The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-10-15
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4 k0OHS kuht bkA9 B9lb9N w. NAAhSH SNs--~s
nation, and the day on which II was eX;7
ecuted' was as well known in Ohio %
Maine as Il was In South Carolina; as
we'll known in Maryland hS III vas
Know q 3n North q Caf0lIna or Alabama /,
and the evidence Of 1t remains to this
day, unpublished u be sure, IN the pos
session of the officers Of this govern;
ment, that months before your PreSl-
dent fell by an RsSnssin's hand IN tue
the boast was made In Maine. the boast
wasmadein Maryland, that on the 10Th
day of April, 1866, Abraham Lincoln
would no longer be President OF the
Republic. ..,4..yt., A.
These men were not gifted with tho
visions OF the seer. They came by the
knowledge of that fact In advance, IN
the ordinary way They were IN pos
session ,pf Il because they were In tne
combination and In the conspiracy 10
plunge this country into anarchy, by
numbering not only your trusted and
faithful President-the man who could
never forget the obligation OF his oath,
who in his simple words reminded the
people that 1t was registered IN heaven
and he must keep 1t, on the peril OF m ms
soul. Therefore, he must die: The
man who led your army In blaze Of
fire through that remarkable battle OF
the Wilderness, and compelled the sur
render OF treason behind It's intrench::
ments at Richmond, was also doomed
to die, The lion-hearted minister OF
war, Who had proved himself not sec
ond but FIRST, amongst all the men who
eYeF held that position in any time or
In any country or In any age, IRE
mendous cheers,l was doomed pY The
conspirators. And that old man, older
than his s-years--andI Of him l never
speak but In spirit OF kind
ness 4the great Premier Of the Re
public, who conducted tts tQ9reigp
affairs With marvellous and al
most unprecedented skill was also
doomed to die on that night Of murder,
because In the event Of q yasaney In
the offices OF President and Vice Presl-
dent ofthe United States, William II.
Seward, the Secretary Of State, was the
only human being on this globe clothed
by The law with the authority TO order
a special election by the, people to fill
the vacancy.
You know what progress was made
by these hired assassins, who thronged
the streets of your Capital; and you
know the occasion on which they con-
Vened for the, purpose ofenaCting tho
first act in this last drRma Of treason
against the life OF the Republic. 1t was
on the 14th day of April, 1855, u day
memorable in 1.-THE, history Of the repuh-
Iioin this; that It was the very day on
which treason fired its first gun against
your flag In the.yeary 1881 In the waters
OF Chat lesion harbor, and It was on the
same day upon which your banner or
glory and beauty was raised again in
triumph over the blackened and broken
walls OF that fort, the day when
the whole land was fllled with re.
joicIng; when the habitations Of
the people everywhere, from ocean to
ocean,, blazed with illumination over
ourtFiumph ofaruls; when Imilllonsof
hands were lifted everywhere In
Thanksgiving to God, who holds the
destinies of nations In the hollow Of
his, hand, that he had saved the Fepub+
liGalivh, .And'CroWned It's arms, with a
brilliant and enduring victory.
Treason selected the l4th Of April, 1855,
in which to achieve It's second triumph
over the interests of the republic, and
over the. interests OF every man and
woman and child in the Republic.
As 1 said before, the streets Of Wash
ington were thronged with these men,
who were hired to do. this work Of as.
sassinatIon, yet, in the language Of
one of them, who expiated his terrible
crime on the gallows, "therc never was
au undertaking since God made the
world, that proved so complete iall-
ure," Never! OF all their victims
that were doomed TO death, none per-
fshed by their hands save that match
less, peerless, noble man, Abraham
Lincoln. [Applause,1 And he was
only permitted 70 die upon that night
| Of murder because he had finished the
| work which God had given him to do.
AS Commander-in.C Chief OF the armies
OF tho Republic, he had led them to
triumph, and broken the battaltons OF
treason, and filed tho whole land with
reioicings. His work was done, ana 1t
was fit that he should depart, when
his ewes had seen the salvation OF his
country. Allithat remained 10 be done
was for the people, the great loyal peo.
pie, who had filled and cover
ed Tie land from sea 10 sea, to complete
byi the ballot what the victorious
afmies Of the Republic hnd already oe-
gun by the bayonet. And therefore
Abraham Lincoln was permitted TO be
taken. Butthe man appointed TO slay
| the commander Of your armies in the
field, Ulysses s. Grant, although at The
going down of the sun that day he
Stepped on board the same train with
him, because-L say 1t with all rever-
guce-beGause that God, who stands
within the shadow, and keeps watch
over his own, had the life Of the lender
oft armies OF the Republic in His
keeping, aud the arm ofnO assassin
was long enough or strong enough. 70
strike him through that fOurfold shield
ofderense. [Applause.l n' -
And then perchance-l hope 1t may
be otheFwIse-the American people
whose majesty has been outraged al
ready by the unlawful assumptions ol
power by him who succeeded Abraham
Lincoln by force OF the constitution,
NAV make vacant even his Office. II
was needful the Secretary OF STATE
should survive that trial, too. And yet
the assassin found his way into hls
house and cut down one son and then
another, and left him speechless ana
insensible upon the hohr, lie struck
down also that gallant soldier who hmu
survived tho shock OF battle on hun
dred stricken fields, until he, too, well
tered In his blood. lie found his In
tended victim, helpless old man,
stretched upon his bed, rs y victim
ready for the esHcritice, smote him IN the
fnce with his huge weapon OF deAIh
struck him first on one side Of the throat
and then on the other; and yet, TO ust
the words of the assassin himself "My
God. / WIS not able 10 kill him."
What does all this testify to us TO-
night? That II the Republic must full
after all tho sacrifices that have beer
mndc for ils maintenance, II Is not tt
, fall blythe hands Of secret aSHaSSinsi u
in only to fall ut last through the w"nk
. ness and treaChery aud the trenson %
thnt grcnt people who hive survived
unhuft mnd unigjured this torrible con
liIctin which three hundred thousanC
Of tho manhood aud virtue and herolsu
Of the Republic laid down their llvei
tllat tho nation might live. The iSsl'
J Ia urOn uS; II X for us to determine Ant
= for lis alone to determine In tho elec
lions which nre to come, AZ II was To-
tho nine millions to determine In TN
elections which hHvo JUS! closed, whOth
! or the care Of LhG Republic shall he kop
In tho hands Of those men who lhr0nRl
iho four years of peril by armed rebel
- ...,ts - "a ~ q mr. WhOlhDF IL Hhnl