Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-12-28
Guitsa.,s caristmas ersetinq.

Guitedu's Christmas Greeting.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 27.-The following is the
document prepared by Guiteau Monday, and
furnished for publication tonight:
Christmas greeting, 1881. By Charles Gui
teau. To-day is Christmas, and | greet the
American people with a merry Christmas
Last Christmas l was in New York. | was
boarding in a irst-class house, and was finely
dressed. l attended church and had quite a
pleasant day. Two years ago was IN Bos-
ton, but was not So well
fed or clothed. Was on theology. There is
no money in theology. l left ST. 900 law
business in Chicago, in 1877, for theology l
went into theology to serve the land and
preach the gospel. l had about as much
trouble to get in my work on theology as
Paul did. He hungered, AID thirsted and was
naked, and had no csrtaIn dwelling place, but
he preached gospel as he understood 1t, al
though he had hard time. Since he left the
earth his work and name have come down the
ages. Christ aud Paul did their work
and left the result with the Almighty Father
and do the same
Christmas, 1878, was in st. Louis. was
in very reduced circumstances. had been on
theology year. had spent year travelling,
mostly in the east, trying to preach the gospel
by lecturing and selling my lectures IN Wash
ington, New York; Boston, Chicago and other
cities. felt the Lord had put this work on
me, and did the best l could. ! had no
friends and little money. Christmas, 1877, |
spent in Philadelphia. | was well
fed and clothed and was trying to lecture 4.
Christmas 1915 l was IN Chicago, and was
working with Mr.. Moody aad writing my lee
ture on Christ's second coming, A. D 1873.
To-day, Christmas, suffer in bonds as a
patriot, but I am in honorable company.
Washington was patriot; Grant was pa
triot. Washington took the armies of the
revolution through eight years of bloody war
to victory and glory; Grant led the armies of
the Union to victory and glory; and to-day the
nation Is prosperous and happy. ,ibI Tbey
" Round the Flag, Boys" and
thousands of the choicest sons of the re-
public went forth to battle, to victory or death.
Washington and lGrant, by their valor and
success in war, won the admiration of man
kind. To-day, Christmas, 1881, l suffer in
bonds as a patriot, because had the inspira-
ton and nerve to unite great political party
to the end that the nation might be saved an
other desolating War. l do not pretend that
war was immediate, but do say, emphatically,
that the bitterness in the Republican party last
spring was deepening and deepening hour bv
hour, and within two or three years or less
the nation would have been in the flames OF
civil war.
In the presence of death ali hearts were
hushed. Contention ceased. For weeks and
weeks the heart and brain of the nation CEN
tered on the sick man in the White house. At
last he went the way of the flesh, and the ma
ton was in mourning, and to-day, Christmas
1881, am on trial for my life, charged with
numbering the late president. There is not
the first element of murder in the case. To
constitute the crime of murder two elements
must coexst: first, actual homicide; second,
malice in law or malice in fact. The law as
sumes there is no homicide IN this case,
and therefore no malice in law. Malice in
fact depends upon the circumstances attending
the homci T.. Admitting that the late presl-
dent died iroll Lie shot, which L deny as
matter of fact, still the circumstances attend
ing the shooting repudiate the presumption of
malice either in law or fact. Had he been
properly treated, he probably would have been
alive to-day. Whatever my inspiration or in
tention, the Deity allowed the doctors to finish
my work gradually, because he wanted to pre-
pare the people for the change and also con-
firm my original inspiration.
am well satisfied with the Deity's conduct
of this case thus far, and have no doubt but
he will continue to further it to the end, and
that the public will sooner or later see special
providence in the late presidents removal.
Nothing but the political situation last spring
justified his removal. The break in the repub-
and foresaw a lively war. The inspiration
was to remove the late president alone, and
thereby close the breach before it got so wide
that nothing but the heart-rending and desola-
ton of war could close it. Such a
war the last time cost the nation a
million of men and billions of money
The Lord wanted to prevent a repetition of
this desolation, and inspired me to execute
his will. Why did he inspire me in preference
to someone else? Because had the brains and
the nerve, probably, to do the work. The
Lord does not employ incompetent persons to
serve him. He uses the best material he can
find. No doubt there were a thousand Repub.
icans who felt as I did about the president
wrecking the Republican party, and had they
the conception, the nerve, the brain, the op-
portunity and special authority from the Del
ty, they would have removed him. l, of all
the world, was the only mgn who had author
ity from the Deity.
Without the deIty'5 pressure never should
have sought to remove the president. This
pressure destroyed my free agency. The deity
compelled me to do the act, just as highway
man oompels man TO give up his money
after placing pistol at his victims head.
The victim may know it is absolutely wrong
for him to give the money that his wife aud
children need, but how can he keep it with a
pistol at his head? His free agency is desti Dyed
and he gives his money t o save his life.
This Irresistible pressure to remove the
president was in me for thirty days, and it
never left me when awake. It haunted me day
aud night. At last the opportunity came and
shot him. As soon as fired the shot the
inspiration was worked off and felt immensely
relieved. would not do it again for million
dollars. Only miracle saved me from being
shot or hung then and there. 1t was the most
insane and foolhardy act possible, and no one
but madmau could have done it, but pressure
on me was so enormous that would have
done it had 1 to die the next moment.
Heretofore political grievances have been
adjusted by war or the ballot Had Jefferson
Davis and dozen or two of his co-traitors
teen shot dead in January, 1861, no doubt our
rebellion never would have been. Gen. Grant
suppressed one war and the deity and saved
the nation from another one. As time ad-
vances the public will appreciate the fact more
and more.
To-day, Christmas, 1881, am in Jail and
have been since July Q. / have borne
my confinement patiently and quietly,
knowing that my vindication would
come. Thrice have been shot at and came
near being shot dead, but the Lord kept me
harmless. Like the Hebrew children in the
fiery furnace, not hair on my head has been
singed, because the Lord whom served when
sought to remove the president has taken
ears of me.
Ny trial seems to be progressing we'll
Judoe Cox I consider inst the man for the