The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-07-03

1kNA aHN
the b)asG OF the Anglo'Sa1pn race that 1t
was q crime so clwardly and treacherous
in ia conception and execution that it
could never domo3ticate among the m,
Bat already three times in the history OF
this great Auglo.SaKon nation it has raised
its concealed hand to strike a deadly blow
at the chosen head OF the government
and twice 1t has succeeded in accomplish.
ing Its fell purpose. Gen. Jackson, our
sixth President, was singled out Tor its
first victim, bu! happily he esc ped, Not
90 with ADRIAN Lincoln, our sixteenth
President, who was cruelty murdered in
this presence Of bis. vile on the night Of the
l4:h OF April, 1866. by the asssssin's hand.
The thrill OF horror that perVAded this
country and the civilized world over that
act was such that no one looked Tor its
occurrence in our land again, aud least Of
oil In the lifetime OF the anne generation
that had Witnessed that Infamous deed.
But in this most reasonable expectation
the nation has been sadly deceived and
disappoiuted. Yesterday the foul deed
was repeated. Again it singled out, as in
the case OF Abraham Linceln, a citizen
who least Of all his fellow citizens, in
virtue OF all his manly Antecedenta, and OF
his grand careeI and OF al hiS nsb!e
qualities OF head and heart, should have
been selected for such a hideous assault.
The hand oil the assassin might well have
epSred lanes A Garfield, a man OF the
people, like the great and good Lincoln,
all Of whose lie and all Of whose symps
thies were in accord with the people and
who, take him all in all, wss the tiaCs;
specimen OF highly cultured yet sell made
American manhood ever called 10 the
executive chair.
This man had mover in bis long public
career said "a word or done an act that
could invite the vengeance Of any human
being, Ills life has bsen singulNrly free
from all broils aud personal Vaccinations.
Although In every senSe q manly man,
yet the mental and moral elements were
so mixed up in him that gentlenesa, SYM
patty, generosity and selt.saCriilCe were
among his best known characteristics.
He had the loVo and respect OF the people
Of his district to as great an extent as was
ever enjoyed by any public man In this
country. Those who knew him best were
most devoted to him. He was mAgnRni.
nous, not given to resentmentB, but lofty
and Chivalrous In oil his instincts and bear.
Ing towardsh his fellow men. These were the
qualities that made him universally re.
speCted In Congress, by both sides Of the
House, To strike down such a man was
: crime without palliation, and enough to
stir the blood In the heart Of the bitterest
political opponent to i quick expression
Of sympathy, even without regard to the
horror and detestation that every right
minded man must feel for the CoWardly
deed that laid him low,
, AS we write II is not known what the
night will bring forth as regards the fate
Of the President. The very latest reports
are more hopeful. He has yet a chance
TO live ard fulfil his high mission. But
The deed iS o ne the less one OF horror.
He Is the victim Of a creature Crazsd by
disappointment an an office seeker. AT
least this is the charitable view to take Of
II at present. We cannot believe that the
deed has any wider or deeper s~ignihcauCe.
We refuse to believe that any responsible
COnspirator turks behind II. We have not
como to that In this free country. II we
have, God help us for the dark aud dre4ry
future that Is before us. OF all crimes
that could possibly be committed on
American soil the assassination Of a Ptesi.
dent Is at once the wiCkedest and siIliest
What Is the Presldent2 lie IL simply for
the short space Of four years the mere in,
Btrument that executes the will Of the
people as expressed through their chosen
representatives. lie Is nothing Of
himself rs the maker OF a law. lie
has no power except to execute what
the people have deCreed. lie HEcps
down aud out at the end Of his term
and takes his place again in the ranks Of
the people. Every two years tho people
have an opportunity TO change their laws
and instruct him RB 10 their execution.
Under what conceivable form Of govern.
ment could there be such All utter wpnt
OF an exclse for violence, and leass Of all
for violence against the Inali who has no
other function than that Of an executive
officer? The crime Is NJ once an absufdity
and an anomaly under a popular form
Of government. A man must he q lunatiC
indeed who seeks redress by the Rssassinn.
ton Of a President. His deed must fail Of
its object. 1t Is only calculated to revolt
the people against the deed and all its
possible political objects. Hence no man
Of sense would contemplate II for a mo.
ment as a remedy for any Ill.
But think Of such a deed in times like
the present. The country Is at peace
with itself and all the world, and in the
midst Of unprecedented prosperity. No
man Is unemployed who seeks labor. The
President, through the Treasury Depart.
ment, has ist lifted, by a stroke Of llnan.
clal sagacity never equalled in this GOV.
eminent, a burden Of debt amounting to
many millions Of intetes. per annum from
the shoulders OF the people. There was
every reason in Common senseand common
gratitude why every friend OF the people
Al . ,.t N--NN III. -.