Weekly Trinity journal. [volume] (Weaverville, Calif.) 1857-1972, 1865-06-24
WEEKLY TRINITY JOURNAL.
The Martyr President.


Startled, amazed, aghast with horror, the civ
ilized world will receive the news this week from
Washington President Lincoln has been bar
barousy assassinated, before the gaze of thou.
sands and in the very hour of triumph, in the
midst of an ovation Sitting in public thea
ter side by side with his wife surrounded by
friends; full of hope, of joy, of human happi-
ness ) in the midst of the surging enthusiasm OF
millions wild with the excitement great VIC
tory, the hand of ruthless assassin has struck
him down
1t is awful event. The sensation it has created
and will continue to create, till Christendom
is wrapped in universal demonstration Of
sympathy and horrors in no way lessened by
the fact that rulers have in fequent instances
now been the victims of assassination. Orsini s
was vllainous and rs deadly it was still
more deliberate it far subtle in its
arrangement far more reckless and savage in its
execution. The assassination of the Russian
Emperor Paul far more brutal and more
tragic. The bloody deed of Ravallac struck
down greater man. The dagger aimed at the
the life of Francis Joseph-and averted by the
descendant of an illus.rious Irish exile, Count
Charles o 'Donnel-designed crime fearful
on a like excuse. But still, the fate of President
Lincoln excites horror as deep and dire as if it
stood alone of its bloody kind
Ii fame were all that he desired in this life,
the murdered President has probably, died Mt
the moment and in the manner most certain to
immortalize him. Beyond all question his tragic
al and most unmerited fate, visiting him at such
moment, and under such circumstances, will
throw around his name the halo Of martyrdom.
1t will canonizc him in the devotion of those
who admired and followed him in life 1t will
hush many adverse criticism, and Danish
many an enmity that would have exposed and
perhaps, magnifed his failings had he lived
longer. 1t i'll throw his entire career into a
more favorable light it will fix him on the cam
vas of history in a prouder post, in nobler
character, and loftier place than would proba-
bly, be his if he had outlivcd the chapter of his
life which has closed suddenly and so mourn
fully. The antipathies of even the strongest and
bitterest partisanship must vanquish in the
presence of the dead who had died thus. Uni
versal testimony will proclaim Abraham Lincoln
an honest man and n good man. His sternest foes
will offer above his bier the tribute Of unfeigned
respect and sorrow. From the South, against
which he warred-from the very whose
homes that made desolate-will rise shout
of excration for the murderer's deed. Brave
men like those have compan!onship with
sassns.
Amongst the party of which he was the nomi-
nee for the office of President, Mr.. Lincoln was
perhaps the least amenabe to personal dislike
oil enmity. He was not n brilliant man and
the English press has often enough told us he
not educated man. His simplicity of
character, and his plain, homely and unadorned
style his kindness of nature, his gravity of man.
ner, his singleness of purpose, were in way
representative of the acerbity, violence and ia
naticsm of the Abolition party, of which he was
the official chief. He was the first chosen in the
conclave of men who for years shrieked for war
upon the South, and who, when that war came,
shrieked for utter carnage and determination
without stint or mercy Yet Lincoln was never
known to express or act upon such fendish pur-
poses ; and man of his party, in hi posi-
-, taI TT,,:o
pledged to abolition principles-could bear him
self on the whole with greater moderation. But
Ter the object of snch malcdiction and infamy, |
lives unframed Sheridan the Carew of the
Shenandoah Valley Sherman, the Devastator, |
whose path across once fair and fertile region |
is marked by a track of blackness and ruin, |
ravage and wrath have met no vengeance save
what was aimed at them in fair and open warfare.
Against the one man who least deserved hate or
violence of revenge, the arm of assassin has !
been raised to the cry of SIC semper tyrannis
Abraham Lincoln was no tyrant." though
he administered what was felt and warred against
rs tyranny by the South. The system he adj
ministered was not his creation the war he di-
rected could neither be waged nor ceased at his
word. He may be described as the elected Pres
idept of tyrant majority but he did no act
that not in accordance with the duties he
conscienciousy undertook to discharge, and
with the wishes Of those who elected him TO
rule the land But why should we 90 through
the form of reasoning such point, as if the
murder the act of to be reasoned
with. The mad and wicked passion of fren-
zied partisan has wrought this tragedy.-Dub-
lin Nation, april %.
II was easy enough ay him. lewent about unguarded
We were told assassination not in the American
that character radically different from
other parts of the wor. The law
which prompted fire New York, in the hope
burning which Confederate refugees
Canada felony in Vermont has struck at the
head Of the State and has taken his life How the wretced
assassin could hope benefit their by foul murder it is
difficult conceive and shoulders to think OF the cone-
nuences this hideous crime. If it
South-whch. until proved will believe
policy they conld adopted And altho
the act, appears been by private hands,
ing defeats
the field and the overthrow Of which led to horrible
war; would be aectaon o shut to the consid
Grafton that the have all the consequences of act
of statecraft Who what hoodgaes not
tn what other crimes it eadl We know nothing of
which these have aroused in the North
people But they human like the of the world
not be wise enough cool enough refrain
taking revenge Yet great the wound which OBJ
desperate has inflicted the people of the United
States Lincoln if the Northern people
they will conno their vengeance the punish
ment of the assassins.-LoIidon GoJe.