Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1865-05-05

New IOrA AAIys
Our grief and horror at the crime which
has clothed the Continent in mourning, find
no adequate expression in words and no re-
lief in tears The President of the United
States of America has fallen by the hands
of an assassin. Neither the Office with
which he vas invested by the approved choice
of mighty people, nor the most simple
hearted kiadliness of nature, could save him
from the fendish passions of relentless ia
naticism. The wailings of the millions at
tend his remains as they are borne in solemn
procession over our great rivers, along the
seaside, beyond the mountains, across the
prairie, to their final resting place In the
valley of the Mississippi. The echoes of
his funeral knell vibrate through the world,
and the friends of freedom of every tongue
and in every climate are his mourners Too
few days have passed away since Abraham
Lincoln stood in the flush of vigorous man
hood to permit any attempt at an analysis
of his character or an exposition of his ca
reer. We find it hard to believe that his
large eyes, which in their softness and beau
ty expressed nothing but benevolence and
gentleness, are closed in death we almost
look for the pleasant smile that brought
out more Yividly the earnest cast of his
features, which were serious even to sad
ness. A few years ago he was village
attorney, engaged in the support of rising
family, unknown to fame, scarcely named be-
yond his neighborhood; his administration
made him the most conspicuous man in his
country, and drew on him first the astonish-
ed gaze, and then the respect and admira-
ton of the world. Those who come after
us will decide how much of the wonderful
results of his public career is due to his own
good common sense, his shrewd sagacity,
readiness of wit, quick interpretation Of the
public mind, his rare combination Of fixed
ness and rliancy, his steady tendency of
purpose; how much to the American people
who, as he walked with them side by side
| inspired him with their own wisdom and
energy; and how much to the oyerruling
laws of the moral world. by which the self
| ishness ofevil is made 70 defeat itself. But
after every allowance, it will remain that
members of the Government which preced-
ed his administration opened the gates of
| treason, and he closed them that when he
went to Washington the ground on which
| he trod shook under his feet, and he left
| the Republic on solid foundation that
| traitors had seized public forts and arsenals
and he recovered them for the United
States, to whom they belonged; that the
capital, which he found the abode of slaves
| is now the home only of the free that the
boundless domain which was grasped at,
| and, in great measure, held for the diffu-
| sion of Slavery, is now irrevocably devoted
to freedom that then men talked a jargon
of balance of power ina Republic between
Slave States and Free States, and now the
| foolish words are blown away forever by the
| breath of Maryland, Missouri and Tennes-
see; that terrible cloud of political heresy
rose from the abyss threatening to hide the
| light of the sun, and under its darkness a
rebellion was rising into indefnable proper
i tions; now the atmosphere is purer than
ever before, and the insurreetion is vanish
ing away; the country is cast into another
mold, and the gigantic system of wrong,
which had been the work of more than two
centuries, is dashed down, we hope forever
And as to himself personally /; he was then
scoffed at by the proud as unfit for his sta
ton, and now against the usage Of later
years, and in spite Of numerous COMPETE
| tors he was the unbiased and the undonbted
choice of the American people for second
term of service Through 1.-THE mad busi-
ness of treason he retained the sweetness of
a most plaeable disposition and the slaugh-
ter OF myriads of the best on the battle
field and the more terrible destruction Of orr
men in captivity by the slow torture of ex-
posure and starvation, had never been able
to provoke him into harboring one .vengeful
feeling or one purpose of cruelty. How
shall the nation most completely show its
sorrow at Mr.. Lincoln's death How shall
| it best honor his memory? There can be
but one answer. He was struck down when
he was highest its service, &nd in strict con-
forInity with duty was engaged in CARRYING
out principles affecting its life, It's good name
and its relations to the cause of freedom and
the progress of mankind. Grief must take
the Character Of. action, and breathe itself
! forth in the assertion of the policy towhich