Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1865-04-27

tens Of Thousands, and hundreds Of thous-
ands, have bsen laid in their graves TO save
this Country, and now, last night, that man,
who forever in American history shall stand
next to Washington, was offered as sacrifice
upon the altar Of our country. How can We
talk to-day2 how can we do anything except
draw lesson from this greatest ofall the
Providences OF God, which the last four
years have given to us2 We were taught by
the first battle of Bull Run that we had not
been educated up to the point Of our high
calling; and we suffered defeat there
After u time the man whose msnery will
always be fresh and green with US struck
down the institution Of Slavery which has
caused all our trouble; and then God rssisd
up Grant, and a Sherman, and Sheridan.
and Wright, Parke, a Meade, to save
this country. ("Good!" and appaluse.)
We hoped, indeed, that we had come upon
times of peace. We hoped that the dove
had gone out from the ark, bearing the
olive-bran in her mouth and now, just as
every heart was ready to break out into ex
ultation and joy, we are told that the most
costly sacrifice that this country could make
had got to be made in order to make our
Nation secure and perpetual Well, we
have laid Abraham Lincoln upon the altar
Is there--is there anything in all the wide
world that this crowd, that this people
would have deemed more costly and ex-
pensive? (Cries of NO" MOI 1t has
gone. And now, my friends, as l awoke
this morning, l said to myself us not this
another Providence? Would our Creator, in
His great mercy, permit such great and
good heart as that of Abraham Lincoln to
pardon and disband all the traitors of this
WARP" ("No," "No.") No, l believe not
gentlemen. / think we stand in presence
to- day when all our thoughts and ideas be-
come Of little consequence And do be-
lieve that the men who have starved our
aud sons--that it is the design of High
Heaven that they shall not escape their
punishment. Cheers D, Abraham Lin
coin was good man; he was generous
man; he carried in that bosom of his a heart
larger than is given to common men. And
do not knew but God intended that he
should be renewed in order that the proper
punishment should be imposed upon the
anthors Of the Rebellion. (''That is it.")
At this point, the remarks of Mr.. Chitten-
den were broken off by Mr.. Draper, who
said to the assembly: 'One moment
Uncover, if yeu please" (The vast con
course at once complied with the request.
Gentlemen, have received the sad inteiii-
gence which am called upon to impart to
you, OF the death of our most excellent
Secretary Of State" There was a moan
throughout the crowd, which had stood un
covered and in silence. "ln sorrow speak
to you. The intelligence was communicated
but this mement-se sad, SO sorrow wful, to
all who love our county" (Cries Of Ven
geance" and Justice" "Should we not
temper justice with mercy?" A voice,
Too late for that Justice !"
1t will be observed that it was subse-
quently ascertained that this dispatch Was
not correct.
Mr. Chttenden continued: Who are the
men that inspired this assassination to our
President and Secretary of State2 They
are the Davises, the Wigfalls, the Beniamins
and all their instruments North and South.
Gentlemen, | will not speak to-day, do not
wish to, want to register this hour before
God, and under this sky, VOW in my heart,
that, as one citizen of this glorious country,
our flag shall cover it from Maine to the
Gulf and from the Atlantic to the Pacific,
that will give no rest to my feet until the
men who have brought this great grief upon
the nation have received their proper punish
mcnt. Tremendous cheering Will you
in New York do the same? A universal
response of Yes" tell you, gentlemen,
we are making history here We are telling
the world either that traitors, covered all
over with blood and infamy, can 60 out from
us pardoned and free, or we are telling them
that God s avenging justice shall be visited
upon their heads. Cheers. Shall we do
the latter? ''Yes," and cheers. Shall
we confess ourselves instruments in the
hands of the Almighty c'Yes.") and
J shall we say to every vagabond Of them,
lov ~ ,alaaa fha fra q
American people," (Cheers.) Now, one
| hear Robert f. Lee often held up as a
model to your children and mine in every
thing but his treason. Now, | get impa-
tient when hear that thing, and will tell
you why: Robert Il. Lee was educated at
the expense of the Government of the
United States He married the daughter
Custis, the descendant of Washington. Now
make this statement in Wall sreet, and
! let some friend of Robert Il. Lee deny it il
; he dares. He was a money making man.
He received promotion in the army. His
father-in-aw became careless of his money
matters in his later years. Before he died
, he said TO the l30 slaves on the Arlington
t plantation, that at his death they would be
: free. At his death, in his will, he under
, took to set them free He wiled the broad
J acres OF Arlington plantation to the wife ol
: Robert Il. Lee And after that, will you
, believe it, Robert H. Lee came back, and as
. one of my servants in his simple-hearted
! way said to me, he filed in his claim against
Q the personal property of the estate. and he
Q sold the time Of those negroes orfour years
9 in order to pay off small debt which that
|; Gusts owed to him. Kisses and groans.
!, Is such man to be held up to the emula
: ton Of the American people NO. -.
t No, gentlemen, would send Robt. b. Lee
! mot cut Of this country, for | want hin
n to SEQ some OF the special providences q
y God that have been directed against him
8 (Cheers.) would carry him back to Ar
} lington House. l would take him at thos
t. times when good men pray, upon that yer
IT andah where Washington dictated AM
p Gusts wrote and let him see upon ene-hal
l Of that plantation the graves OF $4,000 sol
It diers of the American army which he ha'
:; caused to be buried under the sod. (Sensa
E: ton And on the other hand, | would 10
1 him see the first freedman's village estab
l. lished upon the soil of Virginia, L woul
1t let him see the first school where colore
. children were taught and colored mem
or this sentence was interrupted by cries
h. Then hang him l") No, no, do not tai
,al | -, Taa Rapi arait n