St. Landry democrat., 1882-01-28
GUITEAC'S SPEECH.
The Speech Which the Assassin Want.
Make to the Jury.


mainly rchash Of former assertion made h
him since the assaSsiMat on and during hi
trial. those re derS who have a curiosity ia
see this production can form i correct IDEA of
its purport from the following telegraphed to-
the Western Associated Press:
UNITED STATES JAIL
WASHINGTON, d. c., Jan. Is; IsSa.
If the Court please, gentlemen of the Jury.
am patriot to-day. | suffer in bonds as a IA
trlot Wa nin@ton was a patriot; Grant was a
patriot. WaslIjngt n led tn armies Of tho Rrv
olltOn through eight year; of bloody war 70
victory and glory; Grant led thu armies of the
Union to victory and glory, and to-day the M
ton is prosperous and happy.
| To-iay-Christmas, ISL suffer in bonds as
a patriot because | had the inspiration ana
nerve to unite great Republican party, To the
| end that the Nation might be saved from an
| bonds us patriot. There is not the first eln
ment OF murder in this case. To constitute the
/, crime of murder two clements must co-eyist.
| First, an actual homicide; secondly, malice in
law or malice in fact. The law presumes
malice from the fact of homicide. There is no
! homicide in this case; therefore, no malice in
law. The Deity allowed the doctors to finish
my work gradually, because He wanted to pre-
pare the people for the change, and also to
confirm my original inspiration I am well
! satisfied with the Deity's conduct with this
case thus far, and / have no doubt He will
continue to father it to the end. Nothing
but the political situation last spring justified
| the Presidents removal. The break in the
| Republican party then was widening, and 7
foresaw civil war. The Lord wanted to nre-
vent a repetition Of this deso!aton and in
| spired me to execute His will. Why did He
! inspire me in preference to some one else?
Because had brains and nerve to do the
work. The Lord does not employ incompe-
| tent persons to serve Him. He uses the best
material he can find. OF all the world was
| the only man who had authority from the
Deity to do it: Without the Deity's pressure
never should have sought to remove the
| President. This pressure destroyed my free
agency. The Deity compelled me to do the act
Just IT., as a a., highwayman J.. compels man
tol at his victims head The irresistible
pressure to remove the President was on me
for thirty days. and it never left me when
awake. 1t haunted me day and night At
last an opportunity came. 1 shot him AS
soon as l fired the Shot the inspiration was
worked OFF. and felt immensely relieved. 1
would not do it again for million dollars.
Only miracle saved me from being shot or
hung then and there. 1t was the most insane
and foolhardy act possible. and no one but a
| mailman could have done it. There are more,
than thrty-eight cases in the Bible where the
Deity has directed to kill for the good OF the
people-that is, to save them from some far
greater trouble; Had Jefferson Davis and a
dozen or two of his co-traitOrs been shot dead
in January, 1861, no doubt our late rebellion
never would have been.
General Arthur as President is doing splen-
didly; no man can do better l am especially
pleased with his conciliatory spirit and wis
dom toward the opposition. 1t is exactly what
wished him to do--viz.: unite the factions of
may be happy and prosperous. In short,
everybody. politically, is happy, save few
cranks, and they will probably be happy soon.
have no doubt as to my spiritual destiny. I
have always been lover of the Lord, and
whether live one year or thirty am His. As
matter of fact, L presume 1 shall live to be
President. Some people think1 am as gooda
man as the President. General Arthur is a good
man every way. l happen to know him well. :.
l was with him constantly in New York during
the canvass. So with General Grant, Conkling,
ulf root nf
taken an active part in my defense, because it
would not be proper
The mob crucified the Savior of mankind,
and Paul, His great Apostle, went to an igno--
minious death. All inspired men must do
their work and leave the result with the Deity,
whatever becomes OF them. The worst that
men can do is to kill you but they cannot pre-
vent your name and work from going thun-
dering down the ages.
Had stuck TO my law business there in New
York and in Chicago, should have been q rich
man to-day; but had other work to do My
book, THE Truth" contains my theology. 1t
cost me trouble enough, and Ihave no doubt
but it is official. During the three years was
on theology incurred some small debts which
have not yet been able to pay. A thousand
dollars would pay every debt owe. Some men
owe 100000 and are considered heightened
The prosecution have made great noise
about my owing some board bills, but that has
no bearing upon this issue. Mr. Corkhll, who
has taken it upon himself to dig up my crcum-
stances owes hundred times more than | do.
! always pay when l have money, but there
was no money in theology, and knew itwhen
l went into it.
inspiration and nerve to remove the President
that the Nation might live. But expect you,
gentlemen of the jury, will remove these
bonds, to the end that go forth a free and
vindicated man. That is what you are here,
for, and I ask you to libcrate me. Tell the
American people that you find no evil in me.
It is the opinion LOT, of some .ni of the ablest mem
ton to try this case. This point will be
pressed, if necessary in arrest of Judgment.
But expect you gentlemen Of the jury to
inspiration. But would have done it any
time after June / if l mad known was to be
shot dead the next moment i had no power to
prevent it. My free agency was entirely
destroyed. | was under; duress.t In law,
any one under duress is not responsible
for his act. On this ground I ask you to ac-
quit me. How DOVE know you were under
duress2 My word for it; no one else can know
the fact but the Deity and me. know it; the
Deity knows it. had to do my duty to the
of the consequences to myself. No one wants
to shoot or hang me now save few cranks,
who are 50 ignorant they can hardly read or
if the Lord did it, let it co. The President did
not die before his time. If the Lord had not
wanted him he would not have departed.
all Ill men will die. The President tn might have
been taken by a railroad accident, or slipped :
on an orange-peel and broke his neck.
The interview with Brooks consider spe-
cial providence in my favor. I talked with
him freely about the Deity, my inspiration,
and the political situation, which showed the
condition of my mind on July when was
precipitated on to the President A vast deal
of rubbish has got into this case on both sides.
The issue here is: Who fired that shot-the
Deity or me7 Had 1 fired it on my own per-
sonal account, no punishment would be too
quick or too severe for me, and this is why 1
protected myself by going to Jail and having
the National troops ordered out.
would humbly suggest that the jury be
charged as follows: That If they believed that
believed it was right for me to remove the
President because had special Divine autbori-
ty for SO doing, they will acquit on the ground
that Twas Overpowered by the Deity.
After quoting Beecher, Talmage, and other
clergy,nen, and declaring that when he be-