The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1881-07-08
rHE ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION.

sing news OF all flashed across TIE
continent TO the effect that president
Garfield was shot; no other explana'
ton followed. Everybody appeared
Ia contemplate the act with as much
astonishment and deep feelings oi
distress as if a cannon ball had been
l.v.led at and cut off the nearest snd
,,earest of their own kindred.
The news of the first attack on
Fort Sumpter, or the assassination OF
librahaw Lincoln sixteen years ago,
did not fall upon the ears oi the
american people with any less feel
i,,y, of sorrow and forebodings as to
,ic future welfare and prosperity ol
our republic, than did the unwelcome
tniings of that dastardly and murder
ous attack on the life of our presi-
dent.
Later in the evening still more I'M
wel,,ome lidings came that the shot
had proven fatal and he was dead.
II was soon evident that these emo.
tions of sorrow produced by the first
report had seized more firmly upon
everyone as if each was mourner
following some near departed one to
the family grave yard. Such seem
ed TO be the feelings Of everyone re-
gardless of the political ties with
which they had heretofore associated
themselves.
Those lndescribable expressions
I. which were as plainly written upon
the countenance of all with whom we
met as if they were there inscribed
in indelible lines, overwhelmingly ex-
hibited the fact that it was not only a
personal nut national matter and
that while the assassin's aim was at
the heart of our president, yet it was
probably mortal stroke aimed with
no less but greater force at the foun-
dation stone of our long cherished
and beautiful republic. Such express
sions as "What will become of us?''
and "What is to become Of our coun-
try?" and others of Ike nature fell
from the lips of nearly everyone with
whom@ve conversed upon the subject.
A more cheerful telegram however,
came the next day to the effect that
the wounds was dangerous and the
prnsident's condition critical, but
with some hopes of recovery.
The many kilograms which were
sent from all parts of the United
States to the president and his family
expressing the intense feelings OF
grief and sympathy which every
where existed on account of the sud
den calamity which had befallen them
furnishes abundant testimony that
the upright, straightforward and
fearless course of the president to ad-
minister the government with equal
justice to all, has endeared him TO
his people to an extent hardly equal
ed by any before him.
The causes which led thi.. coward
ly vagabond TO commit such a helm
Gus crime are not publicly known any
further than what appears in our dis
patches, and they seem to be found
ell simply on speculation. Chas.
Guitteau the vile wretch who com.
mitted the foul deed, during the pres
ent administration has failed to se-
cure his appointment as u. S. Consul
to Marseilles, France, at the hands OF
the man whom he sought TO destroy.
Different parties who have known
him for years past have regarded
him as half crazed and no doubt since
the tragedy he is trying to play the
crazy dodge. But such is no less the
condition of all men who deliberately
seek to dertroy the life of their fellow
man. Whatever may have been his
former mental condition he had sufi-
cient forethought to contemplate the
consequences which might result to
him for committing the crimc which
he was planning, as is plainly shown
ftom his visiting the Jail and rallows
for the purpose of ascertaining their
condition and no doubt to find a
means of ascape.
The assassination of Abraham Lin
coin was rejoiced at by number OF
persons in the United States, as was
the assassination of the Gar of Rus
sia. While expressions of rejoicing
and satisfaction are permitted to be
made by any of our people, however
small the number may be, at the muir
der of any of our citizens without
the same being punishable as a GRIM
inal offense, there will ever be found
persons demented enough to fall in
with the idea and act as executioner.
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