In the film The Conspirator, what is John Surratt's, Mary Surratt's and Mr. Atkin's moral compass or social conscience?

Mr. Atkin was faced with a difficult situation. He had to
choose between his cuntry, joining with every other American in seeking quick justice
for the murder of the president, and seeing that justice was received in the right
fashion. In the beginning of the film, he was on the side of quick justice. He was
scared; he did not want to jump into the muck that the trial would bring. Eventually
though, he saw that how so-called justice was being sought was not the "American" way.
The trial was not by any means unprejudiced.

Mrs. Surratt
and the others were facing criminal charges. The Constitution states that, " title="Article 3 Section 2 Clause 3 - Trial by Jury">The Trial of all
Crimes, except in Cases of Impeachment, shall be by Jury...." They faced a Military court.
They were civilians not soldiers. They did not have an impartial jury. The list of
injustice of the trial goes on and on. Mrs. Surratt was seen as guilty from the time her
home was searched. We will never know for certain of her involvement in the conspiracy
because she was not given a proper trial. I believe Mr. Atkin was doing his job as a
lawyer, living up to the oath he took. If this trial was given special privileges what
was to stop trials of the future of not taking the same
path.

As for Mrs. Surratt's moral compassion, she was
trying to protect her son. Many other parents would do the same thing for their
children. She was strong in her faith.

As I see it, John
Surratt believed that by staying away he was protecting his family. Obviously he was
wrong. But who could foresee the events that would take place. America had never seen a
trial or hysteria like that taking place after the war and Lincoln's death. It was an
unstable time and everyone was terrified.