AMERICAN NEWS.

Evening Post, Issue 201, 29 September 1865, Page 3

AMERICAN NEWS.

The barque Prospector, from San Francisco, arrived at Port Chalmers on the 24th instant, bringing later American news. The following is from the Alta California :—: — THE CONSPIRACY TRIAL. Is now nearly over; after a five weeks' siege several witnesses have been examined. Sonic days must elapse before the finding of the Military Court is known. The evidence does not show one of those strong cases of conspiracy, on the part of the acccused, which the government expected to prove. Of the eight, one only had the ruffian nerve to carry out his understanding with Booth— the latter to kill the President, and the former to slay the Secretary of State. Atzerot's victim, in the programme, being Andrew Johnson, but (as was shown in the evidence) he had the character among his intimate associates of being a coward; and therefore did not attempt to strike. The testimony against the others is more circumstantial than real; and although there is enough to damage reputation, there is not sufficient to hang them. But the investigation has brought out more important facts against leading rebels than against the miserable creatures now arraigned. It shows, first, that persons regularly commissioned by the late Rebel Government undertook to scatter clothing infected with yellow fever and small pox both among civilians of the principle cities and the soldiers. Secondly, a system of city burning — arson on a stupendous scale, the destruction of shipping and the deflagration of steamboats on the western waters, being a part of the policy. The tremendous explosion at City Point last August, by which vessels were blown into atoms and many persons killed, was the result of an infernal machine, and it is plain that there was a plan to capture "Old Abe," as he was called. How far Jeff. Davis himself is implicated does not appear. There is nothing to show that he actually aided the assassination, although he and his Government advisers did not — so far as the evidence shows— discourage poisoning, burning, and stealing.