New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1877-02-21
THE RESPONSIBILITY.

The RESPONSIBILITY,
Upon whom rests the responsibility of
the recent attempt to assassinate Gov
ernor Packard? that is the question. The
Democratic theory on the subject, or
rather the stand which the party is to
take, was Immediately published through
the columns of the Picayune and the dis
patch of Mr.. Nichols. The assassin is to
be regarded as a mailman; the Democratic
party to be exonerated from all share in
the responsibility of his murderous at
tack, and the verdict, 'No one to blame,
to be accepted as the solution of the mys-
terry. Will an impartial public receive
this as conclusive? Hardly. The exam
ination must go much deeper, much fur
Their. For, even if we assume that the
man was not an agent of the secret, oath
bound league whose fell mandate decreed
the death of DR.. Dinkgrave, but simply a
lunatic or an enthusiast, impelled to his
bloody attempt by his own insane fan
cies-what then? How came his fancies
to take that homicidal turn? He is not a
citizen of Louisiana; he has never suf-
fered under the so-ealled ills of "carpet-
bag misrule;" he never saw Mr.. Packard
until a moment before that when his
deadly weapon was leveled at his breast.
How came it that to his crazy notions
that particular death should seem the
proper cure for the political ills of "the
SOUTH" If such were indeed his frantic
thought, was it not because the political
atmosphere surrounding the Democratic
party of this section for years past has
been filled with the germs of murderous
thoughts; for months past has been re-
sounding with the echo of murderous
threats?
Such was the state of feeling in France
in the days of Henry ", when the
league, infsmed by religious and political
hate, had vowed his destruction. Not
withstanding his having become Catholic;
Notwithstanding the wisdom of his rule,
and the glory thrown on France by his
military achievements, the malign spirit
of the league directing the dagger of the
fanatic, Ravillac, ultimately struck him
down.
Such. likewise, was the morbid condi-
ton of moral sentiment produced later
in the same country during the reign of
terror, inspiring the heroic heart of the
gentle Charlotte Corday with the sanguin-
airy scheme of saving the lives of many by
the killing of one. But why need we go to
olden times or distant countries for in
stances of homicidal patriotism" seek
ing the salvation of its country or section
by means of assassination? The murder
of President Lincoln furnishes an example
close at hand, That murder was the
crowning fruit of the rebellion.
1t gratifed the hate of thousands, who,
though they would never have taken part
in such a deed themselves, yet secretly
exulted in it. The pistol of Booth was
steadied in its aim by the support of
Southern sympathy-not universal, far
from that-but sufficiently spread to mis-
lead an enthusiast as to the moral nature
of the act; to throw around it the glamor
of herolsm.
So in the case of the attempt to take the
life of Governor Packard. If the would
be assassin was fanatic, acting not as
hired bravo, not as an oath-bound agent
of $685." but simply on his own mad i'm
pulse, that fact does not absolve the party
whose tea chings and example have made
violence and murder the code in political
warfare.
When Henry H., of England, enraged
at the courageous stand taken by Thomas
a-Becket exclaimed, passionately, sis
there not one among all my knights and
mobiles who will rid me of this pestilent
PRIEST" he was held responsible for the
murder that followed. So, likewise, will
they be held responsible for the attempted
assassination of Governor Packard, who
have started the cry, Packard never
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