The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-05-21
Precautions Against Assassination.


There is, so far as we can see, no pos
sible method of preventing a repetition
of such crime short of locking up the
sovereign in well guarded prison. The
bowling has permanently beaten the
batting. Modern science has applied
itself to the work of destruction, and
there is no longer any possibility of pro-
tecting life for which aresolute enemy
is willing to give his own. The use of
the knife can be prevented, for it pre-
supposes contact; and what with guards,
rapid driving, and incessant watchful-
ness, contact between a sovereign and
an enemy can be rendered nearly, if not
quite, impossible. The sovereign can
be armed, too, and can make as good a
fight for his life against the dagger as
any other soldier. Even the use of the
rifle can be prevented, partly by armor,
partly by mailed carriages, and partly
by the constant interposition of attend
ants between the sovereign and any
point from which he could be threatened.
It used to be said of Napoleon, as he
drove up the Champs Elysees, that it
was impossible to s'cover'' him with a
stick, and that was very nearly, though
not literally, true. No man along the line
could have drawn pistol without some
Corsican seeing him. The movements
of guards distract the marksman, who,
though he does not care whether he kills
the innocent or not, does exceedingly
care not to miss his aim.
But neither these precautions nor any
other are of avail against one or two
men throwing in succession bombs pow
ertul enough to blow up carriage or
shatter crowd. There are always
points at which calvacade really en-
tiers pass, or approaches some fore
seen angle, and assassins stationed at the
side have only, as it were, to pitch 81
cricket ball tolerably straight to change
the succession of throne. If the muir
derer knows how to measure distance,
the speed of the carriage is useless, the
iron plates give way, the guards are de-
stroyed like him they guard, and the
sovereign is slain as he would be slain if
shell reached him in the midst OF
armies. OF course, if by any chance he
leaves the carriage, the chances are in
creased by his immobility. The only
conditions required are that the assas-
sins shall be careless of escape, that they
shall have bombs, and that they shall
just have nerve enough at the moment
to pitch straight; and none of these con-
ditions can be absolutely prevented.
True courage is hardly required, only q
kind of resignation, very common in
some races, especially among women.
Few of the assassins of recent days
have cared to escape. Hodel made no
effort, nor did Solovieff, nor, till her ac-
quittal, Vera Sassulitsch, nor is there
any method of shaking their nerve.
They risk always one of the most horri-
BILE of fates-lynching by an excited
mob, which breaks their bones. Horri-
BILE punishments, even if modern feeling
would allow them, would not do it, for
you could not 90 beyond breaking on the
wheel or burning alive, both of which
have been tried, the one in France, the
other in the Southern States of America,
and both have failed. The modern IA
natical assassin is always ready to COM
NIT suicide, and on man raised or low
cred to the suicide temper threats of in
ficting torture have no effect. He will
only kill himself, and so battle inquiry
into his motives and resources. Nor is
it possible to confne the use of explo-
sives to known persons. Laws to that
effect only drive the criminals to learn
chemistry for themselves-that is, invest
them with new power of keeping their
own secrets. Any student of chemistry
can make gun cotton or nitro glycerine,
and powder is an article which must be
manufactured, and, if manufactured, can
be stolen.
Granted few resolute conspirators,
with one man of education among them,
and some little command of money, and
no conceivable laws or rules of police or
detective arrangements can prevent
their making and carrying and throw
ing bombs, which are as dangerous to
the victims as hostile batteries only fifty
yards off. Science has armed the assas-
sin, and governments, with all their end
less resources in men and material, are
almost as powerless as if their opponents
could WELD the lightning or direct the
course of earthquakes.-London Specta-
tor,