Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-02-23

time of his assassination, from forth.
coming book by Walt Whitman, has
never before been published:
The day, April IA, 1865, seems to
have been u pleasant one throughout
the whole land-the moral atmosphere
pleasant, too-the long storm, so dark,
SO fratricidal, full Of blood, over and
ended at last by the sunrise of such an
absolute national victory, and utter
breaking down Of secessionism-we al.
most doubted our own senses! Lee
had capituiated beneath the apple tree
of Arpomattox. The other armies,
the fanges of the revolt, swiftly tol-
lowed. I'D
And could it really be, then? Out
of all the affairs Of this world of woe
and passion, OF failure and disorder
and dlsmay, was there really come the
confirmed, unerring sign Of plan, like
shaft of pure light Of rightful rule
of God?
But [ must not dwell on accessories.
The deed hastens. The popular after
noon paper, the little Eyening Star,
had spattered all over it's third page,
divided among the advertisements in
sensational manner, in hundred diff
ferent places. The President and
his lady will be at the theatre this
evening (Linco!n was fond of the
theatre. [ have myself seen him there
several times. | remember thinking
how funny It was that be, in some re-
spects, the leading actor in the great
est aud stormiest drama known to real
history's stage, through centuries,
should sit there and be SO completely
interested and absorbed in those hu-
man jack k-straws, moving about with
their silly little gestures, foreign spirit,
and fatuIent text)
So the day, as l say, was propitious.
Earlv herbage, early flowers, were out.
q remember where l was stopping at
the time, the season being advanced,
there were many lilacs in full bloom. BY
one Of those caprices that enter and
give tinse to events without being at
all a part Of them, find myself always
reminded of the great tragedy of that
day by the sight and odor of these
blossoms Itnever fails(
On this occasion the theatre was
crowded, many ladies in rich and gay
costumes, officers in their uniforms.
many well-known citizens, young folks,
the usual clusters Of gaslights, the US
ual Magnetism of so many people
cheerful, with perfumes, music of vio-
lins and fues-(and over all, the sat
urating all, that vast vague wonder,
Victory, the Nations Victory, the
triumph of the Union, filing the air,
the thought, the senses, with exhilera.
tion more than all perfumes.)
The President came betimes, and,
with his wife. witnessed the play, from
the large stage boxes of the second
tier, two thrown into one, and profusc-
ly draped with the national flag. The
acts and scenes of the piece-one Of
those singularly witless compositions
which have at least the merit of Civ
ing entire relief to an audience engag-
ed in mental action or business excite
ments and cares during the day, as it
makes not the slightest call on either
the moral, emotional, esthetic, or spir-
ltual nature-a piece ("Our American
Cousin' in which, among other char
acters, SO called, a Yankee, certainly
such one as was never seen, or the
least like it ever seen in North Ameri-
ca, is introduced in England, with
varied fol-de-rol of talk, plot, scenery
and such phantasmagoria as goes to
make up modern popular drama-had
progressed through perhaps couple of
It's acts, when in the midst of this
comedy, or tragedy, or non-such, or
whatever it is to be called, and to off
set it or finish it out, as if in pature's
and the great muses. mockery of these
poor mines, comes interpolated that
scene, not really or exactly to be des-
cribed at all (for on the many hun.
dreds who were there it seems to this
hour to have left little but passing
blur, dream, a blotch) and yet par
TALLY to be described as now proceed
to give it.
There is scene in the play repres-
enting modern parlor, in which two
unprecedented English ladies are in.
formed by the unprecedented and i'm
possible Yankee that he is not man
of fortune, and therefore undesirable
for marriage catching purposes; after
which the comments being finished.
the dramatic trio make exit, leaving
the stage clear for a moment. There
was pause, hush as it were. At
this period came the murder of Abra-
ham Lincoln. Great as that was. with
all its manifold train circling round it.
and stretching into the future for many
q century, in the politics, history, art.
&c. OF the New World, in point of