Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1881-07-05


that the death of the President would
occur before IL P. M.
No further bulletin tonight.
E. V. MURPHY.
THE TERRIBLE TRAGEDY
At Washington, has filled the hearts
Of the whole American people with
sympathy and sorrow, indignation and
1t is fearful thing to
realize that the chief ruler of this great
and free country has fallen at the hand
Of an assassin, in open day. under the
very shadow of the Capitol. Every
heart throbs with sympathy for our
President and his grief-stricken family,
and every thought is turned with ap-
prehension to what the future may have
in store, whether the crime was the re-
suit of insanity, or whether it was in
stigated for some Interior object.
Whichever may be the case, 1t can
with certainty be attributed to no other
cause than the fearful political corrup
ton which characterizes our public
service, and which has made of it an
open field for "spoils" to the greedsest,
least scrupulous, and least honorable of
the community. The miserable Guiteau,
a disappointed place-hunter, says he is
q "stalwart" and considered the Presi-
dents death a political necessity
Was this conclusion merely the result
of disordered brain? We think not.
We agree with the N. Y. World, which
says: "Is it wonderful that a weak brain
like that of the wretched Guiteau should
have been turned by the spectacle which
has for days and weeks been presented
at Albany. When men trick each 9th,
er into offering and into paying brides,
when men spy on each other through
keyholes and over doors, when, in q
word, men abandon everything that is
involved in the idea of civilization and
in the idea of human society for the
purpose OF defeating each other in po-
litical canvass, what can be expected
but that which has happened? Hustled
and Woodin and Sessions and Bradley
and the rest, without the courage of
Guiteau, have encouraged Guiteau to
abandon everything that distinguishes
a savage from civilized man. They
have not rendered themselves liable to
Indictment for capital offense. al
though some of them have rendered
themselves liable to indictment for Of
lenses only less than capital. But all of
them have shown that they regarded
the success or the defeat of "the Admin
istration" as an issue of so great impor.
lance that they were dispensed, in try
ing to settle it, from observing the
usages of civilized men, and were justi-
fiedin relapsiDg into primeval savagery.
No doubt they are surprised and posi-
bly, they are shocked at finding that
Guiteau has bettered their instruction,
and has taken them far more seriously
than they have taken themselves. But
is it in any way wonderful that weak
minded creature should imagine that a
cause which is held by those who en-
gage in it to justify the meanest and the
vilest of social offenses may also justify
the bold r crime of murder?"
In common with the whole people OF
the South, without distinction of party,
we sincerely wish and hope that the
President may be spared to his family
and to his country, which 80 recently
elected him to the highest Office in its
gift, and that he may be strengthened
to carry oct the great and important
duties which his office devolves upon
him, for the good, growth, and advance.
ment of our whole country.
The inspiration of this dastardly deed
is found in the bitter attacks the "Stal-
warts" have been making on the admin
istration. and the Lynchburg Virginids'
well 1.-THE wickedness of this
attempt on the life of the President
must be laid at their door, and nowhere
else. The South had nothing to do
with it. The Democratic party had no
motive to compass the death of the
President, for they could not desire to
bring a creature of Roscoe Conkling
into the Executive Office. And if the
President should die, he will be as sim
cerely mourned in the South as in any
other section of the country. But, in
any event, Stalwart Republicans will
have received q crushing blow, and
Grantism, with all the political pros
poets of Conkling, must perish forever,
and the foul work of that faction be re-
membered only as hideous blot upon
our political history.
Grant and Csnkling will be politically
dead from this hour, because they con-
tributed to that sentiment which has
brought upon the whole country the
terrible disgrace of President assault
ed with intent to kill. in the very capt.
tai of the nation"
The Northern people in their denun-
citation of the democrats of Virginia foE
their imaginary opposition to a free
vote and fair count, fail to recollect that
it was the very people they abuse who
removed the property qualification for
voting, and who voluntarily assumed
the sole burden of the expense of the
free schools several years before they
were required to do SO by the Under
wood constitution.
Sir Edward Thornton, who has, for SO
many years, been minister to the Uni
ted States from the British Government,
has besn recalled by Queen Victoria.