Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1865-04-24

have now fresh and mournful interest:
My FRIENDS No one not in nv position can appre-
cate the sadness feel at this parting 10 this people
owe all that | am. Here ! haze lived more tlan
quarter of century here my children were BORN ana
here one of them lies buried. know not how soon !
shall see you again. duty devplyes upon me Which
is perhaps greater than that which has devolved upon
any other man since the days nf Washington. he
would have succeeded exec Tor the ana OF DIVINE
Providence upon which he at aiI tunes reHeu. Zee,
that | cannot su coed without ne same DiEihe ava
which sustained him. and on the lame Almighty Being
place nv reliance for support aud ] hope you my
friends will all pray shat may reiye that pVlhe as
sistauce, without which cann'i succeed ouu S'tn
which success is certain Again Did you all an anec-
tionate farewell.
The personal relations existing before the murder he
tween Booth and the President ment the horror OF
the occurrence Ar. Lincoln 10th play more than
once and particularly admired hin Re once applaud
ed him rapurously and with all that genial heartiaess
for which he was distinguished. b')th, When tolu OF
the Presidents delight, said 70 his informant tnat ne
would rather have the applause Of negro. The Pres-
cent had never spoken with Booth % wished to make
his acquaintance and said 50. Boo eyat ed the inter-
view yet he knew Nj. Lincoln thor 1ghly wei so far
his whereabouts and appe rance err concerned but
never appreciated the Presidents GOO n4ture and per
sonal beney olence.
COL. FORNEY's IMPRESSIONS or IT, FEELING IN
RICHMOND-THE NEW SDENT.
Col. J. W. Forney, of the Philadelphia Press,
was in Richmond when the news OF the Presidents
assassination was received. We copy frcm Lis
letter, dated Washington, 18th inst, the following
While II is natural that this unspeakable outage
should arouse the resentment of the American
people, ard of every civilized nation, justice re-
auires il should be said that there are thousands
in the Southern States who have heard of it with
undissembled horror. 1t is equally right to say
that in what | saw of the people of Richmond
| saw little but grief and dependency. There
was no defance and the Astounding manifestations
| of poyertg restitution and exhaustion were
we'll calculated to inspire pity. Late on Sat
urday night l met leading and influential
citizen, and asked linn what he would think
of the news Of the assassination Of Pre-
sident LinCO,n by one Of the friends OF the rebel
| lion He replied, WITH terrified looS, 'Can you
believe that any human beng would take from us
our best friend ?" forbear naming this gentleman,
but In a long conversation with him in the morning
| he was so free in the communication Of his views
and smoke W tn so much authority from his high pO-
sition, that do not doubt his sincerity. He ear
restly approved the revocation Of the order con-
sening to the Resembling OF the rebel legislature.
awe were forced into this war IN the South by men
who demanded the right Of the States to secede,
and the protection and perpetuation Of human Sla-
very Now both these demands are decided against
us-both are dead forever, aud we are ready for
any terms Mr.. Lincoln may propose" Such was
his language, spoken not alone Ia my presence, but
before others. The aSsaSsins that slew the illus
tr oas sage who now sleeps in death in the Presi-
dental mansion, and attempted the life of the
great publieist upon whom only less depended
than upon the existence of the Chief Magistrate
himself these demons never dreamed that they
| were the unC onscious instruments in pressing the
speedy punishment Of the rebel leaders, and the
| eompiete extinction of the rebellion. And if Mr..
Iincolns mercy and forgiveness to be followed
by sterner policy, il will be because Of the neceS-
sty flowing from the new perils Of the Republic
The GOOD men Of the South will not suffer in such
a contingency. Andrew johnson is himself a
Southern man. He is not, il is true, a despot like
Jefferson Davis, nor porcelain aristocrat like Ham
mond. who 80 hated ''the mudsills, nor a learned
fool like Mason, but he is nevertheless South
erner born and one who, from the first has fought
for progressive principles and progressive men. No
man better knows the Southern people, and none
probably knows the authors OF the rebellion well.
| The glorious martyr himself, Abraham Lincoln,
whose constant kindness and forgiveness could not
soften the murderer's heart, has not been more
devoted friend of the South than Andrew Johnson.
The bad men who as they hear Of LincOln's death
gloomily anticipate their own, hated Johnson with
bitterness all the deeper because lie hated and ex
posed their designs. The manner in which the in
tOlgence of the assassination of Mr.. Lincoln was
| received by the Union sailors and soldiers whom
we met on our return from Richmond was more
than significant. They loved this man like father.
He had grown into their hearts. His simplicity of
manner and his directness OF speech his uneeasng
! attention TO them aud TO their welfare-bs kind
| ness to their relatives and friends-had made him
their idol. On the stormy deep, in the bivouac
and the march, even in the pauses of battle, they
talked of "Father Abraham, and thousands of fer.
vent prayers were sent by these brave men to the
throne Of God for the patriot who was slaughtered
Just as he had saved his country tits difficult to say
whether the spirit of regret the spirit of revenge
predomnated among them the dreadful tidings
came TO their knowledge. For it is fact not to be
forgotten, that when the Rebel troops laid down
their arms, three days after the formal surrender
las learn from an eye-witnesS), both armies COM
mingled together, and many Of the men embraced
and she'd tears like long separated trothers and
friends. This noble enthusiasm and oblivion OF
hatred the legitimate offspring of the teachings
of Abraham Lincoln TO the American people =
Would it not be surprising IL the death of their
Benvfactor and Champion, by the hand of one
who professed to speak for Virginia, and de-
elared himself 20 be the Ayenger OF the
South, did not arouse the strongest emo