard the news, all, it's clear that Lincoln's passing advanced million bounty from Jefferson Davis to fell
Davis is said to have paraphrased Macbeth, Wade's radical agenda. Wade later presided over Lincoln, and that the perpetrators were hand-
quipping, "If it were to be done, it were better it the impeachment trial of Lincoln's successor, picked by Pope Pius IX.
were well done." He later claimed to have taken Andrew Johnson, and, as president pro tempore, Chiniquy's book sold well, and for a
no pleasure in the news, and feared it would be would have assumed the presidency himself if generation many Americans truly believed that
"disastrous" for the South. Johnson had been found guilty in the Senate. the Pope had taken out Lincoln to destabilize
Johnson was acquitted - largely because other American democracy. Two added twists lent the
Confederate Secretary Of State Judah senators didn't want Wade to take the office. tale believability. One is that Lincoln defended
Benjamin Ordered The Hit Chiniquy when he was a lawyer in the 1850s
The Rothschild Family Did It when the priest was facing charges of slander
High-ranking Confederate politician (and the and moral decrepitude. The other is that after
first openly practicing Jew to serve in the United Blaming "European bankers," often a dog- fleeing the US, Lincoln conspirator John Surratt
States Congress) Judah Benjamin has been whistle term for Jewish people, for the Civil War served in the Pope's private army, the Papal
linked to the slaying of President Lincoln is a common pastime in the anti-semitic corners Zouaves.
through conspirator and Confederate agent John of the internet. Specifically, they tie Lincoln's While anti-Catholic fervor in the US
Surratt. While Secretary of State, Benjamin banking reform to the Rothschild banking eventually subsided, the Vatican/Lincoln
supervised the Confederate Secret Service and family, and concoct a conspiracy where the connection continued to be fodder for books,
was confirmed to have met with Surratt in family ginned up the conflict and sold weapons mostly by renegade Catholics.
Richmond two weeks before the incident. to both sides to make money.
While there was little compelling Essentially, this theory revolves around Renegade Cotton Merchants Did It
evidence connecting Benjamin to the plot, the fact that the Union needed money to finance
Northern papers compared him to Judas their efforts. According to the theory, th Because of the Union blockade of the South, the
betraying Jesus - in this case, played by Lincoln. powerful Rothschild family offered Lincoln price of cotton rose dramatically. Lincoln
Fearing that his Judaism and high rank in the loans at high interest rates, which he balked at. realized the Union needed Southern cotton, and
Confederacy would make it impossible for him Rather than accept these loans, Lincoln found allowed it to be bought from the South in
to get a fair trial if he were arrested for helping other means to fund the North - the printing of exchange for basic goods - with the money
plot Lincoln's demise, he fled for England. He paper currency backed by a central bank. going to fund the Confederates.
became a celebrated lawyer in London, and Spurned by Lincoln and opposing his Despite opposition from Union generals,
never returned to the US. protectionist policies that would put their Lincoln approved a number of cotton trading
holdings at risk, the Rothschilds got everyone permits. With the conflict winding down, it
Radical Republicans Did It Because fighting, then felled Lincoln in an effort to take became clear that the gravy train was ending for
Lincoln Was Weak control of the valuable US economy. these cotton speculators. Did they fell Lincoln in
Other than Lincoln being the first response to their profits ending? Or did Union
Lincoln's own political party was far from president to issue paper currency backed by the members do it in response to him indirectly
united in support of his policies. So-called federal government, none of this has proven to funding the Southern military?
Radical Republicans opposed Lincoln's plan to be true. The answer to both of these is likely "no"
rebuild and reunite with the South, calling it - little evidence has surfaced suggesting a
weak and too lenient. One particular thorn in The Catholics Did It unified conspiracy, though it's certain that
Lincoln's side was Ohio Senator Benjamin people who got rich off the cotton trade weren't
Wade, a fierce supporter of abolition, women's Anti-Catholic sentiment in America was a happy it was coming to an end.