Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-11-24

evidence of the extraordinary progress with which
the nation is rushing onward in its history. The
presence of armed guard at the gates of the
Executive mansion every morning, and the care
taken to keep strangers outside of the approaches
to The building, was to us something new. Upon
inquiry we ascertained that this guard was only
employed to keep strangers out until the Presi.
dent should arrive from the Soldiers Home,
where he has resided for many months. His ar
rivals and departures from the Executive mansion
are, notwithstanding the melancholy suggestions
they render very remarkable. We saw him leave
the building once, and though the sight may be
witnessed every day, it was of character too
wretched to invite second visit. We saw him
leave on Sunday afternoon and the manner was
as follows: About half-p past five in the afternoon,
a mounted guard, numbering thirty or more
troopers, all armed with drawn sabres, extensive
spears, and dangling and rafting scabbards, fierce
boards, and revolvers stuck in their holsters,
dashed furiously through the streets, and entered
the grounds north of the Presidents house. At
the steps in front of the door and under the arch
way, a carriage. The officer, or one of the
officers, of the mounted guard. alighted and en-
tered the house In about ten minutes he an
peared at the door. and giving signal, the car
rage door was opened, the guard put themselves
in martial attitudes, commands were given, and
then the President, bending under a weight of
mental anxiety which has worked heavily upon
his physical frame, appeared with portfolio uil-
der his arm, and, with one or more soldiers at
each side, walked rapidly to the carriage and en-
tered it. Two officers ju nped in ALSO the door
was slammed, the guard galloped into position.
and the carriage containing the President of the
United States was driven off. preceded by troop
ers, followed by troopers, and ainked on both
sides by troopers. At very rapid pace the party
left the ground, and on reachngs<he avenue PRO-
ceeded at a hand gallop out Fourteenth street to-
ward the Soldiers Home
All this, we confess, appeared to us to be very
ridiculous. We had seen Jackson riding alone
through the streets of Washington. Mr.. Van
Buren,, the President, was accustomed, alone, or
with the members of his family, to ride on horse.
back, not only through the city, but in the coun-
try for many miles. John Tyer's face, with its
enormous nose. was familiar to all, from the fire.
quency with which it was seen in public. Gen.
Taylor, during his short term, made a daily walk
upon the avenue regular occurrence. Mr.. Fill
more was equally confident of safety Mr.
Pierce, perhaps more than any other President,
was frequently to be seen, unattended, walking
upon the public streets, or riding in all parts of
the city on horseback. Even Mr. Buchanan,
whose conscience, if it ever caused a President a
thought as to his personal safety. ought, perhaps,
! to have been troubled as much as that of any
one who ever held the Office new err seemed to fear
assassination or personal violence, but habitually
walked. unattended, in all parts of the city
Knowing these things, Mr.. Lincoln's armed guard
and the precautions taken to protect him from
violence, appeared to us to he an affectatOn of
fear which was not only disgusting to the public.
but wholly unworthy of a President of the
| United States.
But justice to Mr.. Lincoln and to those who
may have advised him to this proceeding requires
that the reasons for the proceeding-we mean the
reasons furnished by public gOsSip-shOuld also
be given. To the ordinary observer of the
alcade which dashes to the Executive Mansion
every morning, and away from il every evening"
it will occur that the object of the guard is to
protect the occupant of the carriage from assas-
sinatiOn or personal violence This naturally
causes the inquiry, such extraordinary means
of protecting the person of the President neces
saryT and, IT so, why are they necessary 1t is
in answer to these last inquiries that we propose
l to relate the current statements made in Wasrr
| ington, and which we give for what they are
worth. One story runs, that as the President was
returning the city on horseback one morning,
| some months ago, he was fired at just within the
city limits; that the President escaped. and that,
with whip. voice. heels, and every other appi-
ance used upon his horse, that animal made such
time to the Presidents house as had never been
equaled before. In the run the President lost his
hat and did not stop to recover it. but reached
his house in tie city hreathless and dust covered.
The official report of the occurrence was that the
horse of the President had become rishtened and
run off with him.
The next story is, that as Mr.. Lincoln was
riding toward the Soldiers Home. late in the af
ternoOn, ana when he had entered the narrow and
once shady lane, west of that building, he was
fired upon twice by IA man who stood behind the
fence on the side of the road. The President
|, escaped unhurt, but his horse slightly wound
ed. The alarm was given, the man overtaken,
/ ,.,If = in, Of
Government prisons, where the order to commit
is not required to name the cause of arrest. This
version of the attempted assassination of the
President rests upon the testimony of an Intel
ligent" negro, who, if We mistake not, declares
that the armed escort the result Of one the
other of these alleged attempts at assassination,
and that to prevent their repetition, protect
the President from a repetition of the indignity
and danger. this armed guard, so unprecedented
in the history of the Presidents OF the United
States, was called into service
We repeat, that we give only the current stories
Of the metropolis as to the alleged attempts TO
assassinate Mr.. Lincoln. If they are untrue
they ought, by the authority of the Government
to be branded as false, because circulated they
now are, they serve all the purposes for which
such stories might be put in circulation, and daily
gain credence from the public because of the ab
; sence OF all contradiction.
The mounted guard that accompanies the
; President every time he leaves the Presidents
house. is, however, a fact which is witnessed by
all. Why is such guard necessary? Does the
President fear violence? Does he fear the assas-
sins bullet? Does he believe that the enemies
of the country look upon him the only OBJ
struction in the way cf that country's ruin? II
he has no fear of personal violence or insult
then this mounted guard is in very bad taste IL
is step toward royal dignity that is ridiculous
We cannot believe that it was ever suggested OF
provided BY Mr. Lincoln Whoever advised him
! or whoever forced il upon him, has done act
calculated more than all things Cf no danger 10
the President really existed) to make the Presi
dent ridiculous in the eyes of his countrymen.
We cannot b ring mind TO the belief that
any sane man ever has or ever will attempt the
assassination of the President. Insane men have
attempted such things. We believe drunken
man once attempted to shoot n President nj
Washington, but no guard, mOsnted or dis
mounted, will ever protect a man against the
methodical diabolism of madmen. We should
be sorry to have il made known at home OF
abroad that the President OF the United States
lives in daily fear of assassination. The flight
through Baltimore, with a long cloak and Scotch
cap, has been laughed into contempt, and il is to
be hoped that the Presidents advisers will not
force him into any further repetrions of that ab
surdily For over eighty years the Union has
lasted without army to enforce its laws, to
compel obedience to its Constitution. For the
same period the Presidents OF the republic have
lived through their terms unawed by threats and
untrouoled by attempts at personal violence
Their security has been in the honor and respect
OF the whole people for the officer chosen by the
majority TO govern the nation. At last it has
become necessary to call armies into existence to
put down armed resistance TO the laws and the