The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1881-07-07
THE ASSASSIN
THE PRESIDENT STILL LIVES.
The Lesson of the Hour.

The first impression of bad news like
that which so shocked the world on Sa-
turday, is an unwillingness to accept it as
truth, and benumbing sense of the nm
possibility of meeting such calamity.
Faith for the time is dazed and gropes in
temporary blindness for its anchor. 1t
has seemed impossible to go on with the
ordinary duties of life, and mirth or sounds
of revelry were wholly out of place and in
illaccord with the almost universal gloom.
In the face of such an event life seems
doubly insecure; worldly honor and am
bition of so little worth; great hopes so
vain, and joy in anything so transient.
Every representative family of our Re
public feels a keen sense Of sorrow in
sympathy with the stricken household at
the Presidential mansion. Every true
husband and wife feels a personal grief for
the terrible shadow resting over that de-
voted pair who so happily illustrate the
beauty of conjugal suitability, faithfulness
and affection.
-Four months ago, with what interest to
luc COuutIl WAS uCSCElDCO tl1C
at Mentor, the journey to the Capital, the
Inauguration and the installment of Presi-
dent Garfield - already honored, loved,
trusted-in the chief place of the nation
The cares that beset him thereafter; the
clamor for situation and for appointment;
the jealousy of defeated candidates, and
the persecution of those whom he could
not satisfy; the serious illness of his be
loved wife, and now his own assassination,
are, all together, sad and striking com.
mentary on the mutability of earthly joy
and success. And this is one of the les
sons taught by the sad events of the week
The country cannot now foresee the out
come. What deeply laid and wicked
schemes may have helped to the result
and yet to be explained and understood
we cannot tell. We hope there are none
more responsible than the poorly y-endowed
but wicked wretch who fired the deadly
weapon. Blest are they who bear in mind
in the midst of all the doubt, anxiety and
sorrow, that "The Eternal God is 6
refuge" that underneath are the ever
lasting arms" that amid so much that il
perishing and untrustworthy, there il
always One who is reliablel
Aiming to make this free country, il
it not a little too free? Much that i!
| called liberty is only license. This coun
try has become the dumping ground O
the irresponsible and the incendiary popu
lation of all nations. With Nihilism
| Communism, and all the elements of pau
perism among many of these new citizens
it is . serious question how much is gaineC
and how far it is safe to welcome all thes'
and make no notifications in our Repub
lican laws, and institute no oprecautions OF
their account. We do not claim that al
the Unbalanced, vicious and improviden
are an importation; but we are having to-
many accessions to the number of ou
lunatics and fools, and too frequent proc
of what dangerous element they are. /
is humiliating to know how unsafe is tn,
life of any prominent man whose public
| duty obliges him to go contrary to tn,
selfish desires of the unscrupulous and til,
revengeful. There is no liberty withoC
freedom to do right.
Presidential honors cheaper in the ligh
of personal risk. The mother of tn,
stricken Chief Magistrate has lived to finC
| great bitterness in her rounded cup o
joy. Fifty thousand a year is no compen
sation for the breaking up of a happy
home and the anguish and suspense o
that family in this one week, not to speal
of what may follow. We need to lear
how to make human life safer; how to re
strain lawlessness and crime; how to pro
tect the men upon whom we place grea
responsibilities.