Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-01-04
Abraham.
To the Editor of THE EVENING STAR:

10 the Editor OF THE EVENING STAR:
Sir: The amazing audacity and wickelness OF
Guiteau's attempt to compare himself with Abra-
ham may be seen in the following particulars:
1. Gods order to Abraham to offer up his son
must be judged by the circumstances and con-
dtlonS then existing, and not by those OF our own
day, which in many respects are far different So
Judged, it was designed to try the faith of Abra-
MAIN, and was therefore not positive ana final, but
only tentative and contingent, the sequel
shows. Guiteau claims that in using him TO
remove the President, Gods object to preserve
the country from another War-When no war
1mpended. This Is aScr.Ding to the Deity IL hallI-
clnatOn in which He resorts to homicide to avert
an evil OF which there was no danger 1t is rather
severe reflection on the divine wisdom, but Gui-
tet does not seem TO whom he strikes at pro-
Vided his own neck is saved.
= In Abrah1mS case the voice OF God was audi
bic. He spoke TO the patriarch one man to an
other, and gave him minute directions to what
he should DO. Guiteau claims nothing of this
kind, bat on the contrary sneerngly rejects it.
and says that what he 1elJ was simply u silent
Irresistible pressure.
3. In AbrahamS case it was not at all matter
OF Inspiration but OF simple obedience to the
Divine word. Guiteau claims III his case a Divine
Inspiration, and that 1t WAS imp lrted TO him by
Divine pressure So his inspiration SIMPLY
amounts to this: That he was seized by Divine
power and cOerccd against his VIII to commit the
deed so that il We believe his ,tenenu we must
conclude there was no obedience at all sense
In which that term is applied to human beings,
because on his theory he was himself no more
under his own control than the pistol he held in
his hand was under its own control. Obedience
III Hail llipil"S NOiullJirlfleSS. Gulteau diVeStS
himself OF all power TO initiate the example OF the
patriarch ana Simply makes 1t a case OF pure OBJ
session.
4. Abraham exercised his free agency at every
step. Guiteau Claims that his free agency was de-
stroyed, 50 that the shooting Of the President was
as much the direct act Oh God, as ii he mad been
smitten down by bolt OF lightning.
D. Abraham got his idea OF Offering up his son
directly and solely from the Divine order-Guiteau
got his idea OF removing the President as he
styles il, rom the daily newspapers
O. Abrahaiils act was complex, involving several
stages leading up To the contamination, and he
implicitly followed The directions given him
Guiteau claims that God impressed hlm with the
necessity Oh removing the President, and then left
him to work out the result i'll his own time and
way.
z. Abrahams faith in God was shown at every
step,as appears from his answer to his son Oh their
way 10 the place OF Sacrifice, God Will provide
Himself an Offering, my son. This answer further
evinceS conviction That the whole transaction
flee OF Christ-and was designed To Ioreshadow
that great event in the history OF the world. At
any rate we find that in the whole affair, Abraham
did nothing but that which the Divine order neses
sarIly Involved. For example, he did not 20 out
beforehand and practice with his knife that he
might have surer aim in striking at the heart
OF his son-Guteau, ON the other hand, followed
his own deVlceS-gOing out TO Or ictice with his
piStol-as though he would not trust in Gods aid
at the moment OF the dee1, but had far more con-
1dence IN his own pistol practice and his stealth
and skill In firing at the President short range
and from behind his back.
Q; AS appears In tae conclusion, 1t Was no part
OF the nnil design that the father, as matter OF
1dct, SnOuiu STAY Ms SON. Before the fatal blow
Was struck the purpose OF the trial had been
accomplished and the Divine order was counter
nanded. The patriarch most gladly desisted It
Is unfortunate Tor Guiteau that his re ference to
Abraham should so entirely break down at this
vital point. Well would 1t have been Tor him IT,
when about u pull the fatal trigger, truly Di-
vine voice had stayed his hand. Then might he
have claimed, with at least show Of piauSiDity
the analogy OF the patriarch's case But without
similar ending how prepooterOuS IL is for him or
any one to cite this ancient example as affOrdng
the slightest color OF excuse for act OF homicide
In these our modern times.
.. In one other point the cases are totally dis
similar Abraham never claimed that his act OF
obedience to the divine order was proof or his
legal Observation-Disclosures that may be-and OF his
consequent irreSponSbty. Such claim would
have made him the laughng-stock of all ages:
logical mOckery. But there is likewise. a more
serious view or the matter. 1t is allegation that
the Deity sometimes requires OF men that which
they cannot nationally or lawfully perform and
that II He ODSeSSeS men to its performance they
thus become IN the very act insane and irrespOn-
held accountable TO human law.
This Is the baspheinOUS and GOd-dishOnoring
plea on which to-day this wretched man is hoping
to escape the gallowS.
Is IL not time for his horrible perversiOns OF God
and the BLDG, daily hawked out to the world to be
unnasked? Is IT not enough for the public dts
grace that so many women are baSieging him Tor
his autograph: that the Sabbath must be desc
Grated by the farce OF taking his worthless bust,
anu that SO many noodles OF both sexes are court
Ing anu nattering the spirit OF lis infamy.
Exposition.
DEEDS IN FEE have been recorded as follows:
$3.50. A. T. Farden to District of Columbia pt g.
block IL, Meridian Hill: $40. Lewis Porter To