The Evening critic., 1881-12-28
GUiTEAU,S GREETING.
The Blasphemous Gush of GarneId's
Assassin.

publication last night:
CHRISTMAS GREETING, 1ssl.--BY CHARLES
GUITEAU.
To-day Is Christmas, and | greet the
American people with merry Christmas
Last Christmas l was in New York. was
boarding in q frst-class house and was
finely dressed. l attended church and had
q quiet and pleasant day. Two years ago
was in Boston, but was not so well fed or
clothed. was on theology. There is no
money in theology. / left $1,000 law
business in Chicago in 1877 for theology. |
went into theology to serve the Lord and
preach the gospel. / had about as much
trouble to get in my work on theology as
Paul did. lie hungered and thirstcd and
was naked, and had no certain dwelling
place but he preached the gospel as he un-
derstood 1t, although he had hard time
Since he left the earth his work and name
have come down the ages. Christ and
Paul did their work and left the result with
the Almighty Father, and do the same.
Christmas, 1873, was in st. Louis.
was in very reduced circumstances. had
been on theology year. / had spent the
year travelling, mostly in the East, trying
to preach the gospel by lecturing and SELL
ing my lectures in Washington. New York,
Boston, Chicago and other cities. felt the
Lord put this work on me, and / did the
best l could. had no friends and little
money. Christmas, 1877, l spent in Phila.
delphia. was well-fed and clothed and
was trying to lecture. Christmas, 1876,
was in Chicago and was working with Mr..
Moody and writing my lecture on Christ's
second coming, A. ID. 20. To-day, Christ
mas, 1881, suffer in bonds as patriot, but
l am in honorable company. Washington
was patriot. Grant was patriot. WASH
ington led the armies of the revolution
through eight years of bloody war to
victory dnd glory. Grant led the armies of
the Union to victory and glory, and to-day
the nation is prosperous and happy. They
raised the old war cry, Rally round the
flag, boys and thousands of the choicest
sons Of the republic went forth to battle, to
victory or death. Washington and Grant
by their valor and success in war won the
admiration of mankind.
To-day, Christmas, 1881, l suffer in
bonds patriot because i had the inspira-
tiOn and the nerve to unite great political
party to the end that the nation might be
saved another desolating war. l do not
pretend war was immediate, but l do so
emphatically that the bitterness in the
Republican party last spring was deepening
and deepening, hour by hour, and that
within two or three years or less the nation
would have been in flame of civil war.
In the presence of death all hearts were
hushed, contention ceased. For weeks and
weeks the heart and brain of the nation
conferred on the sick man in the White
House. At last he went the way Of all
flesh and the nation 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 MUIR
der in this case. To constitute the crime
of murder two elements must co-exist
First, an actual homicide secondly, malice
in law and malice in fact The law pre-
sumes malice from the fact of the homicide.
There is no homicide in this case, and
therefore no malice in law. Malice in fact
depends on the circumstances attending the
homicide. Admitting that the late Presi-
dent died from the shOt-which deny as q
matter of fact-siill the circumstance at
tending the shooting liquidates the presump-
ton of malice either in law or in fact. Had
he been properly treated he probably would
have been alive to-day, whatever my in
spiration or intention. The Deity allowed
the doctors to finish my work gradually
because he wanted to prepare the people
for the change, and also confirm my orig
inal inspiration. l am well satisfied with
the Deity's conduct Of this case thus far,
and have no doubt but He will continue
to farther it to the end, and that the pub
lie will sooner or later see the special Prov
idence in the late Presidents removal.
Nothing but the political situation last
spring justified his removal. The break in
the Republican party then was widening
week by week, and 1 foresaw civil war
My inspiration was to remove the late
President at once, and thereby close the
breach before it got so wide that nothing
but heartrending and desolating war
could close it, The last war cost the nation
o million of men and q billion of money.
The Lord wanted to prevent repetition of
this desolation, and inspired me to execute
his will. Why did he inspire me in pref
erence to some one else? Because had the
brains and nerve, probably, to do the work
The Lord does not employ incompetent per.
sons to serve him. He uses the best ma.
terial he can find. No doubt there were
thousands Of Republicans who felt as did
about the late President wrecking the Re.
publican party and had they the c0ncep.
ton, the nerve, the brains and the Oppor.
tunity and special authority from the
Deity, they would have removed him. |,
of all the world, was the only man who had
authority from the Deity to do it, With.
! out the Deity's pressure l never
should have sought to remove the
; President. The pressure destroyed my
free agency. The Deity compelled me to
do the act just as highwayman compels a
man to give him money, often placing a
pistol to his head. The victim may know
, 1t is absolutely wrong for him to give
money that his wife and children need
but how can he keep it with pistol at his
head? His free agency Is destroyed, and
T he gives his money to save his life. This
irresistible pressure to remove the Presi
dent was ON me for thirty days, and il
never left me when awake. 1t haunted me
, day and night. At last an opportunity
: came and shot him in the Baltimore &
Potomac depot. As soon as fired the shot
the inspiration was worked off and | felt
immensely relieved. / would not do il
again for million dollars. Only
0 miracle saved me from being shot or hung
Q then and there. 1t was the most insane
foolhardy act possible, and no one but {
mailman could have done it. But the pres
sure on me was so enormous that would
/ have done it If had died the next mo
5 ment. Heretofore political grievances have
. been adjusted by war or the ballot. Had
Jefferson Davis and dozen or two of his
cotraitors been shot in January, 1861, N,
doubt our late rebellion never would hav,
been. Gen. Grant suppressed one war, ant
Providence and saved the nation. A:
time advances the public will appreciat,
this fact more and more.
"To-day, Christmas, 1881, / am in Jail