Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-07-04
CITIZENS MEETING.
TIE TRAGEDY AT WASHINGTON YEsrER-
DAY CONSIDERED.
The Fourth Of July Meeting-A Signal to
the People To-day.

The Fourth Of July Meeting-A Signal to !
the People To-day.
Pursuant to call by James l. Felter, the
Chairman, and to the adjournment order of
the Fourth of July meeting, citizens meet |
ing was held at the Court house Saturday
evening.
Mr.. Felter called to order and stated that,
in view of the great tragedy of the day. the
attempted assassination of the President of |
the United States. the citizens had been
called together on short notice to consult |
up.n the question of postponement of the
Fourth of July celebration, and to give ex-
preston to their feelings over the assault
upon the head of the nation, and which had
oppressed every heart with sorrow. He then
moved that his Honor, Mayor Brown, be re.
quested to preside, and it was unanimously
voted.
THE MAYOR,
On taking the chair, spoke feelingly of the
sad occasion of the meeting. He said there
was no good citizen who had not been shocked
by the assassin's attempt upon the President
of the United States, and it seemed TO him
entirely proper that the citizens of Sacra-
mento should give expression to their feelings
of adherence Of the crime. He Invited full
and open expression as to what should be
advised concerning the celebration of the
Fourth of July.
Senator johnson moved that o. 2. Dodge
be elected Secretary, and it was so ordered.
By REQUEST J. Mem. Shafter, of Marin,
addressed the meeting. He did not consider
it proper for him, a nonresident, to advise
the people of Sacramento concerning the
propriety of postponing or abandoning the
celebration of Monday. For himself he had
come here for some days of pleasant recrea-
ton, but now he should reconsider his inten-
ton, and go to his home, for he
WAS STUNNED.
It was not lik the attempted assassination
of the Car, or of Victor Emanuel, or the
Queen OF England. or of any other nation
governed as monarchy. 1t looked to him
as if the world was going mad with revolu.
ton against law, order, government. and
obedience to law. The rebellious feeling
seems to pervade and threaten all society.
All good men should band together to resist it
if need be by force, and surely by expression
condemn it utterly. Men, their property,
society, civilization. must be protected
from the miscreants swarming in the
world. He was too much shocked
to take any part now in amuse-
ments OF any character in the midst OF
the gloom of the present. The spirit OF in,
subordination must be quelled, because law,
government and order stand for the intelli-
gence, civilization and safe-being of all peo-
pie alike. IApplause.l
Judge t. B. Mcfarland was called fer. He
said we all know that the President is strick-
en- down by the hand of the assassin. We
hope he will live-we fear he will die. We
hope it is the work Of simple individuals
weakness. We hope the assassin, whether
sane or insane, will
DIE AT THE HANDS OF THE PEOPLE.
Judge Mcfarland continuing. said that we
all hoped for the recovery of the President
If, however, he should die, and it proves this
assassination is not the resGlt of single
crszed individual, but of an association or
band, whether foreign or domestic, then he
hoped the people would drop all other husi-
ness and bring all the assassins to justice
Applause. As to the celebration of the
Fourth he spoke at length, holding that if the
President dies the joyousness of the ma
tional holiday could not be INDUCED in;
gloom would shroud every patriotic heart.
If, on the other hand, he does not die, the
celebration would GO on with a President of
the Union lying at deaths door, for he could
not be so recovered by Monday as to be out
of danger, and that fact would make all good
people disinclined to celebrate with bombs
and drums and cannon. The Fourth is
an occasion of patriotic rejoicing, and any
thing calculated to still that will destroy its
purpose. A family would not go to the thea
ter with the father of it lying at deaths door.
The President occupies that relation to the
family of the nation, OF which we are mem
bers. 1t would be equally inappropriate
in case of the death of the President
to seek to convert the procession
and celebration into funeral ceremony, for
that, should the President die, should be spe-
cially appointed and be held in common with
the mourning nation. He argued in this vein
at length.
SENATOR GROVE L. JOHNSON
Being called for, agreed with the expressions
of the previous speakers concerning the great
and awful tragedy Of the day, and in all they
had said in condemnation and in their hopes
that the guilty will he all punished. AS to
the celebration of the Fourth being postponed
or omitted, he disagreed, for TO him
and not all rel ,icing. 1t is made
holiday, in oroer that all may unite
in COMMUNICATING the event which gave
birth to a nation. As President Garfield had
said, "God reigns and the republic lives"
Applause The death of one man, however
revered and loved nay, the death of a thou
sand men, could not destroy this nation or
work its ruin. The Fourth of July is to him
sacred day, and high ard solemn COM
memoration not to be omitted easily. He
thought it better to have the procession, and
even though the President dies, or, as the
monarchists put it, 1.-The King is dead ;
long live the King" 1t might, however, be
safest TO postpone the celebration to later
date to that no one could object; while to
all other plans there would be some objection.
AT least let the matter be held in allegiance,
he'd advise, until Sunday, when further in
formation will be at hand. He was not en-
tIrely settled as to the matter, he admitted.
He had been too much upset by the terrible
news to collect himself as yet. By Sunday,
on longer notice, still larger meeting of
citizens could be had, and fitting expressions
then made concerning the deed Of the assas.
sin. [Applause.l
W. B. C. BROWN
Was called for and responded. He thought
it would be hard to hold an old.fashioned
Fourth of July celebration with the Presi-
dent of the United States on what may be
his death-bed. Every American would feel
deeply humiliated on Monday if we 60 on
with the celebration when, as we gaze on the
procession, the thought will arise that some
one has dared to lay his hand on the head of
the Nation. He favored continuing the
meeting, that further action might be had,
and fuller expression made. He spoke in
strong terms of condemnation OF the assas.
sin, and inveighed at length and most Bit
terly upon the spirit that had been already
referred to. The act was a terrible blow; it
would disillusionize the people as to the
beauty of our institutions, and show how the
spirit Of lawlessness is stalking abroad, and
that there is growing unwillingness among
certain classes, upheld to some extent by GER
tain papers in the Union, to resist the au-
thorities of the land, to refuse to submit to
the laws, and desire to take the reins in
their own hands. But still, if it is known
on Sunday that the President will live, then
the celebration can be made to point moral
and adorn tale, and be the occasion of
profitable lecture to the people as to their
duty in resistance of the efforts to endanger
the nation. [Applause.l
SENATOR W. A. CHENEY
Was called out and spoke brihy and feeling
ly, He did not see how we can celebrate the
Fourth with the President dead or dying.
How could we rejoice as we should
on the nations birthday in the midst
of this gloom. But if the bullet is
extracted, if hemorrhage ceases, if the
symptoms all point to the fact that the Pres