The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1881-07-16

ccaseleSS play-thC green >Wari. notified
with shifting shadows. never seemed
tairer-the white walls ndpllared port
leo rose proudly in the sunlight. '\au1ht
in Nature minated y that Il great TRACE
dy had been enacted and that a nation $
destiny hun" upon the chances of an as
sasSin bullet.
As we slowly turned, while. with low
voice full Of sympathy. the Justice re-
heated those words of MasSilluu' Won
dertul eulogy. by some subtle association
the brilliant scenes of the 4th of March
were recalled. when Il people .ioyonS and
proud crowded in exultant gladneSs
around their loved and chosen leader.
At THE WHITE HOUSE.
1t was nearly o'clock on Saturday
evening when we left the White House
with distinguished doctor who had been
ali day beside the couch of the President.
Sadly he told us that there seemed no
room for hope, that the symptoms OF the
previous half hour indicated that life
must soon close. and that, while Il coun-
ell had been called to meet at : \. NJ.
there was little probability that he would
be alive at that hour. 1t was with sad
hearts that we took our way.
An hour later returned to the White
House. The scene upstairs WAS Il strik-
ing and memorable one. The secretary $
room, the Cabinet room and the library
were open; beyond the library. but not
communicating with it. is the President S
chamber.
The atmosphere of the home of death
pervaded all the rooms. men spoke i'll low
tones and an air of Solemnity was on
every countenance. The members of the
Cabinet. Col. Rockwell and Gen. Swain.
the gentlemen attached to the private
secretary office, two or three we'll known
correspondents. and two or three persons
who sought the Acknowledgement and
whose presence was reminder that Il
crime had been committed and that the
Attorney General was the law officer of
the government,-thei presence and
whispered talk with the Attnrney-Gen-
eral lent sinister aspect to the scene.
What business had such men in the pri-
vate rooms of the White House? one
asked. and then came the reflection of
the crime-forgotten for moment in the
solemnity of expected death-and the
duty of tracing it. 1t is proper to record
here the fact that in converSlng little
later with the Attorney General. he dis
claimed uttering any idea that there had
been any conspiracy, or that other than
the wretched assassin had either direct
or remote connection with the crime.
How strange all these men looked un-
der the impress of this terrible strain.
The Secretary of State had deathly
! pallor, and his expressive features We're
all heavy with grief. Judge HINT silent.
scornful and stern. Secretary Window,
whose face is ordinarily beaming with
health and kindness. sat alone. with not
trace on his sad face OF the bonhomie
which is his characteristic. The refined,
intellectual features of MacN eagh grew
painfully sharp and stern and old. The
! PoStmaster-Ge General spoke at times with
! MarN eaIh. but was mostly silent and
alone. The Secretary of the Interior sat
| i'll a chair assuming to read most of the
! time. LINCOLN, youngest at the Secre-
taries, and the one to whom the occasion
must have brought memories of those
| bitter moments of sorrow seventeen years
ago, was also reserved and still.
! 1t was wonderful how these men had
grown old since yesterdays day had
wrought in them the usual work of a de-
cade of years Never seemed that verse
! of FestuS so true to me.
! We i've III thoughts, mol years, IN feelings.
J not in figures nu a dial,
Suddenly there VAS !, tlanse--,t was
as if the sun had shot out from behind a
cloud. The faces grew young again, men
! drew together i'll little groups. the low
I hum of conversation arose. The genial
, face of DR.. Bliss and his cheering words
/ had brought a transformation. Men
woke from despair to hope. There had
been a change. The symptoms so threat
ening an hour before were all better. the
pulse then l56, was now 100. E. never
! saw such heroialu. sani III. Bliss
! Every few momeats the doctor brought
better and letter news from the bedside.
( The effect was magical. Secretary Lin
coin sat at table debating or writing a
! dispatch to General Grant, At some
strong expression of hope he said " But
| We must remember. this rise is from a
very low depth. and men shuddered at
/ the thought that perhaps. after all. the
new gain was hut transitory; still hope
/ prevailed, and smiles irradiated the faces
/ a little before sArouded in gloom. Sec
/ rotary Blaine remarked. We'll. five
! Years ago you remember. the doctors all
/ had ME dead. but | got well in spite OF
them. and believe the President is going
to do the same Pardon me, Mr..
Blaine. spuke MI nr. Hiss, jealous for
the repute af the profession; pardon
me, but your recovery was altogether in
accordance with medical teaching and
then went on to tell the Secretary lust
what was the matter with him, why he
was aItaGked and how it was altogether
| en ifgi. for Linn to get well Just as he did.
/ :" on could not move 4 finger or a toe
after you we're stricken down." was re-
/ mark of the doctors which would have
/ etfectVaIly ramoye, any dnphts as to the
severity of the attack in the minds of
any listener. fUg the doctor was in dead
/ earnest.
BY II o'clock most of the most hopeful
3 visitors went home. The next day tSun-
! day. July ,ird, we were ri the White
House again between II and II in the
forenoon with the cheering assurance OF
continued Improvement fgom lir, Bliss,
WHO began tn express hope of the Presi-
dents recovery. Still all day Sunday,
/ late Sunday night and all day Monday
the crowds hung about the gates, cage Fly
/ intercepting every one who came out
Bulletins were issued at intervals. but,
for some reason. the news was confusing.
and SO conflicting from seemingly equally
creaitabl2 sources, apprehension arose,
and al II T. NJ Monday the whole city
believed that the President was dy ing.
OF, as SOME had it, ii;,, already died. =
This explains the Respondent announce
mcnt in the Rfpub'iro" Of Tuesday morn
ing, 1t was not ill few moments be-
fore midnight that ! learned, authorita-
! lively, that he was improving. and, even
then, peacefully sleeping. When this
assurance came. realized how severe
I had been the strain of anxiety. | learn
ed then fur the first time. that the un-
easiness III his feet aud limbs, briefly re-
! ferrfd TO IN the bulletins had been ex-
cruciating suffering. relieved only by
morphine. Tigers Of pain" As the
| President himself eypressiyely charac-
/ tcFized them.
! Since then hopes and fears have alter
| mated, but hope steadily grows. Could
Mr.. Cyrus W. Field and his generous CO.
! subscribers to the fund have seen the
! feeling shown by the friends of the Pres
( ident who Glanced to be in the White
/ House Than Postmaster-General James
annopnced the fact Friday evening,
/ think they would have I'll felt repaid.
| This thoughtful act, worthy the genius
! of the man who laid the Atlantic cable
! is another link to bind the President back
! &C. ljfe- y hen one recalls the calm,
Christian courage Of the President. the
/ patient, hopeful hcroiSni of his noble
wife, the boundless sorrow and sympathy
| of all Americans, the wise actions of his
( Cabinet. prepared for all events the self
control of the people, and this last
thoughtful act of generous appreciation,
| ii is easier TO seq how ont of this terrible
! event God may ardain good.