The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-07-07

wv A9WgA We
-
A Peculiar ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS C0uG'
IIuE, Dorsey and Brady IN the Murder
Of the President.
Watterson, editor Of the Louisville
Courier Journal, who is noted for his erratic
but brilliant editorials, will have 1t that
there Is somebody behind the murderer oil
the President, and, not to put q fine point
ON i, he insists that Roscoe Conkltng is
probably that man, reinforced by Dorsey
aud Brady, the Star route swindlers.
This Is a very rash and r~eprehensible
utterancs on the part Of Mr., Watterson in
view Of the fact that Mr.. Blaine was
prompt to declare to the country and to
the world after the assault that no suspi'
cion attached to anybody other than the
assassin himself. But despite this deCls'
ration Of the Secretary Of State, Mr.. Wat.
terson insists that Conkllug be indicted.
He says:
We do not charge anybody, directly by
name and In person, with the deep dam
nation OF this awful crime except the per-
petTator himself. But we do demand
that the Government shall proceed with
theeminutenees OF inquiry and the resolu
lion and the scope which were put forth
10 search OF the authors Of the murder o.
Mr.. Lincoln. Three persons at least will
be saved from ruin by the death OF the
President, and nothing less than the
death OF the President Q Q v them.
They are Roscoe ConklIng, Dorsey and
Brady. We do not say that they are
guilty; but we are unwilling to assume
In advance, that they are innocent, There
10 nothing In their character or their ante
cedents to exempt them from a suspicion
which would instantly and universally at
taCh itself 10 persons In private lie who
might hold similar relation 10 A'crine
directly and C~onClusively profitable to
themselves,
We believe Mr.. Oonkling capable OF any
crime from incest 10 murder, and we fear
he has absolute control over MIR. Arthur,
We Confeas TO 0 deeplV.rooted feeling,
which disqualifes us asa witness. We
therefore merely insist that the rules Of
evidence which were adopted and ap'
piled in the murder Of Mr.. Lincoln be
adopted and applied in the attempted
murder OF Mr.. Garfield. II the President
dies, let all these men be indicted. They
have by the mere circumstance oil their
political celebrity no immunity either
from popular suspicion or from arrest.
Garfield, ~unofendIpg and gentle as n
baby, was not above being shot down like
q d0g. Neither shall Arthur and Conk.
ling-great as thew claim 10 be-stand ex.
empt from their responsibilities as citizens.
They are either guilty or not guilty Of this
dreadful crime which has been perpetrated
exclusively IL their interests; which, If 1t
succeeds, caves them from infBmy and ruin.
They have no %prerogative Of a"peTsonnl
privilege" which the Law Ia bound to re-
speCt. They must answer precisely NJ u
they were plain, honest people, which
they are mot.
We print this extract from the Courier.
journal, and from MIR. WatterSon's pen,
beCause 1t is the moat prominent paper Ia
the South and because lie editor occupies
a conspicuous position before the county
as an ex Congressman aud 90 n Of the
authors Of the Democratic platform in the
last Presidential campaign, and not be-
cause We endorse or C%ountenancO IL On
the contrary, We look upon u as an out.
raGeOus sort Of q editorial, and % such
more indicative II the lees oil the wine cup
than tf sober reasOn and reflection.
We are not among those who hold Mr..
Conklipg in high estimation, but there 10
not q particle OF evidences 10 show that he
had any other relation to the Presidents
murder than simply his responsibility Tor
the disgraceful wrapsle that ex.
lists at Albany, growing out Of the late
vicious and insane course Of conduct that
ended In his resignation as United States
senstor. The tumult that arose ovet his
lll'advised, unwige and wicked course Of
conduct had its effect no doubt on
Guiteau, and may have led him 10 sup.
pose that II he could bring Arthur into
power, and along with him Conkling,
that then he, Guitesu, would be taken
care oL He did not stop to
think that, under the worst posi-.
BILE supposition, neither Of these persons
could ever afford 10 recognize In any way
the Presidents murderer, for that would
be 10 Btartle the world with not only q
suspicion but q conviction that they were
accessories. Guiteau does not appear to
have had sense enough to work out this
logical train Of thought Nor had be
sense enough to see that Mr.. Conklins
would naturally be an object Of aversion
Ia the country In case oil the Presidents
death, for II could not be otherwise than
that the people would couple Conkling's
course Of conduct with the death Of The
President In q way that would at least
make him very unpopular for years TO
come, and therefor preclude Mr.. Arthur
itom taking him into his counsels.
Alter oil ls said that eau be said in the
line Of reflection INDUCED In by Mi. Wat.
terson, the fact temains.that the position
~
Of Mr.. Arthur, in case be succeeds to the
Presidency, is n Of the most unenvisble
Ia which a man Of any capacity 10 realiSs
his Situation could be placed. OF all men
he Las the most cause 10 ietvehtly wish
Tor the Presidents recovery. Uniottun.
ately tor::,'himselt his conduct since he
became ViCe'Ptesidsnt has not been such
% 10 win the respect Of the country, and
IL ls this fact that lends. such deep color
10 the popular feeling on behalf Of the
PfeOident's recovery. The people do not
want Nh. Arthur 70. theft President. In
this feeling Republicans and Democrats
are a unit. Therefore they are intensely
anxious for the President 10 live, But il
- ..a.s. f.a.idnak thav 6tIt an..sI t.