The herald., 1894-06-26
oppIrIEs OF ASSASSINATION.

II seems lsmentably strange that
when an assassin gets we'll under way,
he nearly always picks out remarkably
interesting person ss the object of his
cowardly mslignity. There were many
good things current about julius @ essr
when the daggers Of Brutus and his COM
psnions struck him down. High pre-
tenses OF patriotism have been used to
palliate that crime. but the truth is that
Oaius Julius was pretty good friend of
the people, as things went in those days,
and had twice upon the Lupercal de-
clined the offer of kipgly crown. 1t is
doubtful whether ambition go much as
envy actuated Brutus, Cassius and
Ossca. Another conspicuous victim OF
the assassin was Henry of Navarro, the
white Plumed Knight, the hero of the
battle OF Ivry. go graphically commemor-
ated by Maesulsy in sonorous verse, and
bepraised by so many other poets and
historians. The Plumed knight was
one of the most accommodating OF men,
being in this respect very
much like our own Jim Blaine,
recently deceased. Henry was ready to
turn his coat, change his religion or
to do almost anything to have peace
in the fair land OF France. and yet he
was the victim of fanatic. As things
60, Henry of Navarro would have been
pronounced sn exceedingly good fellow.
Repeated attempts were made to sssassi-
nate the First Napoleon, but they all
failed, probably, because his death would
have saved the lives OF two or three mil
lions of the people of Europe-probsbly
OF more. 1t is really remarkable how
safe have been the lives of such men,
although the attempts to compass their
deaths have been innumerable. Louis
Napoleon was as fortunate in escaping
aesassinstionIas was his illustrious uncle.
A whole colony of Italians were busy
during his whole reign in composing his
death. but Intellectually. Bomos and in
fernsl machines seemed to be futile
when it came to either of the
Nspoleons. The death OF the latter about
1850 would probably have saved to
France Alssce and Lorraine, and several
hundred thousands OF the best and
bravest of the French army. The as
sassin rested from his work for a num-
Der of years, when, curio usly enough,
he began on pretty good man, in the
person OF Alexander II. of Russia. who
had emancipsted all the ssrfs in his
empire. 1t is perfectly safe to say that
of all the men or women that eve sat
the best friend OF the masses, aal yet
he was the only one of the wh,ls lot
that was slain by representa- ve Of
the people. Paul and other Russian
sovereigns were slain by either the Boy
ards or through some court intrigue or
other.
In so-cslled Anglo-Saxon countries
assassination has been very rare. To-
wards the beginniug of ihis century
Percivsl, prime minister of England, a
very inofsnsive man, was assassinated.
while Lord Castleresgh, an Irishman
who was made prime m mister for betray-
ing his own country. was obliged to cut
his own throat. The United States was
startled from its propriety by the slay.
ing of Abraham Lincoln. Later the
gruesome impression was repeated By
the want on assassination of President
Garfield.
Curiously enough, very little atten-
ton was paid to the attempt to aesss-
sinate Mr.. Buchanan, at the banquet
and ball just prior to his Inauguration
as president in 1857 Owing to the fact
that the president elect had too much
to think about to either eat or drink
much, the attempt was failure rs
respects himself. But great many OF
his guests were killed and scores of
them were injured for life and died as
the result OF their doping" or that
occasio n. Nevertheless, that wa rob.
ably one of the most villainou aud
colossal attempts at Wholesale asgasa-
ination in the whole range of history.