Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-07-01
Aa,uaster fmtellige1,ccr.
SATURDAY EVENING. JULY l. 1881.

EVENING. JULY 1. 1852.
The Murder and Its Motive. i
The newspapers print long accounts OF
the Guiteau execution, and it IS falr 10
assume that they know what the MAJOR
lty of their readers want and are not
mistaken in believing that they desire
to be made acquainted with the minutest
details of the hanging. It certainly is
not very creditable to the people that
they should have this desire, and we
would be glad to believe that they are
maligned by the newspapers which so
generally assume it to exist. Detesta-
tion of the crime and the high position
of the victim, cause this execution to be
regarded with unusual equanimity, and
by many even with deep satisfaction
among whom may be reck0ned President
Arthur, who is reported from Washing.
ton to he greatly relieved that the final
scene has taken place. His relief may
naturally come from his release from the
opportunities of those who have been
suppliants for mercy; and it may come'
too, from the quieting of his conscience
at sending to death the man who made
him president and who got his inspira'
tion from Arthur and his Stalwartfriends.
Guiteau himself says he was inspired
from heaven and theolOgians will have
trouble in denying the fact, if they pro-
pose to deny it. Guiteau's claim that
he was Gods instrument must lie as
sented to, however much it may be de-
MED that his individual response
bility for his act was thereby
weakened. But Guiteau was no more
" Gods man " in committing this deed
than is any other murderer in Staying
his victim. They may all claim to be
but instruments in working out the de-
signs of Providence, and their execu-
tioners can equally claim that they are
like instruments in hanging them. The
question i'm Guiteau's case is whether he
could nave avoided being such provi.
Dental instrument if he had tried ;
whether in short he was irresistibly i'm,
PEELED to kill Garfield. If so he could
hardly be rightly punished because a
man who cannot help doing what he
does is not responsible to the law his
punishment will have nc effect in pre-
venting crime obviously there is no
use in threatening with punishment
men who cannot control their acts.
Opinions are greatly divided as to
whether Guiteau was such a man. Some
think him sincere in his declarations
that he considered himself Divine
agent and that he could not avoid doing
what he did. Others deny his sincerity
His last appearance upon earth confirms
the belief Of those who consider that ht
has not been acting part. Evidently
the acts OF his last moments were sin
cere VIC see no evidence of pretense o.
shamming in them. He died IN a way t.
inspire respect for his manliness and in
telligence and confidence in the SINGER
ity of his conviction that he was " God
man." Perhaps it may he thought tina
it does not greatly matter to the wOrl
whether he killed his victim, sincerel
believing that he WAS commanded to d
it from on high, or without such inspira
tion since in one case rs much rs th
other he was really the instrument of
providential dispensatiOn. But the lay
requires every sane man to understan
that il he murders he must lie hung TO
it, prOvidential instrument though h
be; aud when man cannot understan
that punishment is justly meted out t
him for such an offense, the general ide
is that he i5 i'm all unaccOuntabl
state of mind. If Guiteau's jury hi
believed that his mind did not cOmpre
hend the criminality of his act the
would have adjudged him insane.
they had even thought that he really bt
lieved he was doing his duty in KILN
the president, though realizing that
was crime, they probably would LA,
adjudged him insane.
Perhaps they would have been right
perhaps wrong. 1t is not easy to defiI
insanity. Guiteau was not insane unle
many of the worlds celebrities can i
reckoned 50. He was of the class of me
who are apt to exercise potential infl'
ence in the world. When they do discre'
liable things or such as sentiment at Il
time disapproyes, they are called crank
and freely denounced as crazy; b'
if their act is popular they becon
heroes Examples are numerous. JOl
Brown is one of the best. He was 4 on
sided, one ideaed man, who was earnes
sincere and bold he was hung as
murderer with very general assent b.
shortly became a hero and a marty
There may not he any great probabili
of such future fame falling upon Gu
teau. His act had great political co
sequences but it is not yet proven tn
he was the country's savior. He ga
us Arthur instead of Garfield, and Il
Stalwarts instead of Half-Breeds. I
has disrupted the Republican party, a,
here in Pennsylvania given a clear fie
to Democratic victory. We m;
assume that the political prospe
here is in accord with th
which will shortly he developed in Il
nation. and conclude that the provide
tial consequence of Guiteau's act will
the Democratic control of the countr
II &c oloar ouOnuh that ho Sf ,.f oil tho h.