The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1857-04-15
Has there been an AttempS to
Poison the President.

LAS me DSen an ACLeIuPG TO
Poison the President.
Under this caption "HARpER's WEEK
LY" has an article devoted to the Z" rat
epidemic'' at Washington which is we'll
worth reading.
Upon examination the rat story is pro-
nounced a humbug. The Board OF
Health of the city charged it to defective
sewerage, and the fatality attending
those who stopped at the National Ho-
tel, to the miasma arising from the Gees
pools, and sinks about and under the
building. Men of sense, however, upon
q little reflection, will pronounce this al
so an unsound theory. The attacks
upon persons stopping there have been
in nearly every case sudden and violent.
Such is not the effect of miasma. 1t may
do injury and cause great sickness but
its effects are gradual. Slowly but sure
" it enters into the composition of the
air, and gradually in%sinuates It's poison
into whatever we breath for miles around,
producing fever and illness in a variety
of forms. There are two other facts
which show the theory of the Washing
ton Board of Health to be unsound.-,
IL IL Is NS11 hIOhu IdCt tHdN hphS DNN
those who ate CIR drank at the National
were affected By this epidemic, and gen
orally only those who dined there. None
of the servants or employers about the es-
Enlistment were affected by it. This
would not be the case # it were simply
4 riasma. Again, it first began, on the
occasion Of Buchanan's first visit to the
Hotel-ceased when he went home, aud
returned again when he returned the
day before the Inauguration.
It is clear, then, that the difficulty is
in the food and drink at the National,
and can be nothing more or less than
r olson, whether Intentionally or accidcn-
tally administered. 1t is certainly .
singular circumstance that it should ap-
pear and subside in just the n
which it has. Iu the worst view we
can take of it, it seems to havo been q
deliberate attempt to poison the Presi-
dent and all those who should be SO IN
fortunate as to eat at the same table with
him in the best view, it is u criminal
negligence resulting in the loss Of many
valuable lives, aud e~ndangering many
others. Nearly every person who diued
there the day before the Inauguration
has been Frustrated with the epidemic,
and a number have died.
Speaking of the death of Eskridgo
Lane, the nephew Of the President, and
who dined at the National the day be-
fore the Inauguration, the Philadelphia
Times says:
From all the symptoms of the case,
in connection with the other facts, we
have no doubt that the disease which
led to Nr. Lanes death had its origin
in the "National epidemic" and that
it was the effect of the poison. An en-
inent PHI stefan of that city, who has
had several persons under his care seek
ing relief from the effects Of the mystic
rious sickness contracted at the Federal
Capital, maintains the theory that it re-
suited from a premeditatcd attempt to
poison the inmates of the National lfo-
tel. He bases his opinion upon the fact
that none but those who dIned at the
public table were attacked a; and, as to
the story Of the rat-poisoned water, it is
refated, because the tank is only used
for washing, while the drinking water is
brought through pipes from a distance.
The sickness originally broke out du-
ring Nr. Buch0nan's first visit to the ho-
tel it ceased when he left for Wheat
land, and upon his return, after a fort
nights absence, it became again moro vi
olent than ever. The President elect
was warned by anonymous letters, not
to eat or drink in that house, and uu-
der the advice of f lends, although he
returned to the hotel from a feeling of
regard for its worthy proprietOrs, he new
er broke bread nor enlticd a glass in it
until be. took up his residence in the
Presidential mansion. Occasional visi-
tors who did not board there but used
the bar, were not afflicted, while nearly
all the occupants of the dining room
were more or less Frustrated. It is a
revolving idea that such d%epravity
could find a place in a human breast as
thus to imperil life, without regard to
who would be the victims; but the med
zeal gentleman who has laid down this
theory has examined the whole subject
most carefully. and his deduction seems
almost irresistible"