Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-07-03
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SUNDAY MORNING. July 3, 1851.
What II Signifies.

OF unSOund mind, and prODaDly Is u d
certain degree, but there is such method
in his madness as to create the impres.
sion that he may be quite sufficiently ac-
cOuntable for his actions to achieve and
merit the hangman's moose. He himself
proclaims the moving cause of his act in
declaring that he is stalwart of the
stalwarts, and that the presidents S death
was a political necessity, to unite the
Republican party and save the republic.
The president and vice president are on
different sides in the quarrel in the Re-
publican party, and it was quite obvious
that all that was needed to transfer the
sceptre from the "half breeds to the
I" stalwarts following the remarkable
nomeclature OF the factions in New
YOrk-was Garfield,s death and Ar
thurs Inauguration. The assassin was
impressed with the power which he held
in his hands to change the political sit
uation and to establish the cause of his
friends, and he proceeded to exercise it
under the same reasoning that has ever
inspired the assaSsinS of potentates.
Brutus stabbed Cesar, Booth slew Lin
coin, the Russian Nihilists killed the
Gar, and all believed, or affected to be
lievc, that they were executing 4 patri-
Otic duty. Garfield's assassination is
peculiar in that it is caused by a feud in
his own political party, its instrument,
and those with whom he sympathizes,
having been until within a few weeks
Garfield's partisans, and still claiming
to he of the same party. The crime
shows the intensity Of the Republican
divisions, the antagOnism of the adher.
ents of each being far greater than that
between Democrats and Republicans.
No Democrat, sane or insane, has sought
to slay the president, though every Demo-
crat believes him to have been corruptly
elected. This wrong they patiently ell
dure; while tho victors, quarreling over
the spOiis Of their triumph, are found
resOrting not only to bribery to get the
better of each other, but even conspiring
to drag down man whom they have
honOred with seat in the United States
Senate by bribing strumpet to disgrace
him; and now finally raising the assassin S
pistol against their chosen president and
chief. Bywhich we do notmean to say that
the assassin's deed Was prompted by Or
even known to the Stalwarts whose
cause he sought to aid. There is no reason
now to believe that the act was other
than an individual impulse. But the
Stalwarts get the benefit Of it, if it is
successful in establishing Arthur in the
presidency and there is quite rs much
reason for holding them responsible for
the deed as there ever was for putting
upon the Democratic party or the people
of the South the Odium of Wilkes Booth S
maniacal feat. The death of Lincoln
was successfully seized upon by the Re
publican party To create Il feeling of re-
sentiment in the country against the
South and the Democracy as its
abettOrs and sympathize:s, and the
Stalwarts have no reason to
complain to day il the same measure of
justice which they poured out for their
political foes when Lincoln died, shall
be presented to them if Garfield perishes.
Those chickens will come home to roost.
Innocent as We nave no doubt they are
of any instigation of this great crime,
yet the stigma of the Offcnse will attach
to them if they meet no more merciful
Judges than they showed themselves to
be when it wasn't their OK that WAS be-
ing gored.
The political results of this assassina-
tiOn will be very important, whether
Garfield lives or dies. If he lives his
faction will he greatly strengthened by
the sympathy created for him through
the brutal assault, as well as by the sus-
piciOn of completely in the crime under
which the. Stalwarts will necessarily
fall; their opponents will fan this
breath against them furiously. knowing
how injurious it will he SO that Gar
fields recovery will be very likely to
seal the fate of the Stalwats. But if he
dies then the hour of their triumph has
come. Arthur will become president
without demur, in case his completely in
the murder Of his predecessor is not
made apparent, as we have no belief it
can be, as miserable Il creature as we
consider him to be. He comes up from
the slums of New York to possess the
chief place of power. lie is Il pot house
politician by education and utterly un-
scrupulous and corrupt by nature. lie
is bold as such generally are aud he will
sieze and use the last vestige of the power
in his hands. With all the resources of
the executive in the hands of such chic
of their tribe, clearly the Stalwarts will
wax strong and prosper and the poor
half-breeds will go at once on starvation
allowance. The presidency Of Arthur
would change rs by magic the whole po-
lit ical situation, and turn the Republi-
can party up side down. The country
will have no reason to congratulate it
self upon the change from the mucky
Garfield to the noisomc Arthur. But
the Democratic PARTY must profit from
the utter disgust which the country will
imbibe for Republican men and methods.
WE sorrow with all good citizens and
sympathize with those to whom this
tragedy comes with special terror be.
cause, personally, Mr.. Garfield and his