Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-07-17
The Presidents Mothsr.

Qese mas Dc6H no HloIe SlSuiAccut
point in The history Of the tragedy at
Washington to the waiting, breathless
nation, than the part which his wife and
mother have borne in it. Millions of
men and women to whom the President
was really but vague name a symbol of
power, and General CART Id perhaps a
political enemy have felt their hearts
throb and eyes fill at the thought of the
fair and delicate woman, s. dear t. him,
whom he had with his own hands jus
faithfully nursed back from the borders
the grave Fastening to him OH the flying
train to hold him ia her weak arms. to
help him with her prayers and love ia his
long and heroic fight with death. The
sight brings the " hite House down to
level with the poorest cabin in which there
is love and faith and makes its inmates
the kin Of every household in the land.
Nobody has forgotten, too how in the
| day of his inauguI alton when he took the
cath VIII CHI made him ruler of fifty mill
lions of people. he quickly turned ON
the waiting diploma lists bearing the con
gratulaIions of all other rulers and from
the app auding crowds to little, plainly
| dressed, white haired woman seated be-
hind him stopped annd reverently kissed
her. 1t was his mother. Yesterday he
news of his assassination which had been
kept from he was broken to her by her
daughte. She heard it with kind of
stunned amazt nent "How uld any
body be 50 cold-h arted as to kill my
baby? she said.
He was a soldier 70 others; patrio',
the representative of a cettain far reach
ing natl nal policy; to the world beyond,
the chosen ruler of a mighty teople. But
he was only her baby " st IL to he !;
flames " who as she 80 often while in
Washington said with simple dignity
"has always been a good boy" 1T does
not seem 50 long ago 20 her since she held
him in her arms, or train"d him to be a
true obpdient son. He might command
millions Os people OF every race and coun-
try. dut he still obeyed the ged, tremb ing
woman who. when she heard Of his cruel
wounds cried out, Lord hep me!
"The sword en- cred her own soul ALSO"
There is not home in the land, we
venture to say, where the agonized cry of
this feeble mother will be heard without
profound emotion. Beyond everything
else, the American is a domestic home
loving man. He is a politician, a stalwart
Democrat, but he is first of all and under
all a son, husband and father His ruler
will never be to him as to the European, q
tyrant vague power separated from, him by
such gulf of differing rank and interests
that he hardly recognizes him as human.
To the American, whatever his prejudice
against the principles of his chief ruler, he
is brother man standing side by side with
himself, on one level, with the same feelings
hopes, affections. Hence the unspeakable
horror with which the news of Saturday
was received by the whole nation as by one
man. America can never adopt policy of
assassination like Russia or Ireland The
Republican, the Democrat, the very man
who the day before with all the fury of
party zeal would have exhaulted Garfield as
demigodor cursed him as his enemy stood
alike appalled, at the murder of the man a
man, too, whom they believed honest,
brave and true. If they had known him to
be false and base their horror would have
been the same. Hence the confidence now
felt by all classes that the deed WAS the
work of an individual, not band of con-
spirators. No party in America will ever
join together to make murder trade. II
will never be necessary for our Chief
Magistrate to seclude himself behind barred
doors and sentinels, like the prisoner at
Gatschina, or to go abroad surrounded by
guards, in order to protect himself against
Americans. Against nend-or1Ven lnolVld
uals, like Booth and Guiteau, no care car
protect any man. But against the violence
of party hate, the Unborn American trait il
the very men who hate him of respect TO,
his humanity, his mother, his wife, for al
! the sanctities of life, will always prove his
sure rampant and defence.
Yet while the nation stands with aweo
heart and barred head beside that couch OF
pain and mortal danger, it cannot wash its
,, hands in innocency of his blood Americans
will never become assassins, but they are
r Office seekers, greedy and voracious; they
are factious politicians, savage and unscru
pulous; and James Garfield fell martyr te
these national vices. From the day of his
nomination, his quiet home was evaded and
. ruined by the merciless hordes he has
struggled with them ever since, and it wa,
a disappointed ofice-seeker, set on fire by
, faction, who fired the murderous shot. Az
; his old mother weeps over her "good boy, >
and waits-if such be the will of God-te
lay him to rest for the last time, the coun
J try which is given up to political greed
: cannot hold itself guiltless of her sufferin g
and his.
The LfEhtn ng Rod n IN.