Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1865-05-18
8radford geporter.
Towanda, Thursday, May l8, 1866.


From our way of Judging, from habits Oh
thought, impulse and education, we are
forced to the conviction that the assasslna-
ton of President LINCOLN, was the most
fiendish and damnable crime, we have ever
known of, and one we did not believe would
be committed. 1t is well for society that
there are but few capable OF committing
such atrocious outrages. People IN the
free States. where obedience to, and respect
for law, where shame and fear of punish
ment, where religion and Gods threatened
denunciations are strictly inculcated, and
have a prevailing influence, such deed
can not be perpetrated. There can not be
found in this country nor in this district or
State, no not in any of the free States
out of the larger cities-a man so hard
ened, so bold, so fierce, SO despicable, as to
work up to its full measure such an act
and nothing amazes us more than the details
of the commission of this crime. That the
william who had undertaken it, could, un-
moved, undisturbed in body or mind-not
only so--but who could, with all conceiv-
able coolness, calculate, plan, take advan-
tage of every little turn, to carry out his
purpose, just as if he was performing
proper duty, or pleasant act, surprises us.
But when he has committed the foulest
deed on record, without emotion, without
excitement, without nervous twitchings,
but with steady hand, and purpose, and
then, with circumstantial deliberation, step
in front of his victim, with dagger drawn
te see whether his work was well done,
ready if not, to follow it up with poniard,
no fears of man, no fears Of hell, no fears
of God, in the least disturbing his equini-
mity, confounds u.s. The blasting thun-
ders of Almighty, the smoking fumes, the
tortured groans of the damned, can create
no terrors for such an one and we repeat,
we are astounded at the perfection of his
vilany.
We can imagine how a man overcome by
impetuous anger, can shoot another down !;
or how want, avarice, and revenge, may
nerve a man for the commission of murder;
but how man can, with such matchless
selfpossession, shoot down the President
of the United States, to whom half the ma
ton cannot say word without trembling,
and the other half could not say "a word
from sheer fright, is more than we can
comprehend and it indicates a personal
condition equal only in its abhorance by its
frightfulness. Nor is it possible to edu-
cate such criminal, save in the system of
slavery aboundng in the Southern States
of this Union.
No other place could give birth to such
monstrosities. Where the hireling is rob-
bed of his wages by law, where a man can
make concubines of his children, where the
cockpit, the race-course, and prize fights,
are Sunday amusements. Where revolvers
and bowie-knives are as much in requsition
for dressing mems flesh, as the axe and the
butcher-knife, for dressing oxen and sheep,
such men as murdered President LINCOLN,
and slashed the Stewards, will come up
They are indigenous to the soil but only
in such places and the sooner all such con-
ditions of society, and the causes which be-
better. We do not mean washed out, or
pardoned over or CLOSED over, so that the
stain remains in the cloth, or the board.
No, it must be cm or planed out, so that it
can neither be seen or smelled again. But
if we pardon rebels, and let them sneak
back to their kennels, the cause of slavery
copperheads, will strike hands with slave
propagandists, for new leases of power.
Then, under States Right theories, the mu-
nicipal regulations ofthe States will secure
enlarged constructions, and new guaran-
tees, and then will follow the masters lash,
his corruption of black women, Presiden-
tial murders
Perhaps it is well that President LINCOLN,
the best public man we have had since the
days of Washington, should be murdered
by the slave and rebel interests. He, of
all others, could best afford to die, as he
had attained fames pinnacle, and his name
was in danger of losing some of its lus-
ter; but more than all, because his death
alone could stir the American heart to its
lowest depths, and bring the government
and the people up to the necessities of the
times. The weak. insinuating, and fatal
delusion of mercy and pardon to the rebels
was rapidly stealing upon both, and was
uniting the nation for the stern duty of
furnishing crime according to its deserts
Now LINCOLN is gone, we gricve his depar-
ture, and yet more the manner of his de-
parture We hoped for him better fate,
he deserved long, quiet, happy decline in
the suns full effulgence, and we did what
we could to this end; but he has gone home,
and justice demands, and will execute ven
geance on his, and the murderers of our
other people.
BaFN Forneys Press has obtained impor-
tant information regarding the recent plot
to burn Philadelphia. 1t discloses the fact
that on Wednesday night previous to the
4 +l,x,1 H.,