Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-07-13
The Responsibility.

The legal responsibility for the attempted
murder Of the president undeniably rests
upon Guiteau. Is his responsibility indi-
rectly or morally shared by any other person
or class of persons or was his act only the
offspring of the villainous instincts of a
man who in all his life has never displayed
the faintest semblance of moral principle
the deed of a tramp, dead-beat of the worst
order, thing whom to call brutal is in the
light of his record an insult to the beasts of
the field From the fact that he is reported
to have declared himself in his impudent
egotistical way stalwart, and coupled with
this declaration the names of certain dis
tinguished individuals identified with a
prominent section of the republican party,
some persons have jumped to the conclusion
that the powerful element which supported
General Grant at Chicago is, in a general way,
responsible for the crime against the presi-
dents life. The indictment is made spe-
cifc by putting into it the name of a con-
spicuous leader of the stalwart republicans.
The New York Tribune in particular ac-
cepts without any limitation Guiteau's decla-
ration that he is " a stalwart of stalwarts, +"
and on the strength of this assertion of his
political afiinities shoulders upon the stall
wart wing of the republican party the in
famous responsibility for the production
and development of such moral and politi-
cal monstrosity as Guiteau. From the fact
that this lshmaelite, in his colossal presump-
tiou, had imagined his fitness to represent
this government in the highest European
courts, and, animated by sublime cheek,
had applied for consulship at Vienna and
afterwards at some city in France, and had
been refused, the spoils system is also
somehow held responsible for the great
crime. The spoils system, it is said, has
at length borne its legitimate fruit, murder,
and the slogan, the spoils system must 60 "
is loudly sounded as one OF the results which
must follow this attempt to take the life
of the president In a word, the world
is asked to believe that politics fired that
pistol shot at the president, that it was
the effort of INSCRIPTIONS factional politics
to serve personal ends. Another class would
have it appear. that the deed was the venge-
full work of disappointed ofice-seeker. II
the vicious spoils system could be for.
ever doomed even by an apparent connection
with the motives of the assassin, no one
should be fastidious as to the strength of the
logic by which the connection is made.
Neither class can show any connection
between the alleged source of the crime and
the deed itself. No connection, no associa
ton, no acquaintance with the republicans
called stalwarts, and no recognition of the
assassin by their leaders is established. His
impudent assumption of connection with a
patriotic and powerful body of American
citizens is entitled to the same degree OF
credulity as his blasphemous claim of di
vine revelation. He who believes one must
believe the other. His connection with the
Oneida community, with the legal profes
sion, with religious men and institutions, il
clearly established, and it would be as fail
at least to hold them responsible for the
mental and moral obliquities that developed
into murderous purpose as any politica
organization on which he may have thrus
himself.
But the difficulty is not with those who
might thoughtlessly in the bewilderment O
the moment have charged the deed to politi
cal influences. The New York Tribune il
the great high priest of the doctrine tina
murder has entered into the methods O
rival politicians in this country. 1t believe
it because it suits its purpose to believe it
namely the political, capital punishment o
Mr.. Conkling. 1t has with mingled hypoc
risy, impudence and malice essayed, b,
charging the responsibility of the Grim
upon Mr.. Conkling, to score in a pendin,
political contest crushing point against al
adversary whom it has for weeks followe,
with all the inquisitorial enginery lodged il
a newspaper of immense resources an
directed by an INSCRIPTIONS power. 1t in
sidiously seeks to capitalize an enormou
crime to crush an innocent political oppc
nent Had any sane or lunatic person pal
any attention to the rawlings OF the 1ribm
and, instigated by them, assassinated Nj
Conkling, how would it have considered I'll
charge of its contemporaries that the TriJur
was responsible for Mr.. Conklings murder
Was the Tribune, on account Of its philippe
against slavery, amenable to the charge {
responsibility for John Browns wild raj
into virginia. We have no sympath
whatever with Mr.. Conkling in the couri
he has elected to pursue in relation to IL
New York senatorships, but we are n,
therefore prepared to believe him guilty
the remotest completely with an assassin
deed or purpose.
There SCENE To be no evidence whatever,
far as disclosures have been made, TO excl
the first blush of suspicion that the act W