, 1876-02-17
ABRAHAM LINCOLN'S DEATH.
Walt vVAitmnmsY Account OF tho Scene
at Fordsa Thcnfrc.

~ &AA% w fANLbuAL O4 %AO 0EEAH
at Fordss Theatre.
Atto Yore sun, Feb. Il.
To-day is tho anniversary OF President Lin
coins BIRTH. II he had lived Till now ho mould
lave boon &C years old. The following vivid
description Of tho scenes at FordB Theatro at tho
time OF hts assassination, from forthcoming
book by Walt Whitman, has neror before boea
pubiishod:
Tho day, April II, 1865, seems to haro bneu
pleasant ono throughout the uIlolo lanl.-tho
moral atmosphere pleasant, too,--tho long
storm, so dark. go fratrtcida, full Of blood. and
doubt, and gloom, over and onded at lass by tho
sunrise OF such an absolute national victory, and
utter breaking down OF BocesBionism, m,-wo al-
most doubted olr own HonAosl Lee had capitu-
lated beneath the anple..roe Of Appomattox.
Tho other nrmios, tho flaugcn OF Tho revolt,
swiftly followed.
And could 1t really bc. thon7 Out Of all tho
Affairs OF this World Of WOO and passion, Of fail
uro. and tlsortns. and tiamay was tharo really
d shnft Of pure lisht-ot rigltfut rule-of dod7
Bat must not dwell on accessories. Tho
locl hastons. Tho popllar afternoon paper
the litto Eccnin9 Star. had spattorcd all over its
third page. divided among tho advertisements In
d sensational maunor. iu hundred diH.ront
placcs: "rho President and his lady will DO ut
tho Theatre this eyoning." {Lincoln was fonu
ct tho theatre. ilavo mysolf socn him thore
seseEal times. remember thinking how funny
actor In tho greatest and stornlfcst drama
known to roal history'a stage, through cent,l-
riea, should sit thcro aud bo 80 completely In
teressod and absorbod IN thoao human jack
suroB. foreign spirit ard fatulent to1t.)
30 tho day, as say, was propitlous. Early
hsrpase, carly flowers. woro out. II remember
whore waa stopping at tho timo, tho soasou bo-
bloom. by oEo Of those caprIcaa that ontor and
give t!ugo TO oyents without Ocing at all q part
Of thcm. Ind myself always reminded OF tI.o
groat tragedy Of that dny BY tho slight and odor
OF thehe blossoms. It never fats.)
On this 0ccaalon tho theatre Mas crowded,
many ladcs In r1ch md gay costumes. officers In
thor uniforms, many well.known ct1zeus, young
folks, tho usual clusters Of gaslights. the usual
magnetism OF go many people, ohoesln1., with
al. and gaturating all. that vast vague wonder.
Victory, tho NatIon'B Victory. tho triumph Of tho
Union, filling tho air, tho thought the Hcuse
With o1hlatation moro than ntf perfumes.)
Tho President came bor!meu, aud, With bis
Hlfo. Witnessed the play from the large ssago
boxes OF tho second tier. two thrown Into ono,
and profusely dtaped with tho national flag.
The acts aud Hconos Of tho pleco-ono OF those
5sngn!!srly wit!oss eompositions which have at
ence engaged iu mental aoEion or business OK
elements md caroa during the day, al it makeB
not tho s!ghtest call on otlhcr tho moral, emo
tlonal. eathotlc, or spiritual natnro--a piece
l. >
other characters. 80 callcd, = Yankee, certainly
euch QUO ~ was uoycr ssen, or tho least like It
ever soon In North America, is introduced in
England, With varod fol-do-rol Of talk. plot
make up q modern popular d.ama-laa pro-
Gresaod through porhaps couple OF lts acts,
when, in Tho midst Of this comedy. or tragedy, OF
nono-auch, or Whateyos It fA to be Called and to
great muso's mockory of these poor mimas,
comes intorpolatcd that Econo, not realty OF or
actly to bo described at al! (tor OIL tho many
hundreds who wero there It seems to this hour
to llave loft little but passing blur, dream, u
hlotch), ),-hnd yet partially to DO described as /
now proceed TO gtyo it. --.-~-~ .-..-
There ia scera In Tho play representing
modern narlor, In which two Unprecedented En-
gsh lsdics ara informed by the unprecedented
fortune, and therefore undesirable for marrisEe-
catching purposea aftor which, tho commenta
being finished. the lramatto trio make a1It loav-
ing tbs stage clear for moment; There was >
pause. hush ~ II weze: At this period camo
tho murder Of Abraham Lincoln. Great 40 that
Has with all ita manifold train clrclIng round H.
aud stretching into tho future for many . cetl-
.usy !n the politics, history, Art Etc., Of tho New
a! murder. transpiEed With tho quiet and aim |
plictty OF any commonost occurrence o-llle burst
lug at bud or pod In tho growth Of vegetation, !
for instance.
Through the general hum following tho aiago
pAud0h nltA EAoQbo ~ HV9at4Vhot ckC, ChulS |
the tauilled sound OF plstol-shoh which not one
hunlscdth part Of the audience hoard at the timo
aud yet molnent'B Auah-somehow, surely d |
vague. Atartlod thfill-aud thou, through tho |
orna.nentod. dsaperled. starred aud strpod 4
space.way Of the Presidents boz, a auijen /
figure, map, yaisos himself with Anuda aud |
foot, stands moment on tho railing, leaps be-
low 10 tho stage Il distance OF pofhsps Ii or
boot.hasi In tho coplous drapery (tho American
fAgl, falls on one knee. quickly recoyefa him. |
paEf, rises as Il nothing had happened (he realIy
sptsins his ankle. but unfe!t then)-and 10 tie |
back broadcloth, bAse-healed, with = full head !
OF glossy. raven nsir, aud BITS eyes, like somo
mad anima,s, hlehsug With light aud
resolution. yet with = certain strange
hoda al0ft In Qua huud = |
large kulfe.-nalts along not much back from
the fnotliahts, turns fully toward tho audience |
big faca Of atatucsque beauty, lit BY thoss basi-
lisk s7e', aashiDR With deppe1as{op, perhaps IT,