Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1865-04-17
The Murder OF the President.

ThG MURDER OF inc FE0BluGhts
We have no words TO express the thrill of
horror which ran through this community
last Saturday morning, on the receipt of
the news announcing the murder of the
President on the night previous in Wash
iuston theatre. Men seemed stunned and
utterly dispossessed Of any ability to do or
say anything Commensurate with their,
silent feelings at the news. The sensation
was the profoundest we ever witnessed. A
gres, spell OF depression pervaded all the
streets in the course of an hour. Business
was almost totally suspended. Neary every
house in the city bore the insignia of
mourning, The principal places were
heavily draped in black. And all this was
done too without concert and as it were by
ore spontaneous impulse. Sad countenan.
ces througed the streets by hundreds, ard
III low tones people paid each other the
usual salu,ations. Melancholy literally and
truly brOOded over the whole city.
And why was all thisl 1t was not a
mere piece OF fOrmsli,y!!4 Il was not mere
outward token of respec, to the slain chief
magistrate OF the nation. There was a
personality 10 it that deeply affected the
popular heart here as everywhere else
Throughout the land. Abraham Lincoln
is mourned more widely, more warmly,
more incopsolably than any of bis prede-
cessors in the Presidential Chair. The
man himself is, not less than the uupreoC-
deated circumstances of his Naturalization
and the appalling manner of his
death, appealed to the popular heart
for an outpouriug of sympathiziug
testimonial But one President OF
the UuiIed States has been go sincerely re-
sVecled by friend and foe and so fervent-
" loved in bis own day by the vast body
OF the people as Abrahaio Lincoln. OF hip
We can say,as of Washington, that he WAS
hrst in the hearts of his countrymeu. H,
is only second in point of time to the fathel
o: uis country. Had there been no Homer
until Milton, then Milton would have been
Homer" Had there been no Washington
until Abraham Lincoln then would tbs
latter have illustrated in himself alone the
beau'y, greatness and simplicity of char.
acter that become an American Chief Mag
Is,raie.
Well may the people mourn for the grea
CON mouer. He has fallen miiway in bis
career. he WAS not struck down like Gee
sar in the Capitol for his lust of power
The same hand that has been so long raised
10 al a fatal blow to his country, and tha
has struck down SO many of our mobiles
and best, has atlast laid low the chosen chief
Slavery, treason and assassination culmi.
mated 10 the act. More than ever all these
will heuce!orth be Accused of mankind.
I" Whom the gods wish to destroy they
first demeot." 1t would seem as if it Wal
COTS will that the whole spirit and sub
stance of the rebellion should be utterly
destroyed from off the face of the earth =
Who can say that such may not be th
Providence involved in this crime2 VIII
can say but that we were drifting to-
swiftly TO an unreal conclusion of this war
Who can say but that some such terribl
and awful event was needed to ava
ken the nation to full conception c
the remaining work before il? We thin
of Abraham Lincoln as Of Moses, that ma
of God who led Israel nearly into th
promised land. His patience, his meek
ness, his wisdom, did their appointe
work. Yet be did not lead the peopl
across the Jordan. To another the com
pletion of the journey was committed
From human stand point no man ca
see why Abraham Lincoln should hay
fallen in such manner aud at such
time. II it be that high Heaven rules an
ovsrrules in all the affairs OF men, from th
greatest to the least, for inscrutable pur
poses Of good, may we not see in what ha
been done new firing up of the nations
heart against everything subsidiary to til
rebellion! To perpetrate such deed g
this time wac apparently the one altogethe
suicidal thing which the Egil Spirit of th
rebellion could suggest Its effect upon th
country will be as warning that no Phi
listia be lett within our borders. Th
blood Of Abraham Lincoln will cry
Heaven and in the ears of the people. Th
loyal States will be unit as never before
All Chr:stendom TOO will be unit wit
them. The world will say perish utterl
all and everything responsible for suth
beinous crime against humanity.
LAST Friday night at about the sam
hour in which Mr.. Lincoln was murdcre
at Washington, Senator John Sherman wa
making speech at Columbus, Ohio. l