The Savannah morning news., 1901-09-14

THE DEATH OF THE PRESIDE,

| THE DEATH OF THE PRESIDENT.
The President is dead. A great and
good man has passed away. and the
nation mourns. 1t is not the time now
to discuss his record as a public man.
/ The people are too burdened with sor-
row to be interested in that subject.
| When they shall have performed the
last sad rites and laid his remains to
rest, when they shall have recovered,
in a measure, from their grief, they will
be better able to form an estimate of
his character and public deeds.
A week ago yesterday President Nc
vigorous health. On the morning of the
day when he was struck down by the
| assassin's bullet, he had every reason
to think that he would serve out his
term of Office, and live for many years
thereafter to enjoy the esteem and af-
lection of his countrymen, whom he had
served so long, so well and so faith
fully.
But it was not to be. No one, how
ever, could have suspected that he
would be the victim of an assassin. He
was close to the hearts of the people.
No other President had been so gener-
ally beloved. His goodness of heart,
his purity of life, his sincerity of
purpose and his solicitude for the well
fare of the country were everywhere
recognized. The South especially had a
profound affection for him, because she
recognized in him a true friend One
of his chief objects, after he became
President, was to remove whatever Sec
tional feeling there might be between
the North and the South. The scene in
the State House at Atlanta, when he
proposed that the government should
assume the care of the graves of Con-
federate soldiers, will never be forgot
ten by those who witnessed it. And
the proof that he was sincere in his eff
forts to make the Southern people feel
that they were as much a part of
the nation as the people of the North
was forthcoming in the Spanish-Ameri-
can war. Then it was that men of the
South and men of the North were
brought together upon terms that left
no room for either to complain or feel
that perfect trust had not been re-
stored.
Now and then it was charged that
the President was not a strong charac-
ter because he sometimes yielded to the
leaders of his party We know now
that that charge was not true. He was
the real leader of his party. He shaped
it's policies. Now and then he may
have receded for time from a posi-
ton he had taken in order to hold his
party together, because he realized that
he could do nothing without a united
party at his back, but 1t will be recall
ed that he eventually accomplished his
object.
One of his purposes in visiting the
Pan-American Exposition was to an
nounce a policy for extending the ma
TONS commerce. The address he deliv-
cred there on reciprocity treaties at
tracted the attention of all commercial
nations. He had been baked by the
Senate in the last Congress in the mat
ter of reciprocity treaties, but he had
not abandoned his reciprocity policy.
was suffering in Buffalo the people
were praying for his recovery. They
realized as never before how strong a
chief executive he was and how many
the dangers were through which he
had safely guided the nation. 1t is not
remarkable therefore that from homes
and churches commercial and munich
pal bodies. North, South, East and
West went forth prayers for his reeov-
er and resolutions of sympathy for him
in his suffering.
No characteristic of the President so
deeply touched the people as his devo-
ton to his invalid wife. She was first
in his thoughts always. She was his
companion in his home and on great
occasions. And his devotion was not
for effect. 1t was from the heart.
That the President was of a deeply
religious nature there is no doubt.
When placed upon the operating table
in the Emergency Hospital on the ex-
position grounds. and just before the
doctors were ready to administer
ether, there was a moments pause in
the preparations, and the President,
with smile on his face and in a gem
tie, but firm and solemn voice, said.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be
done"
Death did not come then as the Presi-
dent thought 1t might, but it came
week later, and great nation bows
to the will of the great Ruler of all.