Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1865-04-18
President Lincoln Dead 4!

President Lincoln Dead
Never since the murder Of William, Prince Of
I0range, by the bullet of an assassin employed
Rby the enemies of civil and religious liberty to
slstrike down the leader Of a brave nation and
1.-THE representative of the march Of freedom in
Athe 10th century, at whose death a grateful
Aand atfectionate people were plunged in the
yprofoundest grief and little children cried in the
Astrcets, has whole people been brought to a
Mgrlef more sudden, more piercing, more incon.
Esolable, than swept like storm over this entire
\ and last Saturday morning The wires which
Nhad not ceased to throb with tho pulsations o.
Hvictory, lremblingly flashed to the uttermos
Hcorner of our wide domain the sudden anC
3dreadiul words, " President Lincoln is shot, >
n" President Lincoln ia dying, President Lin
Ncoln is dead. The heart OF the nation momen.
3tarily almost ceased to beat. On every face, a,
ithe appalling news received confirmation toe
astrong for doubt, was depicted the sharpeat and
most intense agony of SORROW. Mourners went
sabout the streets. All business stopped the
Every pulsatious of ordinary lie ceased The
baags, which so recently had been stirred by
shouts Of triumph, were bound With emblems Of
( mourning and floating at hslfmast gave token
!aof the universal woe. The bells, whose merry
fpeals were yet hardly client in the Joyous DIR,
1gaye forth the solemn krell of death. The
aoreans, which had scarcely ceased their re Deun
4 Lauaamus and Gloria in EIcelsis, now, in the
1slddest minor key, poured out a nations Ms.
sTere. The people, who had but lust stood on
the mountains OF victory and chanted their ex.
Quilting song Of delverance, az they saw, in the
near prospect the fair land Of peace, shuddered
and started back afTrighted at the awful voice
sand the terrible blow Of Gods providence
asmiting in an instant their chosen leader and
beloved President.
Men were at first stunned with the fearful
sshock. The suddenness and magnitude of the
calamity overwhelmed thCm. They could not
I compIehend the gigantic crime; they could mott
measure the portentous evil, They shivered as
on the brink Of fearful precipice, down which
they had seen the chief Of the republic dashed n
spieces. Their sorrow could scarcely find voice
{ Thoy clasped each Others hands as in the dark.
ness of total eclipse OF their falrest hopes, and
together shed the bitterest tears flowing FROM
crushed and bleeding hearts. Saturday was the
saddost day the republic ever saw,-not the sad
ness of despair or of hopeessness but Of anguish
AMI pain OF slirit,-a people mourning for its be-
sloSed, trusted, honOred head, and REFUSING to be-
Ecomiorted.
As men recovered from The first horror at the
1 awful crime which at one fell blow had 50 sorey
4smItten them in the mids; Of their exlltant rel
sjoieings, their griet found utterance and express
ssion, and everywhere the voice Of lamentation
5eud the habllimenls OF woe made tho whole land
one vest house of mourning and Sunday, D
seyery church in our wide domain, preacher, aud
4 choir, and organ, and people, humbly joined n
Services Of penitential sorrow at the providence
which had afflicted, in one death, a whole na.
.uon, paid its saddest tribute OF affection and
Prospect to him whom the nation had delighted
TO honor, and whom it had believed to be right
eous, just, noble aud good, and besought d
me- ciful God to teach the nation the lesson Of
this aichon, and spare it yet further visitations
|oi the heavy hand of the diVins di,pleasure.
For President Lincoln himself the people need
not mourn. Although ike Moses be was per-
United to see the promised land into which he |.
was leading us, but was not suffered to put bis I
foot on its soil, his fame is yet secure No Amer
lean since Washington was more beloved by his !
'countrymen, none since him will have q brighter1
page in history. lie will need no monument
for an enfranchised rale will build his monument
|n their hearts. The very manner Of his death
will add to the lustre OF his career, for he will not
only be regarded as the champion but the martyrE
of liberty. Ii twas his singular good fortune, under
god, to stand a, the hsld Of this republic duringf
is hercesl struggle, its most terrible trials, ia
grandest uiumph', and though he was stricken
down at the threshold Of the faal coasumm t,onf
oi his and our dearest hopes, yet grateful PEG eE
will take up his memory and beer il forward inE
their com Ile'ed triumph, and place i on the en-. !
during foundation which his own aboS andf
achievements have built. lie may not il hi tup L
be called The greatest man Of his time, but he L
will be called noble, wise and good, the belieysrh
10 justice to alt, the friend Of universal human,y.
The 5erator Of an enshved race
The method OF presiden, Lncons death b.,
the marderous hand Of violence, so sudden and 4
50 shocking 10 all our sensibiles, so alarming i'll
The malign and demonise spirit of crime which III
proves yet possible 10 our times aud under our |
civilization, oppalls every heart Bat he shO see,
n every event, neither reat or small, but slrpk
IN tho great. progression Of CAUSES aud effects /
ordered by an omniscisnt Intelligence aud guided
by an unerring Providence, will seek In this mos,
melancholy event 10 history for Gods purposes
and teachings to this people. Il perhaps needed /
this last and GROWING oct Of stupendous wicked !
ness tolpsnuAde the people Of what spirit rebellion
was born Hundreds Of thousands Of the heroes
Of the republic had before been murdered BY
treason, on the battlefield, by the slow torture Of
starvation in lOath,oms rebel prisons, BY their /
quie, aresldss aud peaceful homes but il was
reserved for The ,pri, Of slavery to show 10 this
startling act Of crime, features more hideou. and
dey'h than II any Of its previou, exhibitions,