The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1866-03-20
why Mrs. SwIsshelm was Dismiss
ed from Her CIerkship--A WAR
ming to Some Long TOngued
Males.
'frrom Mrs, s~wisshelm's Rsoonssructionist.
THE ASSAsSINATION PLOT.

M8lcS.
IlFrom Mrs, S~wisshelm's Rsconstructfonist.J
THE ASSASSINATION PLOT.
When President Lincoln was murder
ed, nearly all loyal people believed that
the South had made a serious mistake
A very few thought otherwise. Of these,
two said to us: "You are mistaken, they
know what they are absut. Andy john
son is their tool"
"You will see."
One. thing was certain. Tho morning
Of the Inauguration be was drinking free
lily with blatant copperheads. His ap-
pearance on that occasion is a matter OF
history; aud the deep disgrace of it was
never exaggerated by any published &C
count. His intemperance was excused on
the ground that they had drugged his
brandy, and it is possible that they may
have done SO, but certainly not with the
view of doing him a fatal injury; for since
the beginning of the second month of his
Presidency they have been his visitors
and apparently confidential friends. The
class of Westinghouse who never went
to the White House while President Lin
coln lived, but always refused to receg-
nize him as President, and spoke to him
with scorn, began at once to visit John
son, and were graciously received. The
first the public knew of this was given to
the Constitutional Union, and was excus-
led on the ground that Tom Florence, its
editor, was the Presidents personal friend,
So he was, and is, and is to be. He, the
editor Of a paper that most loyal men
have thought should have been suppress
ed during the wal for its disloyalty-the
blatant, brawling, pot-house politician,
editor of a traitorous sheet which had
aided Mr.. Johnson's election by linking
his name with that of Mr.. Lincoln in the
abuse heaped upon him, was all the time
the personal friend and c~on6dante of Mr..
johnson, and was thus early and publicly
acknowledged as such.
Can it be possible that it was part Of
the assassination plot to get rid of one
thus in secret bonds of friendship with
Northern leaders Of the secession ranksi
or was that stupid, miserable wretch, At.
zeroth, duped into the belief that they
wished him to commit a crime they knew
he had not the courage to perpetrate, and
which he should find no opportunity to
commit That they intended to get rid
of President Lincoln and Mr.. Seward
there can be no doubt. The attempt on
Mr.. Stanton's life was likewise in good
faith, but the chain links of the evidence
were not closely followed on the trial, and
the necessity for his death was not immi-
nent as he could be removed.
The business was to get the President
and they got him. That it was the South
which nominated Mr.. johnson through
Indirect infuence-that Mr.. johnson Ia
bored cunningly for that nomination by
boisterous professions of loyalty, and the
thrusting forward of ultra pledges design
ed to be broken there is no longer any
doubt. That he was prepared beforehand
to serve the purpose of treason there Car
be no doubt; that his administration and
its programme were part aud parcel Of
the administration plot we have no longer
the shadow of a doubt.
This does not make it necessary thai
he should have known OF the intended as.
s~assinatlon. We do not think that either
Tyler or Fillmore knew that the met
who used them intended numbering Har.
risen or Taylor, but in all these cases the
assassins knew their men; and these three
Presidents, made Presidents. by ~assassi.
nation, are each with their administra.
tons. as much incidents of the rebellion
from the brain of the arch.
fends and Wholesale murderers who plot.
ted that rebellion, as was the starvation
of our men at Andersonyille, or the poi.
soning of our armies. Whether known
or unknown to Mr.. johnson, his veto
message is the further unfolding of the
assassination plot.
That assassination was a change of base
in the traitor war for the destruction o.
the Union. The veto is the Sumter guns
of this second era of the war, and viii
probably be followed by a Bull Run and
Balls Bluf-by disaster and perhaps ap.
parent defeat to the loyal millions whose
weapons are once more turned upon then
by their trusted agents. Andrew John
son has his plans matured. He is in fall
sympathy with the South, and will fol
low up his advantages to the bitter end
Let the people nerve themselves to dc
what they can. They can and will save
the Government; but there is great dan.
ger of a repetition of the mistakes and
delays and dreadful disasters of the frst
stage of this war, There is great danger
of a kid glove campaign under some po'
mlitical Mcclellan.
Could the people be made to feel tina
the assassins Of President Lincoln are
now the honored guests of the White
House-that this veto is part Of the muir
derous programme. Northern copperhead'
would not insult a loyal people by theil
~insolent rejoicings. and the traitors Of thu
South would stand aghast before their in
dignatien.
N-In the Jail in Boston are two white
babies-one seven years of age and on,
of nine-both small for their years, ant
infantile in their mind. Their ofenss