M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1865-04-20
MURDER OF THE PRESIDENT

MURDER OF THE PHEsADEN l.
If there is any man whose heart
did not Slmost cease to th!ob, or
whose very senses did not pause, as
in q hideous dream, on the announce
ment Of the horrible tragedy at Wash
ingtcn on last Friday night, in the
assassination of our President and
Hecretary Of State, we do not eSvy
that man his feelings. History does
not records a more foul and unnatural
deed OF crime and bio ody madness
We have not yet got sufficient details
to form our opinion as to the motives
that induced these bellish acts. The
deed is done, we can only mourn, the
fact aud call upon every man to see,
that all Law and order be maintained
through the land. In this alone rest the
preservation Of our Government and
security, to Life, Liberty and proper
~ if each AMI evry citizen. We copy
the following appropriate remarks
from the Enquirer, Of the l7th inst
The act was so bloody aud desper-
ate. so ferocious and cruel, 80 eutire.
.ly yopposed 10 ell the practice ol the
American people, who, whatever
their faults, have not been inclined to
secret assassination as a remedy for
imagined political or personal wrongs
that we could hardly persuade our
selves that we were not perusing
some dark chapter in Italian inlamy.
We doubt whether, among ali tie
warmest personal aud political Greuds
of Mr. Lincoln and Mr.. Seward
there can be found one who is more
deeply pained and shocked at this ca
tastrophe. or who has darker fears Of
ito unfortunate results to the country.
than ourselves.
At this crisis Of our national affairs
there were no two men ia the Ad-
ministration whom the mass Of the
people looked to with as much hope
md confidence that their Influence
would Ge thrown upon the side Of
wisdom and Humanity, as thosv whom
the hand OF an assassin Las taken
from us. Especially was this true Of
the party that has been opposed to the
Admins ration. We are now thrown
upon the deep ocean Of uncertainty
SorrowGul il is, unexpressively SORROW
ful, that be, OF all others, who had i
in his power, and it was apparent!
h,s disposition to hold up the cup o
peace to the nation. aud TO extract
SO far rs he could, the atings Of wa:
should fall with his mission upper
formed.
What could have been the motive
OF the murderer Or nurderers, whC
deliberately end with malice perpe.
trated these awful crimes' Were the,
Influenced with the spirit Of hat
against their country, and animated
With desire to do the greatest possi
ble amount Of mischief to it in thei
uowerl We must confess that upol
no other hypothesis can we accoun
for acts at once 80 demoniac aud era
Ey.
This is one Of the most awful page
in the dread history OF the last tou
wears, stained as il Is with horrors
and rendered bloody with crime. TIL
hand Of atiiction has been inle4
laid heavily upon our people, and W
have been visited with the most drea
,ul ills that can scourge a nation, 0
render its tenure Of existence painfc
and insecure.
Fondly d. VIC express LOpa tha
tie history is near its conclusion, au
that the murder Of our chief rulers i
high Ilaces is the eliminating leaf c
an s,rocious record, and that our daI
kest hour has passed, soon to be suc
ceeded BY brighter dawn
In connection we regret to hear {
eco any political illusions, for w
scorn the thought that there is or ca
be- any politics that will not dete'
aud abhor the act Of private murdcI
or sby party that will not viz with il
antagonists in condenning the FIR;
b and great primal crime OF four nature
], is ~ dnty, as i; shonld be the all
Of all 10 use their influence in calm
ing passion, to oppose hatred and pr
pdics, anito exercise the simple az
Of believing, without the stronge'
proof to the contrary, that there ar
men among rs so base that they &
no, deplore with all their Leart an
AMI, tbs DIRK ahadow Of death th2
now reefs upon tie land."