The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-07-04
Tho .Iutelngrmccr's" Ld'IOriHl.O ON LIn
COINS AAsASSiHHttOR'

EMD NInlelltktictFh Nv wa AAN
COIu's demonstrations.
April II, 1865.
We nave no words to express the thrill
of horror which ran through this COmmu-
nifty las, Saturday morning on the receipt
1ithe news announcing the murder OF the
rlesident on the night previous in a
Washington theatre. Menseemed stunned
and utterly di4possessed OF any ability to
Io or say anything commensurate with
their silent feelings over the news. The
sensation was the prOioundest we ever
sltaessed. A great spell Of depression per.
yaded tho streets III the course Of an hour.
Bisiness uaa almost totally suspended.
Nearly every hOuse in the city bore the
Insignia Of mourning, The principal
places were heavily drapod 10 black. And
all this Wac done loo without concert, and
ea IL wore by one spontaneous impulse
Sad countenarGes throngad the streets by
hnndfeds, and IN low tones people paid
each other the usual sAlnLstions. MelAn.
cholly literally aud truly brooded over the
whole city.
Aud why WAsRlI this? |. vas not u mere
ritco Of iormality. 1t wRs not q mere out
ward token Of respect to the slain Chief
Magistrate Of the nation. There WAS u
personality ia IL that deeply affected the
oyuu,ar heart here Ne everywhere through.
out tho land. Abraham Lincoln Is
mlnrned more Tidely, more deeply, more
incOuplitbiy than sny Of his predecessors
IN the Presidential chair. The m1n him
seli, not pss than The unprecedented cir.
clm4'aEGes 0i hls administration, and the
Appalling manner OF his death, appealed
70 the popular heat for an %Oltpouring OF
Hympatnlzing testimonial. But one Presi.
.is0t Of the United States has been so sim
cerely respected by friend and Toe and 80
icryentiy loved III his own day by the vast
bndy Of the people as Abraham Lincoln.
or him we can say, as Of Washington,
that no was first In the hearts Of his coun.
trymen He 10 only SECOND In point OF
time to the father of his country. Had
there been no Homer until Milton, then
Milton would have been Homer" Had
there been no Washington until Abraham
Lincoln then would the latter have II.
lns.rated IN himself alone the beauty,
greatness and simplicity OF character that
becomes an American Chief Magistrate.
Vel may the people mourn Tor the
great UOmmoner. He has fallen midway
IN hts career. lie war not struck down
like Cesar in the Capitol for his lust oil
power. The same hand that hRs been so
ioug raised to deal a fatal blow 10 the
country, and that has struck down so
many 1l our nobleat and-best, has at last
lhid low the chosen chief. Slavery, trea'
salt and assassination eliminated 10 the
ACT. Alore than ever all these will hence
for h he AcCursed OF mankind.
"WhOn llB Gods wish 10 destroy they
tirsl dement," II would seem as II It was
Gou'y will that the whole spirit aud sub
staLCe Of the rebellion should BIO utterly
destroyed from of the laCe Of the earth.
Who. can say that such may not have been
the providence involved in this CrimeP
VINO Can say but that we were drifting
too awlltly TO an unreal conclusion Of this
wal? Who can say but that some such
terrible aud awful event was needed to
awaken the nation to a full conception oil
the remaining work before 1t?
We think VI Abraham Lincoln as oi
Moses, that man oil God who led Israel
nssr'y into the Promised Land. His
patience, bis meekneBs, his wisdom, did
their appointed work. Yet he did not
load the people NCrOas the jordan. To
another the completion Of the journey
var committed. From II human stand.
point no man can Eee why Abraham Lin.
coin should have fallen III such a manncr
and at such a timO. il 1t be that High
Heaven rules and ovSrfnleJ In all the
affairs OF men, from the greatest to the
least, for Unsuitable purposes OF good,
may We uOt Bee in what has been done u
new firing up Of the national heart against
everything Subsidiary to the rebellion?
To ~perpetrate such a deed at this time
vas apparently the ono altogether suiCi.
iGI thing which the Evil Spirit OF the
rebellion could suggest. It's effect upon
the country will be as a warning that no
PniIlistia be left Within our borders. The
blord OF Abraham Lincoln will cry TO
Heaven aud in the ears Of the people.
The LOYAL States will be a unit as never
beIoTe All OhtisteudUm too will be a
INIT with them. The world will say,
perish utterly oil and everything respOn.
sible for such a henious crime against
h~,naniiu