Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-07-04
THE ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION OF
THE PRESIDENT.

THE ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION OF
THE PRESIDENT.
It Is difficult to discuss ooolly the shock.
ing crime which has spread horror and
CONSERVATION over the whole country, nor
does the fact that the wretched creature
who has thus thrust himself into an abom-
Unable prominence appears to be Of unsound
mind at all mitigate the feeling OF mingled
dismay and helplessnes which the deed is
calculated to produce. The first reflection
which arises upon such an event is that
there can be 10 safety for public men Of
mark, and that at any time the wisest and
bestdevised governmental arrangementsar
liable to be overtnrown and brought to
nought through the morbid fantasy of some
such malignant lunatic as this Guitteau.
But though fuller accounts of the attempt
to assassinate President Garfield have dis
sipated the idea that the crime might have
been the outcome of political conspiracy,
and though there seems no reason to doubt
that the assassin acted altogether upon his
own suggestions, it cannot fail to be per-
ceived that the recent disposition in many
quarters to paIliate or justify resort to as
sassination as remedy for real or fancied
wrongs is indirectly connected with this
atrocious deed. There are periods when
it may be said that the incentives to such
crimes as this are in the air when the
restlessness and feverish irritation of vast
strata of the lower classes Of men in many
countries seem to put forth challenges to
the existing order of things, and menaces
against whatever and whoever represents
authority.
This man Guitteau is evidently one of
the rouslyimpressionable class which,
without fixed principles or convictions of
any kind, and with natural predisposi-
ton to vicious habits of thought and action,
absorb, like sponges, the worst impressions
and suggestions of their time, and not in
| frequently, as in this case, suddenly startle
the world with a practical Interpretation
of what they have thus assimilated. And
while it would be a cruel calumny to assert
that Conkling or his faction are responsible
for the assassination of the President, it is
by no means calumny to say that the
deadlock at Albany, and the quarrel be-
tween Conkling and Arthur and President
Garfield, played very important part in
! the preparation of Guitteau's mind for
| the crime. His exclamation when he was
arrested, 81 am a stalwart, and this makes
Arthur President, together with the let
ter he had written to General Sherman,
conclusively indicate that he had been
brooding over the political situation, and
that his sympathy with Grantism had led
him to determine upon the assassination.
1t may therefore be said with perfect
truth that but for the Albany episode the
attempt to murder President Garfield
would not have been made But it will
not do to stop at this inference. Other
causes, already limited at, unquestionably
influenced the mind of Guitteau, and dis.
posed it toward the adoption OF the in
famous plan which was so nearly success
full. 1t is probably not too farfetched
suggestion that the assassination Of
President Lincoln may have had marked
effect upon this man. 1t is well known
that all great crimes tend to reproduce
their like. 1t must also be remembered
| that attempts to assassinate rulers have
been very frequent within the past ten
years, and that the murder of the EN-
peror of Russia occurred but the other
day. Add to the effect Of these examples
the pernicious influence of many American
| journals, which have been in the practice
OF excusing or even approving these
crimes, on the sophistical ground that
people who are oppressed or think them
selves oppressed have right to avenge
themselves in any way. We have seen
American journals openly applaud the
assassination of Irish landlords also, and
the Irish-American papers have for long
time employed language in this regard
eninently calculated to delude weak
minds into the belief that murder might
be even praiseworthy.
The spread of Communism, the constant
attacks upon prominent and wealthy men,
the scarcely. disguised intimstions that all
who have risen above the common herd
are fair targets for envious and malignant
incapacity, the demagogue efforts to Gre
ate and foster class animosities, and to
make political weapons out of the Unequal
ties of social position, have each and all
tended to create false and dangerous ideas
in feeble intelligences, and to that extent
! have become serious assaults upon the
wellbeing of society. 1t cannot be doubted
that these influences have helped to mold
the purpose of the assassin Guitteau, and
the reflection must convince the American
people of the frightful dangers which are
incurred by a too liberal Interpretation of
the privileges of freedom. 1t is great
shock to the national pride to find that in
this free country the President, chosen by
the suifrages of his peers, and honored
and respected by the whole country, is no
more safe from the bullet of the assassin
than is the autoeratic Emperor of Russia,
but it is by no means certain that the
American people are free from blame in
tolerating the RIGHTEOUSNESS of publication
and utterance which has of late been SO
conspicuous Characteristic OF part of the
press.
1t may indeed be said that it is impossi-
bic to guard against the outbreaks OF in
sanity, and that the meanest wretch may
at almost any time and under almost any
circumstances, strike down our noblest and
best in our midst. To certain extent
this is true. The freaks of maniacs are
not governed by ordinary rules, and can
not be forecast or prevented. But when it
is seen that the particular form of insanity