New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-06-23
as such trhe or to consider Its possessos objects OF


scription for the widow and orphans of our late
President did not originate with The TRIBUNE.
It first gained currency in Boston, but was
promptly and heartily adopted here, and MIR. b.
b. Sherman, most respected and responsible
merchant at No. 95 Wall-st., selected as Treas.
urer of the fund.
From the first, we utterly and explicitly re-
PEELED the suggestion that Mrs. Lincoln and her
children were objects of charity" They have
solicited nothing, desired nothing of the kind.
What we seek in their behalf is naked justice.
Abraham Lincoln died in his country's service
died for his country-would doubtless have
been living at this hour had he remained in pri'
yate life. The assassin's pistol was aimed, not
at the man, but at the President. lie had just
entered upon that second term which the People
had accorded him by a majority all but unpar-
alleled. They decided that he should have
800, 900 for serving them as President till
1869: Booth determined that he should not;
and his will has. for the present, prevailed. The
salary of President takes another direction. Ii
seems to us that the American People are
bound in common justice, in justice to their
own vote, to see this loss made up to the be-
reaved family, so that the fearful, irreparable
loss of their head shall not be aggravated, even
so slightly as by the loss of the bulk Of their
fortune. And we greatly prefer that this justice
shall be done them in such manner that no one
shall pay one farthing toward it who does not
freely choose 10 do 50. We know well that
Congress will pay the money if the People do
not: but the precedent of voting il ont Of the
Treasury will hereafter be cited to justify more
Iexceptionablc payments, while a voluntary SUBJ
scripton Of the amount in sums OF 81 each will
tax no one while it will be far more emphatic
tribute to the worth and services Of our departed
chief We should hate to believe that penny of
the amount came out of the pockets OF any one
who feels as those must do by whom this SUBJ
scription has been discouraged and resisted.
But the $4,000 left by Mr. Lincoln is no
"trne"-is "a fortune"-urges The Times.
Now, we have chosen to stand aloof from this
discussion, resting the propriety Of the subscrip-
ton on grounds Of justice alone, until forced to
speak by a most unwauan.able statement in
Tn, Springfield (Mass.) Republican. Bnt, since
the issue is insisted on, We will say that, while
S75, 900 would be great fortune under some
circumstances, it j. no fortune Of all under
others. The widow Of our late President will
necessarily be regarded with worldwide interest
to the end OF her days. She will be called upon
by eminent strangers from all parts of the civil
lied world; and il behOoves us not herr that she
be enabled 10 receive and treat them as BELTS
the relict of such President. Thomas Jefferson
retired from the Presidency with larger fortune
than is to be divided between her and her
children; yet he was utterly beggared before his
death by the Inequalities required OF him by his
position as public man, and was constrained
to petition the Legislature of Virginia for relief.
His patrimony is in consequence now the home,
not Of his descendants but Of strangers; though
even $4,000 in his day was a larger estate
than 1900 now is.
We hope not TO be compelled to recur to
this subject. The People must decide whether
to pay or not to pay the salary which Mr.. Lin
com WOuIu nave ic'ch'u Hhu Ho NV pV'" ~
sassinated. We know right well that, if each
had tho opportunity fairly set before him to SUBJ
scribe and pay his dollar, the sum would be
made up at once and the matter BET at rest; yet,
in the absence of organized effort it is quite pos
sible that the persistent opposition which the plan
has strangely encountered may prevail. Hav-
ing said what we thought proper and handed in
Of the public.