Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1865-04-20
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some men, feeling of astonishment at \
the event which, during the past week,
has filed the hearts Of the loyal men !
of the eeuntry with gloom and sad
ness unparalleled in the history OF the
Nation. The chosen Chief MagistrateI
of the Nation has been stricken down
in the commencement of his second5
term by the hand of the assassin, and2
the hearts of the true friends of liberty
in the Nation and in the world may
well be filed with sadness and mourn
ing at the result of this monstrous act
Of treason and perfidy, that, in thes
interest ofrebellion, Slavery and des
potism thus enters the sanctuary of
Liberty and destroys its chief apostle;
but in view Of the history Of the past
few years, and with the political teach +
ings of the so-called Democratic Party
during that time before us, there is mol
room for astonishment at the occur-y
rance Of this event, as it is as legiti-I
mately the result of the teachings of
the leaders and press of that party, as]
the explosion ofa keg of powder would
be the result of the introduction of al
coal of fire or piece of red hot iron!
into it, and the only cause astonish-
ment is that the result has not soonerI
followed the causes that produced it,
This is the third time in the history of
our country, within the recollection of
many of us, that the Chief Magistrate, j
elected in opposition to the Democrat
ic Party, has suddsnly died in the COM
msncement Of their terms Of office. The
deaths of HARRISON and TAYLOR,
though not 80 easily demonstrated to|
be the work of the assassin as the death
Of Mr.. LINCOLN, were beyond doubt,
produced by the same causes, and the
reflections of later years will so decide
The secret organization of the Dem
ocratie Party hold as fundamental
principle of their organizations the
maxim that "Resistance TO Tyrants Isl
obedience to God" And the orators|
and editors of the party have been Ia
boring for years to prove to their hear
ers and readers. .that''AARAHAM LINCOLN
was tyrant, murderer, an enemy to,
mankind. Who has not heard their
leaders proclaim upon the stump, that
"LINcoLN was tyrant," that "we are
living under a worse despotism than
any people in the world" "That it
was the duty of the people to resist the
tyrant, and If need be destroy him,
and hundreds Of other equally libelous
and revolutionary sentiments? With a.
continued teaching of this kind for,
years, is it strange that the mass of a.
party, believing in the patriotism and
honesty Of its leaders, and prevented
by prejudice from reasoning upon the
subject, should determine that Mr..
LINCOLN was a tyrant, and as such, Id
was religious duty to kill him? That
this feeling was entertained, and that
men In that party believed the successl
OF Mr.. LINCOLN in the recent Presiden-'
tial contest ould result in his assassi-
patton as . tyront, the prediction of
some Of their leaders, and the express
sions ofjoy manifested over the result
by many Of the more ignorant and un-
sophisticated followers are incontro-
.vertibie evidences. A leading Demo
crat, one who has held high position,
and is regarded as martyr, because
he was not allowed to live In his State
without taking the oath of allegiance,
when told by afriend during the cam
paign, that Mr.. LINCOLN would GER
,tainly be elected, said: "That was prob
able, but one thing was certain, If he
was elected he never would be permit
ted to seryehis time out" We all rel
collect when Mr.. LINCOLN was first
elected, secret conspiracy existed for
1ds destruction, and that Baltimore was
the place where It was to culminate as
he should go through 1t, on his way to
the Capitol; and because he, being in
formed OF their. purposes, frustrated
them by going through in Disguise
the Copperhsad papers jesred and
scoffed at him, because he refused "a
trust himself 10 the tender mercy OF
that Democratic Mob.
When the announcement of the as
sassination Of Mr.. LaNooLx was mad,
people, the ignorant and unsophii
ticsted sdherents OF the party made N,
e6oft p disguise their feelings Of Joy
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