The Vinton record. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1866-1891, 1867-05-30

and Tell, and they had left the
strongest impression upon his ar,
dent and enthusiastic nature, and he
burned with emulation to initiate
the extraordinary celebrity they
had acquired. A great tragedian,
his profession had made him ac-
quainted in a peculiar manner with
the gland and elevated and disin-
terested sentiments which the great
dramatists have put into the mouths
of the heroes Of the stage of anti
quity. There was something in the
very name which his father had
gwen him, John Wilkes, after the
great English patriot, to foster this
latent disposition to take any per-
sonal risks in a contest with pow
er, and to make any sacrifices ne
cessary to that end.
Whichever we may think of his
crime, it will be universally admit
ted that in its perpetration and in
his subsequent flight, he exhibited
boldness and a courage that is al
most unequaled, and it could only
have been manifested by most
Determined nature, acting under
the influence ofthe strongests politi
cal fanaticism. How supreme that
fanaticlsm was, how entirely it had
the aSendency over him, the follow
ing extract from his diary shows:
Friday, the Dist, after being hunted like
dog through swamps and woods, the las:
night being chased by guu-boatS till was
forced to return, wet cold and Sraryiug with
every mans hand against me, an here u
despair, and why For doing wlal EruCus
was honored ior,what made Tel 3 hero IaJ
yet |, striking down greater wral5 1lII
they ever knew, am looked upon Is a !uuI-
mon cut-thrOat My action was pucsc lldJ
either one of theirs, One hgpeG a. .e lceu1
The other had not only his cuGlrys u
his own wgonge. hoped No gain t-eS
no private wrongs. struck for my ccra:ry,
and that alone-a country tia, -rClceI De-
meath this tyranny, and prayed .cc this sct.
and yet now behold the cold hand ;hey sI.
tend to me. God can no. pardon ne j! |
have done wrong; yet | can not see nv
wrong, except in serving degenerate people.
The little, the very little that | left behind
to clear my name, the Government will not
allow to be printed, so ends all. For nv
country have given up all that makes lie
sweet and holy; brought misery upon M
family and am sure there is no pardon IN
heaven for me, since man condemns me so.
have only heard Of what has been done,
except what did myself, and it fills me with
horror. God, try and forgive me, and bless
my mother Tonight | will once more try
the river with the ilten: to cross, though |
had greater desire and almost a mind to
return to Washington, and, in measure,
clear my name, whi:h | feel can do. do
not repent the blow struck. swear be-
fore my God, bu; not 20 man, | think | have
done well, though | am abandoned with the
curse Of Cain upon me. If the world knew
my heart, that one blow would have made
me great, though | did desire no greatness.
Tonight try to escape these bloodhounds
once more. Who can read his fate? Gods
will be DONE l have too great a soul to
die like criminal
The shooting of the President be
fore 5000 people, his open flight
across the stage, his wild and des-
perate ride, with broken leg, for
sixty miles, with the bone protrud-
ing, and the terror with which he,a
single man, inspired a whole COM
pany, so that he could not be tax
en- alive, are amazing manifestions
of both physical and moral PROV
ess. Who does not regret that so
much genius and courage, so much
fortitude and herolsm, had not been
moro under the control Of judg-
ment and reason, and the abilities
which could have been of so much
service to himself and his country,
properly employed, should have
been thrown away in a rash and
criminal enterprise, and that he,
who might have been hero and a
statesman, should have acted arole
utterly unworthy of him-of the
tremendous and awful sacrifice
which he made?-TCin. ENQUIRER.