Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1865-04-20
Meeting at wheeling.

n large meeting was nelu at the court
House in Wheeling on Saturday evening,
Ito express the grief of the people ever the
death of President Lincoln The following
.rasolutio ms We're adopted:
FELLOW CITIZENS: We need not recite
Ito you the circumstances under which you
and all of us are convened this evening" -
The Object OF this meeting is to express to
each other, and to our fellow citizens every
|whcre, the sense of horror with which this
icommunity has this day received the news
9of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln,
late President of the United States, and
the attempted assassination of two mem
bers Of his cabinet. The atrocious deed is
even yet new in the history Of the civilized
world and unparalleled in our experience as
a nation. In common, therefore, with
ehristianized mankind everywhere, we stand
Iaghast at the awful crime. 1t cannot but
be that the curse Of Almighty God will rest
on a cause which has SO long threatened
and at last excited the perpetration of such
an enormity. Abraham Lincoln was the
last of men to have retributively fallen by
|the hand of violence. all his instincts and
lacts was such as to have unnerved the con.
|ception of so murderous purpose. History
Twill recognize In him the chief of our mar.
|tyred dead who have fallen victims to the
|unscrupulous ambition of the present re.
|bellion. Steadily he had grown in the af
lfection OF the Christian world, wherever the
American name was known, until at the
[time Of his death, original friends and foes
LOT his administration had learned to look
] upon him as pre-eminently true type of
| the simplicity of our republican institutions.
lnsensible indeed to all the good instincts
LOT human nature must have been the hearts
that concerted his murder. We cannot
think OF the perpetrators save as the veriest
demons Of hell itself. Even to their "baser
Sort he had been lenient and forbearing
above all precedent. With an ingratitude
internal in its character the unholy potters,
Iabettors and perpetrators of the murderous
deed, struck down the man of all others
whose sympathies were most actively inter-
|vening to temper the just punishment due
to their rebellious crimes with the largest
measures of mercy. A great people slow
to anger and disposed to be maguanimous
|in this hour Of their victories, will not fail
Ito see in this unnatural requital the true
|spirit that has actusted the leadership OF
the rebellion, and when its origin and full
extent are known will exact such retribu-
|tion as becomes them.
Thus prefacing more formal expression
|of the views presumed to be entertained as
THE sense Of this meeting, we submit for its
the following resolutions:
LIST. That, humanity speaking, we deplore
THE death Of Abraham Lincoln as the sorest
that could have befallen the nation
Ist this critical period of its history.
I'd. That both as Americans and West
|Virginians We lament his untimey end :
|ro us his name and memory will forever be
Especially dear. When we needed friend,
he came to our rescue, and snatching us as
Ia brand from the burning of the rebellion,
made US the happy people Of new and
better Commonwealth.
Sd. That striving to rise in this dark
hour to a proper conception of the high
3du,ies Of our citizenship, and forgetting all
else save the lingering perils which still
hang round our distracted country, we
pledge ourselves and ask all our countrymen
1 to pledge themselves. to extend to the sue.
cessor Of Abraham Lincoln that full sup
port and cooperation still SO perilously ne
cessary for the common deliverence.
4th. That as further token of our re-
spect for the memory Of the late President,
! we will by proper observances com memorate
the day that may be set apart for his funeral
obsequies.
9th. That a committee of thirty,six be
appointed by this meeting TO make such
needful preparations for such commemora.
tions. fd ,if