The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1865-04-20
The Great National
AMictiOn.

That the ways of God. in his deal
ings with human affairs, are mystcri-
Gus and past finding out, has received
a new and fearful illustration. To
human comprehension the dircst ca
lamity that could have been inflicted
upon the nation, has overtaken it
ABRAHAM LINCOLN is dead! Language
could not form another phrase to. con
Scy such horror to the souls of the
Americans. The man does not live
whose death would 50 stir the sorrow
full sensations OF Christendom. A
streko so sudden, so awful, so rudoly
arresting tho tide of Irrational rejoicing
at lis dclivcrance from deadly peril,
has never been chronicled in the his
tory OF civilization. The shock it has
administered t9 an entire peoplo, the
irrepressibIc:: tears Of millions Of the
country's bravest and best, the over
shadowing Of all true hearts with so
depressing u sense Of dcsolaticn even
the ill-concealed satisfaction OF the
few mal.gnants who arc lost TO every
attribute Of patriotism all attest that
this is no common calamity.
There must be meaning in so sig
nal manifestation Of the Providence,
that rules the universe. Those who,
have thought themselves pure patriots,
who have fancied that in respect to the!
great controversy convulsingour coun-I
try there was side entirely blame
less and undescrving Of punishm( mt,
must now take an inward look andI
try and discover if the compcnsationsI
of eternal justice have not required II
humliating rcbukc, Il swift and terri.
Bile chastiscmcnt to such assumptions,
Whatever may have been the mo.
tiyes of the assassin, wo do not look,
upon his act us calamity or rctribu-
ton upon the late President as an in
dividual. lie was taken away IN tho!
fullness of an honorable fame, with
out over being sensible OF the blow,
that deprived him OF life. lie hadI
bcOn permitted to sec his work com
pletod, and the day Of regeneration
dawning upon his afflicted country
with no possibility of arrcsting thei
speedy rising of its glorious sun Had
hc had the naming of tho hour of hisi
death, lie could not, perhaps, havcI
chosen one less fraught with iIl-appre-t
hensions as regarded himself. Death
was no punishment to the man AnRA'
HAM LINCOLN. The chastsemont i'll
that of tho nation, and like all chas-
tsemont, cannot but bo meant for thcf
benefit of its recipient. It's for thcpor-I
tion Of our people opposed to the Re-
bolton to apply tho lesson. We have
never beloved our national troublcsl
could be fully Gained till tho North
had experienced larger share of thcE
suffering Incident to them than it had
previous to heavy iniliction. Now
ithas comOupon us; and it is to be hoped
it may have an atonng influence forE
our many shortcomings as people.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN was the grandcstE
character Of modern times. BY sol
much as the period Of his elevation toE
the first human dignity has outriva!lcdS
all others On times record in the mag.j
nitude and Importance Of its cvc0ls,
will the name of LINCOLN in futurel
history out.top the greatest human]
names that have heretofore Influenced
tho dcstInics of mankind Ito hasl
instituted work that will net cease
with his death. In whatever hands
the conducting OF our national affairs
may rest for the remainder of hisI
Presidential term, the sagacious poli>
cy OF LINCOLN will DO the animatlng
principle of all successful efforts Of re-
construction OF the Government fabric
The critics who have hatterod their
own wisdom by tho idea that they
have been able to detect flaws in that
policy, will one day discover that the
flaws were in their own judgment, and
not in the unimpossionod, unrcsentiul,
III L.o,,. - .. q Al n