Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-11-21


presence Of armed guard 20 the gates Of the
Executive mansion ever usDrDing. and tie ere
fskeu 10 Keep srsn2ef- outside ~ the approaches
- che Dusliing. something new Upon
Inquiry se az ertaineJ th.t this guard vas OILS
employed 10 keep strangers out until the Pre-i
dent Should arrive from the Soldiers Home,
where be has reshie,i f9f MANY months His ar
rivais and departures from the Executive mansion
are notwithstanding the melancholy suggestions
they render, very remaTkabe. We saw hin leave
the building once. spi though the sight rr,sy be
witnessed every day. IL Wa Of Character too
wfetched TO invite a second visit We law him
leave on Sunday afternoon, and he manner was
a. follows: About half.psst i've IN the afternoon.
n mounted guard. numbering thirty or more
Troopers, all armed with drawn sabres, extensive
spears. and dangling and rafting scabhars. fierce
boards. and revolvers stuck in their holsters.
dashed furiously through the streets. and entered
the grounds north Of the Presidents house At
the step IA froDt of the door. and under the arch
Wy, Vas a carriage The officer or one of the
OH ters. OF the mounted guard. al shiei and en-
terrell the house Ia about ten minutes he ap
peared at the door. aud giving a signal. the Cur.
rage door was opened, the guard put them Give
Ia martial attitudes, commands given. and
then the President. bending under a weight Of
mental anxiety which has worked heavily upon
his physical frame, Ape ,red with a portfolio un-
der his arm. and, with one or more soldiers Al
each side, walked rapidly 10 the carriage and en-
tered lt Two officers jumped in also. the door
WAS slammei, the guarI galiOpe1 into position.
and the carriage containing tie President of the
United States was driven off, preceded by troop
ers, followed by troopers, and fanked ON both
sides by troopers AT "A very rapid pace the party
LETT the ground. and on reaching the avenue rro-
ceesled t hand gallop out Fourteenth street to-
ward the Soldiers Home
All this. We confess, appeared TO US 10 be verv
ridiculous We had seen Jackson riding alone
through the streets OF Washington Nc Van
buren,, the President. was accustomed, alone. or
with the members OF his family to ride on horse
back. not only through the ctv, but i'm the conn
try Tor many miles. John Tylers face, with lis
enormous nose. Was familiar To all. from the FIRE
quency WITH which &c was seen IN public. Gen.
Taylor. during his short term, made daily walk
upon the avenue a regular occurrence Mr. Fill
more was equally confident OF safety. Mr.
Fierce. perhaps more than any other President.
WAS frequently To he seen, Unattended, walking
upon the public streets, or riding in all part. ot
The city ON horseback. Eveii Mr. Buchanan.
whose conscience. " il ever Caused President "A
thought as to hi personal safety ought, perhaps.
To have been troubled much a. that of any
one who ever held the office never seemed Ia fear
assassination or personal violence but habitu lly
walked. unattended. in all parts OF tie city.
knowing these things, Mr.. Lincoln arme,i guard.
and the precautions taken protect him from
violence, appeared To us 10 be nm afiectati0n of
fe'r which was not only Disgusting to the public.
hut wholly unworthy of a President of the
United Ststes.
But Justice Mr. Lincoln and to those who
may nave advised him To this proceeding requires
thdt the reasons Tor The proceeJng-we mean the
reasons furnished by public gos-ip-ShouId also
be given. To the ordinary observer of the cav
alcade which dashes to the Executive Mansion
every morning. and away from it every evening
IL VIII occur that the object OF the guard i t,,
protect the occupant of the Carriage from assas-
sinatiOn or personal violence. This naturally
causes the inquiry, are such extraordinary mean.
OF protecting the person OF the President neces
sary? and. 1t So why are they necessary? Ii l.
IN answer to thee last inquiries that we propose
70 relate the current statements made in Wash
ington. and which we give for what they are
worth. One story runs, that as the President was
returning Ia 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 anpl
ance used upon his horse, that animal made sucl,
time to the Presidents house a. had never beer,
equaled before. In the run the President lost his
hat. and did not stop to recover it, but reached
his house IN the city hreathless aud dust covered
The official report of the occurrence was that the
horse of the President had become frightened and
run off with him.
The next story is. that rs Mr.. Lincoln was
riding toward the Soldiers Home late in the af
ternoon. and when he had entered the narrow and
once shady lane. west of that building he was
hired upon twice by m IN who stood behind the
fence on the side of the road. The President
escaped unhurt, but his horse WIS slightly wound
ed The alarm was given, the man overtaken
and Is now confined in some one OF the man,
Government prisons, where the order To commit
l. not required to name the cause OF arrest This
version OF the attempted assassination of the
President rests upon the testimony of an intel
hsent negro, who, if We mistake not. declares
that the armed escort the result of one or the
other OF these alleged attempts ut assassination.
AMI That to prevent their reletition or 10 protect
the President from repetition of the indipnity
and danger. this armed guard. so unprecedented,
IN the history of the Presidents of the United
States. called into service
We repeat, that We give only the current stories
oi the metropolis to the alleged attempts to
assassnate Mr. Lincoln. Ii they are untrue
they ought, by the authority of the Government
10 he branded rs false because circulated as they
now are, they serve alt the purposes for which
such stories might he put ia circulation, and daily
gain credence from the public because OF the alb
sence OF all contradiction
The mounted guard that ACCOMPANIES the
PreSiden. every time he leaves the President
house. Is. however, fact which is witnessed by
all Why Is such guard necessary! Does the
President Tear violencey Does he fear the aSs.,s
sin ; bulietl Does he believe that the enemje.
OF the country look upon him a. The onl, oil
s'rGc'i"n IA the way OF that c0uutrv's ruin? Ill
he has no fear OF personal violence or insult
then this mounted guard Is in very bad taste. IL
Is 4 step toward royal dignity that is ritliculous
e cannot believe that it was ever suggested ar
provided by Mr. Lincoln. Whoever advised him
or whoever forced il upon him. has done an act
calculated more than all things On no danger 10
the President really existed) to make the Pre,i
dent ridiculous in the ewes of his countrvmeu
We cannot ring our mind to the belief that
any sane man ever has or ever will attempt the
assassination OF the President. Insane meu have
attempted such things. We believe "A drunken
man once attempted % shoot a President Al
Washington. but quart, moxnted or dis
mounte'i, viii ever protect mn against the
methodical diaboiism OF msdmen We should
be sorry To have il made known nj home ar
abroad that the President OF the United States
lives IN daily lear of assassination The nin hi
through Baltimore. with long cloak and Scotch
cap, has been laughe! into contempt, and il is 10
be hoped that the Presidents advisers will not
i0rce hlm into any further repetitions of that nh
surdiiy. For over eighty years the Union has
lasted without an army 10 enfnrce It's Law or u
compel obedlence 10 it, Constitution For the
SINE period the Presidents OF the republic h. We
hFed through their terms unawed hy threats and
Gnuouoed by attempts at personal violence
her security has been in the honor and respect
10 ffsrf f,.