Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1881-07-08
Meeting of the People of staunton.


Notwithstanding the short and imper
fectly circulated notice, Monday after
noon, large crowd of citizens gathered
at the Court House at CLOCK to hold q
meeting for the purpose of expressing their
Indignation at the attempt on the life oil
President Garfield and their sympathy
with his family and friends. Mayor VIM
L. Balthis called the meeting to order and
proposed as chairman, Hon. A. III. H. Stu.
art. which proposition was seconded by
reclamation. Mr.. Stuart on taking the
chair spoke with regret of his having
misunderstood the hour of meeting, and
hence, not having time to marshall his
thoughts to give fitting expression to his
feelings, which doubtless were known by
every member of the audience. But no
preparation was necessary, all felt that a
great calamity had befallen the country.
The President of the United States had
been stricken down in the national capitol
by vile miscreant.
This murderous assault was not merely
a crime perpetrated upon the person of the
President, but was an offence against the
whole people of the United States. He
was the chosen representative of fifty mil
lions of freemen, and when the assassin
made his felonious assault on him he struck
a blow at the whole American people and
indeed against the free institutions of
which he was the Representative. Differ
ing as many of us did with the President
upon political questions we all feel that he
is our President We all concede that he
is man of great intellect and integrity,
We believe that he is true patriot and
we realize that the felonious assault on him
is personal wrong to ourselves.
Mr.. Stuart went on to speak in elo-
quent terms of the sympathy which the
community felt for the illustrious sufferer
and his devoted wife and family, of the
atrocity of the crime as an offence against
social organization and free government
and calculated to almost create distrust
of the institutions under which it was
possible for one mailman to thwart the will
and blight the prospects of whole nation,
and in expressing his horror and detesta-
ton of the crime he said that no punish
ment could be too great for the vile scoun-
drel, who for base purposes could strike
such fatal blow against humanity.
against Republican institutions and
against the cause of freedom throughout
the world. Mr.. Stuart said he would give
way for other speakers.
On motion of Mr.. P. A. Baylor the edi-
tors of the city papers were chosen secre-
taries of the meeting.
Mr.. J. Yost then offered the following
resolutions:
The people of Staunton and vicinity, in common
with the whole country, have heard with profound
grief and amazement Of the attempt take the life
of the President of the United States on the I'd Of
July. The mingled sorrow and Indignation which
have found expression throughout the land, ire
spectve of party Section attest how dear are our
Republican Institutions to the American people,
and in what deep reverence and respect the Chief
Magistrate Of the nation is held. The sad 1nteli-
gence of his having been stricken down by the hand
Of an assassin at the very threshold Of his admins
tration and when the kind and conciliatory spirit
which seemed to dictate his policy was producing
Its first fruits in widespread confdence has stirred
and moved the hearts Of our people with the SINGER
est concern and sympathy.
AS the most appropriate manner in which this
feeling be expressed they have assembled In
public meeting, and therein resolved
That they share in the general sorrow which has
been MANIFESTED at Inc Strange O1SpouSdblOu WHICH,
has thus SO suddenly and tragically stricken down
the Chief Magistrate Of the Nation, and in the in
dignation with which the terrible calamity to the
country Is everywhere regarded.
Whilst deplor1ng the lawless purpose that would
SO shock the appointed forms and supports OF our
institutions, we yet have an abiding faith In the
overruling wisdom Of providence, whose ways are
not as mems ways, and whose dealings with the
children of men, remind that his chastisements
are for our good, although we may not comprehend
them.
That the hearts Of this people and the entire
90 MT n tandAreSt and deepest sympathy
to his stricken and grtef-overwhelmed Wife, with
the earnest prayer that the President may be re,
stored to health, to the associations of home and
family and to the duties Of his high office, to ad-
minister them in the fear Of God. and for she well
fare and happiness Of the American people.
Col. Skinner being repeatedly called for
made short but most happy address in
seconding the resolutions. He could not
say we were all Democrats or we were all
Republicans, but we were all men with
human hearts and these hearts had been
deeply touched and moved to their lowest
depths by the distressful condition of the
President and the grief of the wife and
mother, who just four months ago had
their hearts so gladdened by the high hon
ors which had been conferred upon him who
had now been struck down by the arm of
the assassin. Every Christian man sends
his prayers to God for the preservation OF
that precious life and if it pleased God to
spare that life he would not have suffered
in vain. We had differed but these pas
sions had been allayed. If W.. S. Hancock
aad been in his place he would not have
had one whit more Of sympathy than was
shown for Garfield. The loud applause
that greeted Col. SINNERS remarks
showed that he had but expressed the sen
timents of his hearers.
M. F. White, Esq, responding to loud
calls said he would speak for the young men
of this community. None had acquiesed
more cordially in the verdict of the people
when Garfield was placed in his present
high position than the young men of Vir-
ginia. There was not in the State of Ohio
a citizen who felt more keenly the disgrace
| which had fallen upon the country in the
dastar ily act that had been perpetrated
upon it's chief magistrate, than we here in
| Virginia did. Nowhere was there great
er detestation of the horrible crime. The
heart spoke most when the lips moved not.
Judge McCue being called on said every
sentiment that had been uttered met with
| his hearty concurrence. He had just re
turned from journey and every where he
went wall of sorrow had gone up fol
| the sufferers in this great calamity which
had befallen us. He hoped that it would
not result in the imposition of standing
army upon the country.
Jacob Yost, ESQ.,, being loudly called
for, spoke briefly and eloquently. A toucl
of sorrow, he said, made the world akin
It mattered not what might have been oul
differences, there were no differences now