The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1867-10-05
Peril 0f the I'resisirmrU--!St1vf iiisO
(OiHrisieHres.

IL Is a singular fact in our history, that while
from l1s9to lsil-ffty.two years-we losi no
President while in Office. though five ofihem dur.
ing that time served two terms, each yet In the
next iwenty-four years, ending Ia April, 1868,
we lost three Prcsidents--fiarrison, Taylor and
Lincoln. and within the same period Il is well
known that an attempt was made TO poison a
fourth, James buchanan. These things have
caused thinking men TO fear that General liar.
rison aud General Taylor were each poisoned rs
WAS attempted, hut unsuccessful with Mr.
buchanan. This suspicion was strengthened with
many when Mr.. Lincoln was assAssinaic,i soon
after his second election.
To one who has examined this subject in all Us
hearings and condolences, Il may appear strange
that Mr.. Lincoln was not assassnated during his
first term but " he will recollect that during
that term Mr. ilamlin most incorruptible Union
man, was Vice. President, and would have sue.
cccded Mr. Lincoln he will se that nothing
would have been gained by Mr.. Lincoln assassi.
nation then. To take the lives Of both would not
only have exposed the plot, hut even then Mr..
Foster, the President Of the Senate, would still
have carried out the policy Of Mr.. Lincoln, aud
noihing would have been gained by removing
Mr.. Lincoln during his first term
Now. let II be remembered, thar besides the
singular fact that from 1889 10 isli We los, no
President aud yet, from 1871 10 iss;3, less than
half that time we lost three by death aud the
W. Nt NUoNitN was hNtEmItcu 10 Dc tnhetl. anu
then reflect that In each instance Of the Succession
Of Vice President, though elected on the same
ticket with the deceased President, the whole
polio, of the government In relation 10 the great
issue- ~ The day was nj oncc changed, aud We
cann"t nationally resist the conclusion that thr
Vice Presidency had much 10 do in prc.cniing the
Inducements and Offering ih- III orrasion for ihr
sudden removal " the President such u coinci.
dencc Of three almost successive deaths Of prrsi.
i.nis, Ia 80 short iimr, and the NOR unarroun-
table coincidence that 10 every insiancc the l,ullcy
az the gosrrnmrni was Immediately changed tu
suit the political PARTY opposed 10 N. dccrasri
President, and also the vicr President himself,
must causc every Rejecting mind lo Tear that
General Harrison aud Gen. Taylor. rs well "a
W.. iinron were toully dealt with. Had Mr.
Hartmann heen poisoned, u V easy 20 se~ what
John & Brcckinridgc woald have done. The
whole govrrnDeni would have bsen SURRENDERED
to the South, and all resistance To sscrssion aud
the c"nfedcFacy would have bsen prevented
Snch was NO doubt the plot At that particular
tim" hut Mr.. Buebanan's prrfrtrnrr for old
bourbon saved him aud saved the government
from tbs well eoneoc'ed eo"pd eiai.
Though may he right IL ms conjrcIur.s q.
to 10" fatality which has attended an Presidents
IN the last twenty-five years, YET would not hr
understood rs insulating that In all--Isrhaps 10
none OT these cases-the vicc Presidents had any
direct hand Ia the plot 10 take the life OF the
President. hut the guilty actors NJ least under.
stood that change 10 the Executives would bring
about a change Of policy TO suit lhrni. aud on
this assurance they acted, and have never hetn
disappointed.
Would II not he well, thru, ~ rrinnvr ihi.
temptation aud place the Executive IN position,
that no onc could calculate an advantage FROM
his removal The subjrct 10 worthy Of ronsldrra.
ton. The Vtec-Presidrni u, a, any rate, n nsr.
lees apIendage 10 the government, Aad has VERY
many times, In our history, given us much iron.
BILE, even saying nothing about the death. poi.
soning, or assassination Of four Presidents sfncs
1871.