The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-04-22

1t IS stated that on Saturday last
Dir. Seward, in the course Of a con-
versation with lady friend wrote up.
on his little porcelain slate: "For N.Y.
self have nothing TO complain of
friends or enemies, in America or
abroad Mr.. Lincolns friends should
have cared for him. lis life has paid
the forfeit"
Upon this the Baltimore American
asks, "But how we're Mr.. Linco MS
friends to care for him7 Wss it neces
sary 20 place him ike q statue carved
in alabaster upon the capital of a shaft
too elevated for the reach Of a daece.7
Was it requisite in order to assure the
personal safety Of the leader Of free
people, the man chosen from among
theirs lives by their voluntary sufra-
ges, to surround him with a body guard
of vigilant soldiers, to fence him in
with bayonets? Was it indispensable
for his security TO confine him within
bars of brass and triple steel, and when
he should GO forth TO breath the air Of
Heaven, TO put him in hollow square
with glittering rifles pointed on every
side?"
The American continues:
This Is g very serious question for our
cOuntrymen 10 ponder on. If It has
finally come to this, it IS time for the
people to know it, and to govern them
selves accordingly If the life Of the
President Of the United States IS hence
forth 10 be at the mercy Of every des-
perado, we must either change oar po-.
litical system, or put desperadoes out Of
the way. There was not a more inof
fensiye man in existence than Abraham
Lincoln. There is not q man among
men who has fewer private or personal
resentments than he had He was the
soul of good nature and the impersOna-
ton of charity. Who ever heard him
utter q rancOrOus word toward the
South2 Where is there on record an
expression of hatred, Of intolerance,
of hostility to any one? At the very
time a diabohcal wretch struck him
down, his mind was intent upon the
best and speediest means of restoring
good feeling between warning brethren,
and Of banishing sectional luminosity.
/ { such q remarkable pattern Of tender
ness, of generosity, of clemency car
ried to a fault, was not safe from the
assassin's blow, Who is unendaDgered,
now or hereafter? If a man possessing
so universally the esteem, the conf
dence and the off ion of his fellow
countTymen, q man who could righttui
" claim more warm hearted amt true
hearted friends than any man living, a
man who had faithfully earned so much
respect and so much gratitude, was thus
liable to be brutally murdered by the
hired ruffisn of an armed conspiracy,
are we to infer that the Chief Magis
trate of this nation must hereafter car
ry his life in his hands
This is all we'll said, and merits Sc
rious consideration. Unless there Is an
improvement in public moralg-in the
tone Of public journals and speakers,
and in the conversation Of private citi-
zens, who may differ in political opin-
ion with our rulers, the day may not be
far distant when it viii become neces-
sary to hedge the President about with
line CT bayonels. &c Lincoln was
ali that the American described him to
be Yet II was common for the oppO
sition 10 speak of him as jester, "a
buffoon, a usmperand a tyrant "A desPot
who was trampling on the liberties Of
the nation, and who, if not checked,
would destroy our free Institutions
These were also the keyen0Jes Of the
traitors in rebellion against the Gov.
eminent. whose denunciations found q
ready echo amongst their Eympathizers
in the Toys! States. Is il surprising,
that, under these circumstance, a mad
man like Booth should have been found
willing to seek Immortality OF infamy
by removing the good Lincoln, painted
to him as a despot,-aDotner Cesar.
whose lie was demanded at tho hands
patriotic Brutus2 It is . woE-
der that the bloody deed was not at
tempted sooner.
There has been too much license Civ
en- to the press and the tongue. Our
people have shown too little respect for
the character Of those in high Office.
They must reform this discreditable
habit; and when they have done this,
and learned 10 honor the Chief Magis
trate, and to deal with him Justly, there
will be less cause TO apprehend VIC
lence from the frenzied rufiian.
Bat a little more than one short
month ago, there WAS an outburst Of
unmeritsd ribaldry and abuse, detrac
ton snd denunciation of the Vice
President If the half that was said 0!
him, had been believed, he would be
regarded by the American people as a
disgrace to the nation. How keen
ought to be the remorse Of those, es
pecially the loyal portion Of them, who
Joined IN this absurd clamor against
one around whom all the hopes of the
people now cluster How much de
ponds upon the cordial support and
cooperation of the people, at this grave
iuncture of our affairs, vi h the officer
upon whom the chief executive office
he's fallen.
We trust that, in view Of these les
sons, there will be a revision Of habits
amongst the leaders of public senti-
ments in this country-that they viii
in future observe a higher and more eX-
allied tone in dealing with our appoint
ed rulers. Here is the point for re
formation to begin.
TENNESSEE LEGISLATURE.
SENATE.
FRIDAY April 81, 1865
Tho Sarata met at the regular hour.