The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-09-21
PRRsIDERT ARTHUR.

Only a fool or crazy man woulc
envy the lot of Chester A. Arthur
When the assassin, after firing the
htsI bullet, exclaimed 81 did it.
am stalRart and Arthur is Tow
President" he struck the Vioe-Pres.
dent blow from the effects of which
ne has not yet recovered, and which
may consign him to a grave in which
3hers is no glory. Had the President
died at the Washington depot, or even
q few days after receiving the wound,
Arthur might far better have changed
places with him. The lingering OF
the President has been a most
Fortunate circumstance for the vice
president. Il has given him an op
porsunity to prove TO the world that
De had no hand in the assassination,
directly or indirectly; to show that his
desire for the President to live was
greater than that Of any other man;
70 manifest as deep and heartfelt
sympathy as any could feel; to prove,
m fact, that he was bigger and a
better man than the public had
thought him to be. Arthur's course
previous to the assassination made
that deed peculiarly distressing to
Aim in more ways than one. II ne
had been less of q man the shot would
have done more for him than take
ais life, for it would have made him
pdious and Infamous in the sight of
ais eountrymen, more hated than
even Guitteau is. The conduct of the
Vice. President since the ID of July,
has been brave, manly and in every
respect above reproach. It has won
She warmer esteem of his friends and
9xcited the admiration OF his enemies.
Of the cloud which burg over him
sleven weeks ago bn: thin shadow
remains, and that he bids fairly to
aispel.
But the country should 60 to his
assistance, with its respect. Its conf
asnce and its hearty support. He
ought not to be placed on trial as q
person against whom suspicion rests,
and who was expected to prove his
snnocense of a crime of which every
BODY knows he is absolutely guiltless,
morally as well as physically. Pub.
io opinion, that keenest and cruelest
Of censors, should deal with him no
more severely, nor indeed with such
sharpness as it displayed in the cases
oithe other accidental Presidents.
To aid him in his trying situation
should be the aim of all loyal citi-
1sns of the Republic. We believe
this will be the inclination of the pee
pie and the politicians, for it is
clearly to the interests of all to hold
up his hands, and help him to bear
ahe load which he did not seek and
1hich he would gladly shift to other
shoulders were it possible to do SO.
Never has a President gone into
office under more trying ciroum :
stances than those which surround
Mr.. Arthur. His past associations
preclude the possibility of acting
with the entire freeIom that should
be the Presidents. he cannot with
absolute independence. at the sans
time showing due regard for certain
conditions and things that he will be
expected to observe, even choose the
constitutional aids and advisers that
he prefers. He will necessarily feel
himself fettered or hedged about
fer time at least. and
will realize that where his
own ideas conflict with certain
others he must make his conform to
those. In palmer terms President
Arthur, in order to be successful in