Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1866-05-10
Assassination as Political Art.

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John Van Buren's exulting declaration to
the late Democratic johnson meeting at
New York, that no Democratic President
had ever died in Office, and that taking coun-
sci from the past, he might say that none
ever would, is fippant, reckless, absn
doned recognition of the establishment of as
sassination as a part Of our political system.
There are enough of ceincidences in our his
tory to give color to it. 1t would be more
correct to say that no President who ever
stood in the way of the slayeholders con-
spiracy to dominate or destroy the Govern
ment, had ever lived through bis term, and
that taking council from the past he might
say that none ever would. ....
Harrison died suddenly, at the beginning
of his term, and Tyler, man entirely in
Southern control, came into power. Alex
ander H. Stephens, and Toombs, and others
had tried to bully Mr.. Taylor into their
views and had totally failed, before he died
Fillmore was already in a political circle,
opposed to Mr. Taylor, and when he came
to power. he proved subservient to Southern
demands. The conspiracy to subvert the
Government was fully organized during the
election canvass ef Fremont and Buchanan,
and was to be precipitated in case Of Fire.
mont 8 election. The subsequent develop
ments of Breckinridge's active engagement
in the plot. will give rational explanation
of the National Hotel poisoning attempt to
take off Mr. Buchanan, who with all his
weakness. was not an active agent in their
hands Had Breckenridge been in power
when Lincoln was elected, the South could
have made the fight in the Government.
Who does not remember the glee Of the
Democratic papers ever the Southern con
spiracy to assassinate Mr. Lincoln at Balti-
more, on his way to the Presidential office /;
their lack of any censure of it, their ceun-
tenance Of it, and their fierce attacks upon
Mr. Lincoln for taking measures to escape
assassination The doctrine which Mr.,
Douglas made his great principle in that
canvass, was the doctrine Of sectional mob
violence as the test Of the seundness OF po-
litical principles. 1t was this: II hold
that any politicil principle must be unseund
when they who hold it cannot safely declare
it in every section of the country. This
was making assas snation superior to princi-
ple. The played out politician who made a
Presidential canvass on this atrocious senti-
and finally had to take stand on princip Pile
that could not be declared in the South till
our armies had conquered it.
Wilkes Booth was not madman, nor they
who instigated and conspired with him
fools; and that the ostentatiOus lament OF
some people ia the South that "the South
had lost its best friend" was either the in
nocence of dense ignorance, which could be
possible only in few, or hypocritcal cry
to divert suspicion and justice. The prem
ises of terrible penalties upon traitors, that
were cried aloud from the White House with
jealous repetition, for several weeks after
the assassination, helped ts confuse the
public judgment, and to make this assassl-
nation unaccounta able on any rational theory
of Confederate gain.
But it is now plain that there was rational
method in the assassination conspiracy, and
that it was a success In the face of the
fact that it had been generally agitated in
the Confederacy, and always as a justi6able
resort when it csuld be made Of practical
benefit to the rebel cause, it is absurd to
suppose that it was limited to Booth and
the Surratt family, or to few They were
mere scapegoats, hurried out OF the world
to bear the burden Of public attention. The
assassins knew the man they assassinated,
and the man who would come to power by it.
There is not particle OF evidence that the
plot included NJ Johnson He bore life
as charmed as John Van Buren, attributes
to Democratic Presidents. and so did Mr..
Lincoln while Mr.. Hamlin was Vice Presi
dent.
For John Van Buren, to declare, upon this
"council of the past, " that no Democratic
President will ever die in office, has the all
of exultng over assassination as successful
Democrats art. But we make no exceptions
to the assurance that Democratic Presidents
that is, Presidents who are actively hos
tile to the North-are in no danger of being
taken off during their term of office. ASsas
sipation is not Northern art, at least not
outside the Democratic party. When MIR.
FJohnson talked about the desire to assassi
uate him, he mel. ly had on the brain the
means which brought him to power