Brownlow's Knoxville Whig, and rebel ventilator. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1863-1866, 1865-04-26
For the Knoxville Whig.
The Fourteenth OF April.

The annals OF our race nro not stained with
blOoker crime than the assassination of President
Lincoln, The motive for the act Is, rs yet, STROUD
ed In mystery, and we must await patiently the de-
veopment Of the infamous plot before we cun OK
press an intelligent opinion rs 10 It's consequences
The imagination runs riot IN attempting TO account
for deed which has no precedent in our history
but In such nm hour rs this we should calmly seek
the truth,
Meanwhile, We know that the honored chief Of the
nation-than whom a kinder and more merclful man
never liyod-has fallen victim 10 treason. The
"grunting hog who slew him proclaimed himself
the chief Of liars when be applied to him the IAN.
guagc, "Sic Scwper Tpamis,' There was no ty.
rant in his nature Mazni himself would have
reycred Abraham Lincoln. Iii. was a mission 10
amoliorato condition Of the oppressed and to bind
the people together in the bonds of lasting Union,
For this he laborcd coOsoessly and rs the event has
shown, laid down his life
How deeply the people felt his loss. and how much
of the spirit Of revenge was aroused by the deep
demnation Of his taking of" no one will ever for
get who was on our streets during the day or night
of the 18th By common consent, all business was
discontinued and citizens and tho military met upon
the Streets gazing darkly and silently into each
Others faces. In every countonanco you might have
read ertelBaationi
The Sabbath stiffness of the 10th was, if possible,
still moro impressive, interrupted only by the deep.
mouthcd cannon, which spoke a nations woe. Men
repaired to church and thought as they had never
thought before. Reason had succeeded passion and
we all felt humbed before just God with whom
alone is vengeance,
We have indeed arrived at II critical juncture of
our affairs. We shall soon have practically demon
strated whether or not we are, as people, capable
of self government,
The rebellion as a de tacto government has been
put down. Is it thought that by assaSsinating the
President and ministers the government can be dis
organized? JEFF. Davis and r. L. Lee undoubtedly
constituted the Southern Confederacy but it is not
SO with the government of the United States it is
power in the world, and will defend itself with Il
vgor proportonate to the violence of the assaults Of
its enemies.
Indeed we may say the work of our lamented
President was done and we'll DONE He had re-
ceived his friends in jeff Davis house. and had ac
cepted the surrender of Lee with the army of Nor
thern Virginia. What more could he or or his most
ardent friends have wished as respects the putting
down of the rebellion? What remained to him was
only labor of love. He had it in his heart TO well
come back the prodgal son, if only he would re-
pcnt, five may trust report he was actually pen
ming an amnesty by which thousands of traitors
would be restored to citizenship, who should rather
have eXpiated their crimes at the ropes end. His
assassination was not only crime--it was Jllm-
DER which Napoleon has said may be worse than a
crime The rebels can only obtain favorable peace
hereafter by showing that neither the people al large
nor the leaders were generally cognzant Of this foul
conspiracy.
Let us hope, however, that this war may close
without adding Saint Bartholomew Day TO our
calendar.
Let the people act wisely and firmly and let them
call to their aid true craftsmanship, and all will
yet be well GIVE.
Knoxville April II, 500.