American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1865-06-07
NUMBER 2e.

shea or war. There Is no necessity for il.
| am not in favor of such course. and
may say in advance that there will be no
blood-shed, unless it be forced upop the
government, and then it will be compelled
to act in self defence" =
At that very time the New York Oh.
serUer, said " In behalf of the christian
people OF this country, in behalf Of civ.
iiizatlon, religion, commerce, humanity
and freedom, We thank Mr.. Lincoln for
those noble words. We send them out
in contrast with the words Of Mr.. Jeffer.
son Davis, AMI we wish to write them
distinctly and hold them up in the sight
of Heaven and earth, that all men NAV
know on whom the responsibility rests If
the country is plunged into the horrors of
civil war" And then listen, once more,
to the closing words Of his first inaugural.
We must not be enemies. In your
hands, my dissatisfied fellow countrymeti,
and not in mine, is the momentous issue
of civil war. You have no oath register.
ed in Heaven to destroy the government,
while have the most solemn one to pre-.
serve, protect and defend it. -
| W.
ing from every battle field and patr Of.
grave to every Lying heart in this broad
land, will swell the chorus af the Union,
when again touched as surely they will
be, by the better angels of our nature" }
Throughout all his presidency not
vengeful word did he speak. Even the
New York Wortd, paper that most bit.
terly assailed him while living, says -
The loss of such a man in such crisis
of man who possessed so large and grow
ing share of the public confidence, and
whose administration had recently bor-
rowed new lustrc from the crowning
achievements of our armies of ruler
whose victories were inspiring with the
wise and paternal magnamnty which
sought to make the Cancellation as cordial
as the strife had been deadly the loss of
such President at such coniuncture,
is an affecting dispensation which bows
disappointed and stricken nation in r.
row more deep sincere and universal,
than ever before supplicated the compass.
sion OF plying Heaven"
But need not offer further extracts
from the voice of the universal press Of
the land. Suffice it to say, that Mr. Lin
coin did say, to u question concerning his
personal pety, asked by minister, "that
he had given his heort to Goa or conse-
crateR himself to Christ at Gettysburg,
when surveying the graves of the martyr.
si dead p
1t has been objected to his piety that
he often attended the theatre, aud was
| listening to play when assassinated.
| have always been opposed to theatre
cal performances, and my mind is un-
changed on that subject. But we have a
clue to the conduct of our lamented Pres
ident in this respect, in his own conver.
sations. The cares of State lay so heavy
on his heart, and the shedding Of blood
so affected his sensitive nature, that he felt
that he must die without relaxation. lie
accounted to friend for attending the
theatre in this way Some other kind of
relaxation might, no doubt, have answer
ed as well, but this seemed to be one that
he thought suitable for the purpose, and
convenient Could you have entered his
chamber, you would probably have found
him pass ng many night in sleeplsss
anxiety through conoern for his beloved
country. Judge him not, then, too harsh
ly, for occasionally driving away his eares
by utterlnga jest or witnessing play"
The play and the jest we're on the sur
lace, while there lay deep within his
bosom an anxiety too intense for utter.
| ance.
The result of President Lincoln's at
tendance upon the theatre may produce
the same happy effect that the fall of
| Alexander Hamilton had. His charac-
ter, otherwise. upright, was sadly stained
by his accepting challepgo to fight a
duel. 1t was sad hour. 1t resulted in
his death. But i; made dueling forever
detestable in the North. So, President
Lincoln's fate at Ford's Theatre, (though
his attendance there was virtue compared
with duelling,) may serve to show the
country the Importance Of giving no en-
couragement to this species Of amusement.
1t is eminently fitting, now that our
President has gone, that the nation should
lay it to heart, and manifest unfeigned
grief; and that all should be humble in
the presence Of God, who rules in awful
majesty.
If it was proper that the victory over
Absalom should be turn d to mourning
because the Kings son was dead, though
he was a traitor, how much more appro-
pirate that our great victory be turned 10
mourning, when our wise and good ruler
is slain by az assassin. Heaven and earth
would chide US if we were not sad 8
Another cause for our sorToY ard hu.
initiation to-day, is the death Of thousands
Of our brave soldiers who offered them
selves as sacrifice for their country. -
Our country has, for four years, peen .
land of fmourning; great funeral. Bach
elias been weeping for her children, reFu-
sing to be comforted because they were not
When news came of great batiles, and
even of great victories, the fathers heart
trembled; the mother yept; the wife
betook herself to her closet and poured out
her tears to God. Anxiety was on every
countenance till the result was announced
in the public journals. Then, while SOME
! Of these anxious hearts were. relieved,