The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1886-04-17

W
mstnn on the 18th of April. Twenty.
one Years Ago--A Tribute to the Nc M
CRY o: Our Greatest Martyr.
The final victory was won. The
bitter war for the Union was over. In
the north the ''ioy guns of peace had
been fired, the bells runs. Every flag
was flying, every heart beating high.
The Federal army had entered Rich
mond victorious, and the Stars and
Stripes at last waved over the Confed-
crate capital. The silent soldier who
now lies buried at Riverside had di-
rected the concluding operations Of
the long struggle. The battle OF Five
Forks, fought on the 1st Of April, 1865,
had been the decisive one. 1t is known
in history as the great military master
piece of Gen. Phil Sheridan, the back
bone of the Confederacy was broken
at last. When Palm Sunday broke
over our mangled country it ushered in
the reign of peace. Swords were
sAeathed and victorious palms waved.
The sllacklcs of 100000 slaves were
broken, and the light OF liberty shone
from the north to the south, The flag
Of our fathers tloated once more in Sc
rene triumph over the land.
Ga the 18th of April, 1901, this flag
was first lowered at the bidding of the
enemy, ard the war for the Union be-
gun. On the same day, 1865, occurred
the most tragic event in our national
history, the assassination of Abraham
Lincoln. The eXultation of victory
was suddenly changed to the lamenta-
tons Of grief.
The assassin, John Wilkes Booth,
made for himself infamous and endless
notoriety when he murdered the man
who had directed our ship of state
through the most tempestuous waters
l. every encountered. An actor him.
self, and the third son Of the eminent
English trl6cdian, Iunius Brutus Booth
he crlved the reprehensible fame tina,
attaches to i bold and dramatically
wicked deed.
1t has been SAID that Lincoln for
years had 4 presentiment that he would
reach nigh place and then be struck
down in some tragic way. This may
or may not haye been true. At all
events, he took no precautions to
keep out of the way of danger. So
many threats had been made against
him that his friends were alarmed, ard
frequently urged him not to go out
unattended. 70 all their entreaties he
had the same answer "If they kill me
the next man will be just as bad for
them. In country like this where
Our habits are simple, and must be,
assassination is always possible, and
will come il they are determined
upon it.
Whatever premonltlon of his tregiC
fate he may have had, there is nothing
to prove that he felt the nearness OF
the awful hour. Doomed men rise
and so about their daily duties as I'M
oppressed, often, as those whose paths
know no shadow. On that never to be
forgotten 18th Of April President Lir-
coin passed the day in the usual man.
ner. In the morning his son, Capt.
Robert Lincoln, breakfasted with him.
The young man had just returned from
the capitulation of Lee, and he de-
sclbed in detail all the circumstances
Of that momentous episode of the close
Of the war, to which the president lis
tened with the closest interest. After
breakfast the president spent an hour
with Speaker Colfax, talking about his
future policy, about to be submitted to
the cabinet. Gen. Grant was present
He spent the afternoon with Governor
Oslesby, Senator Yates and other
friends from Illinois. He was invited
by the manager of Ford's theatre, in
Washington, to attend in the evening
a performance of the play "Our Amer.
lean Cousin, with Laura keene as
the leading lady. This play, now Sc
we'll known to all play goers, and in
which the late Sothern afterward made
fortune and fame, was then compare
lively unheard of. Lincoln was fond
of the drama. Brought up in a pro-
vinciaI ay, in the days when theatres
were unknown outside of the larger
cities, the beautiful art of the actor was
fresh and delightful TO him. He had
made study of Shakespeare, and
never lost an opportunity of seeing his
characters rendered by the masters oil
dramatic art. But on that evening, ii
is said, he was not eager to 60. The
play was new, consequently not allur-
ing to him; but he yielded to the
wishes Of Mrs. Lincoln and went.
They took with then Miss Harris and
Maj. Rathbone. daughter and stepson
of Senator Harris, of New York.