The Sun. — 1865-05-03 (London, England)

OXFORD UNIVERS ITY(VINERIAN FOUNDATION) BILL.  The inhabitants of Leeds met on Monday evenng, under the presidency of the mayor (Mr. Luccock), to express their horror and regret at the assassination of the President of the United States, and their sympathy with the people of that country in sustaining so great a loss at so critical a period of their history. The leading members of the corporation, and most of the clergy, bankers, and merchants, were present, as well as several hundreds of the tradesmen and operatives. A letter was read from Mr. Baines, M.P., explaining the circumstances which prevented his being at the meeting. "With reference to the late lamented President, and the object of the meeting, he said, " His name and memory will be venerated throughout the world, and the best wish that we can cherish for our American brethren is that they may still be governed by his spirit, and may carry his work to its glorious consummation." The ALtroll, expressly declared that this was a meeting of men who had been divided in opinion upon the subject and policy of the war that had raged in America, and though they still entertained their own particular opinions upon that subject, they were met unitedly to express their horror and indignation at the murder that had been committed in the theatre at Washington. He had heard that the wretch who did the deed thought of making his home in England. England the home of the assassin ! Such a monster they could not bear among them ; they should at once spurn him ; they would trample him to dust. (Cheers.) Mr. W. B. DENISON (banker), after some remarks tending to show that the recent assassination in Washington was more beyond the range of probability than one or two of the very rare cases which had been heard of in modern times, proceeded to eulogise the public conduct and demeanour of Mr. Lincoln. 'Through a turbulent and bloodstained sea of strife for the last four years the late President had steered his ship with such calmness of demeanour, such firmness, and such steadfastness of purpose, as could not fail to win the admiration of all those who were on his side. That such a man, who had held the rudder of the ship through the dangers of the open sea, just at the moment when apparently he was approaching the haven, and when his firm and cool hand was wanted to guide the ship through perhaps greater difficulties--that such a man should have been struck down at such a time, not by the hand of an open enemy, but by the infamous hand of a dastardly assassin, filled his (Mr. Denison's) mind with such deep regret and intense horror that he had hardly power to give utterance to his ideas. (Cheers.) He had no doubt that the people of the South had no connection with the commission of such a crime, for it was hardly possible to believe that the country which had produced the heroes which have filled the armies of the Southern States could have any sympathy with the work of a dastardly assassin—(cheers)—and he had the full expectation that the people of the Southern States would rise with such unanimity and earnestness in reprobation of the atrocious crime as would go far to effect that reconciliation which the people of this country looked for and longed to take place. (Aplause.) He moved the following resolution :—" That the inhabitants of Leeds, in public meeting assembled, would emphatically express the feelings of horror and intense regret with which they have heard of the atrocious acts by which the United States of America have been suddenly deprived of their President, and the life of his Chief Secretary has been endangered ; and that they recall with melancholy interest the friendly feeling invariably displayed by the late President Lincoln towards this country."