, 1881-07-03
THE MOTIVE FOR THE II URnER.

THE MOTIVE FOE THE u URnER-
The assassination Of President Garfield
yesterday las naturally shocked the Ma
tioual mind. and for tho time overwhelmed
the hearts of the entire people. While we
write, at midnight, Gen. Gartield's condition
is so critical that the murderous assault may
end at any moment with the death OF the
victim, Assassination is to the American
mind the most repulsiye Of all crimes. 1t is
the cowarl's crime, or the act of mailman
so deprived of reason as to be irresponsible
for Ills acts.
Itl.as rarely been the fortune Of any man
to he elected to the Presidency and enter
upon the duties of the Office under such
favorable circumstances as Gen. Garfield.
Elected BY a decided majority, elected under
circumstances that left no roo1n for cavil,
or question, or contest, the American
people of all shades of opinion rejo iced
III the great intellectual ability, the
thorough scholarship and ripe expert
ence brought by the soldier, scholar,
and statesman to tie Presidency of the re-
public. Lie was purely American IN his life
and history. lie was greeted as Il brilliant
illustration Of American Institutions; as
man who, BY his own ability, his own in
dustry, his own purity of life, had risen from
poverty and obscurity to be the chosen ruler
Of a Nation OF free and intelligent people.
Every man felt personally proud Of his Presi-
dent, and around him gathered all his coun:
trymen with earnest hopes and cheering
words that he might prove successful in the
high Office to which he had bcen elected.
To his aid he had called a Cabinet of able
and experienced statesmen, md during the
four brief months of his Administration he
had won the confidence Of the great mass Of
the American people. Unlike many Of
lis predecessors, he had Inherited no
ennities. lie was not followed into
Office by anything in his past life that
inspired hatred or suggested revenge.
His whole life had been so pure, and
so brave, and so truthful that lie and his
countrylnen might meet face to face and call
each other friends. lie Wronged no man,
but administered his great duties with the
candor aud fcar1esness Of man conscious Of
his own rectitude, and depending on that for
the certain approval Of the country.
Proposing to himself brief respit from
tho Capital, and the luxury Of 1ningling few
days among the students and Professors Of
the college where he had once strug-
gled for an education, and on the
way to join l,is devoted wife just recovering
from severe illness, he was shot down at the
railroad station By the ruftian madman who
was lying in wait for him.
The action Of the assassin was deliberate.
lie mad armed himself for the deed. He had
prepared in writing ut least two acknoWE
edsments Of his purpose, which purpose he
carried out to the letter, and even it the
President recover, he will owe nothing to
the mercy of the assassin.
To the credit Of the country it must be
borne iii mind that there is nothing in this
attempted deed OF murder prompted bypopu-
lar complaint of the Government, of the
laws, or of the President. personally. It was
the act Of man Of crazed mind, seeking
Infamous notoriety, aud nladly believing he
would find some one to glorify him: The
country will unquestionabiy and without a
dissenting voice acquit those at political
variance with Gen. Garfield Of all completely
or knowledge Of this atrocious deed. At
the same time it will be remembered
that this crazy demon was In that
mental condition to be influenced by
the current events Of the day, and
the fact that faction in New York was striv-
ing to defeat the Administration, was just
such IN event as would suggest to the mind
Of this MAN, seeking notoricty, that the re-
moyal of the President would terminate the
contest, unite the party, and perhaps win for
himself the gratitude of the viotors. While
no sane man will admit 4 suspicion that this
attempted assassination had any connection
with the New York case, still, on tho theory
that this assassin was deranged in his mind,
and taking his own letters as indicating the
direction Of his insanity, no one will qups-
ton that had not that factious co,,-
troyersy taken place this attempted
murder would not have suggested
itself to Guiteau.' Even this does not estab-
lisl any responsibility on the part of any
one beside Guiteau for the deel itself; bit
it will live in mems minds, and, whether the
President shall die or recover, 1t will sur
yire as part of the history Of the wlola muir
derous transaction, even long after the pres
ent generation shall have passed away.
TIE assassin: ..'*4
If there be any compensation In the awful
l. Fns.