Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1880-07-02
GARFIELD'S POWER.
A Reone I'm Now YORK City the
Morning After President Lin
coins Assassination.


the intellectual and moral power O
the Republican nominee for the Presi
dency over 3 surging and maddened
crowd. l shall never forget the frst
time l saw Gen. Garfield. II was the
morning after President Lincoln's as.
sassination. The country was excited
to its utmost tension, and New York
City seemed ready for the scenes Of the
French Revolution. The intelligence Of
Lincoln's murder had been flashed by
this wires over the whole land. The
newspaper headlines of the transac-
ton were set up in the largest type,
and the high crime was on every one'a
tongue. Fear took possession Of men q
minds as to the fate of the government,
for in few hours the news came on
that Stewards throat was cut, and that
attempts had been made upon the lives
Of others Of the Government officers.
Posters were stuck up everywhere in
great black letters, calling upon the
citizens Of New York, Brooklyn, Jersey
City and neighboring places to Rmeet
around the Wall Street Exchange and
give expression to their sentiments. 1t
was dark and terrible hour.
What might come next no one could
tell, and men spoke with bated breath.
The wrath Of the workingmen was
simply uncomfortable, and revolvers
and knives were in the hands of thous-
ands Of Lincoln's friends, ready, at
the first opportunity, to take the law
into their own hands, and avepge the
death Of the martyred President upon
any or all who dared to utter a word
against him, IL o'clock a. m. was the
hour get for the rendezvous. Fifty
thousand people crowded around the
Exchange Building examining and jam
ming the streets, and wedged in as
tight as men could stand together.
With few, to whom q special favor
was extended, went over from Brook
Ign at Q a. M, and, even then, with
the utmost difficulty, found way to the
reception room for the speakers in front
Of the Exchange Building, looking
out on to the high and massive balco-
ny, whose front was protected by
heavy iron railing. We sat in
soiemnity and silence, waiting for Gen.
eral Butler, who, it was announced,
had started from Washington, and was
either already in the city or expected
every moment. Nearly a hundred
generals, Judges, statesmen, lawyers,
editors, clergymeu, and others were
in that room waiting Buffers arrival.
We stepped out to the balcony to
watch the fearfully solemn and sway
ing mass Of people. Not a hurrah was
heard, but for the most part dead ST.
lence, or a deep, ominous muttering
ran like rising wave up the street
toward Broadway, and again toward
the river on the right. AT. length the
batons of police were seen swinging in
tho air, far up on the left, parting the
crowd and pressing it back to make
way for carriage that novel slowly,
and with difficult jcgs, through the
multitude. Suddenly the silence was
broken. and the cry of "Butler!" "But-
ler!" "Butler" rang out with tremsn.
dous and thrilling effect, and was taken
up by the people. It was the cry of a
great people, asking to know how their
President died. The blood bounced in
our veins, and the tears ran like streams
down our faces.
How it was done forget, but Butler
was pulled through, and pulled up,
and entered the room where we had
Just walked back to meet him. A
broad Grape, yard long, hung from
his left arm-terrible contrast with the
countless flags that were waving the
nations victory in the breeze. We first
realized then the truth of the sad news
that Lincoln was dead. When Butler
entered the room we shook hands.
Seine spoke, some couldn't. All were
in tears. The only word Butler had
for us all, at the first break Of silence
was "Gentlemen, he died in the full
ness Of his fame" and, as he spoke it,
his lips quivered, and the tears ran fast
down his cheeks.
Then, after few moments came the
speaking. And you can imagine the
effect as the Grape futtered in the wind
while his arm was uplifted. Dickin-
son, Of New York State, was fairly
wild. "The old man lsaped over the
iron railing Of the balcony and stood
on the very edge overhanging the
crowd, gesticulating in the most vehe-
ment manner, and next thing to bid
ding the crowd to burn up the Rebel
seed, root aud branch, while a bystand-
or held his eost-tails to keep him
from falling over. By this time the
wave of popular indignation was at its
crest. Two men lay bleeding on one of
the side streets-the one dead the other
dying; one on the pavement, the other
in the gutter. They said moment
before that Lincoln ought to have been
shot long ago = They were not allow
ed to say it again. Soon two long
pieces Of seantling stood out above the
heads of the crowd, crossed at the top
like the letter y, and q Topped halter
pendant from the junction, 8 dozen
men following its slow motion through
the masses, while Vengeance was
the cry. On the right, suddenlysthe
shout rose, 'The World = 'The World!
sThe Office of the World = 'World!'
sWorld!' and movement Of perhaps
5000 or 10000 turning their faces in
the direction of thai building, began 70
be executed"
1t was critical moment. What
might come no one could tell, did that