Year: 1865

Abraham Lincoln, President of the Uni,


ted States, and from his surroundings the


foremost man of all the world, was basely


and cruelty assassinated Probably no event


IN the calendar of time, certainly no event


IN the history of thir country, forebodes Sc


much of evil OF was so charged with calami.
ty TO the human race as this. The deed it.


self lacked no element OF horror or atrocity.


1t IS so hideous aud dIabolical, So utterly


without justification, as to create shudder


IN contemplating it; but its horror and afro


city are itensifed by the fact that the victim


was the President, the head of a nation,


upon whose judgment and wisdom depend


ed the security, the repose and the hopes of


great people, and the generations yet un-


born. 1t seems marvellous that there should
| live one human being so warped in judg-


ment, SO steeped in wickedness, so hardened


in devilish tanaticism as to becapablc of the
deed


Whatever may have been the political of
fenses of President Lincoln, they were pub
lie acts, incident to his position, aud insepa-
rable from it, and by no law, human or di-
vine, could he be made responsible to the
assassin's knife for them. They we're the
acts Of the President, not the man. His
private life wasunobjectionable He was Of
a mild and kindly nature, gentle and genial
in his intercourse among men, solicitous to
satisfy his own conscience and Judgment,
and trustiul OF his fame 10 history What
motive could have prompted, what dark
and crooked reasoning could have been re-
he'd ON to justify his untimely taking off in a
manner made doubly tiendish by all the ac
compartments Of murder and regicide
the Ruler of the Universe can alone di-
vine.


The time al which the deed was done was
most fatal and deplorable At no season
during his administration had President
Lincoln been in so commanding position of
usefulness to his fellowntn. His political
opponents for weeks had hesitated to criti-
else lis public acts, and that class OF dan
gerous men who sought to. gain his conf
dence and miSguide his better Judgment and
purposes, were kindly but firmly put aside.
just beginning second term of Office, with
four years Of anxiety and uncertainty before
him, uuinfluenced by the surroundings of
his former term, better Judgment and
larger policy seemed to pervadc his acts. -
lie was gaining confidence where before it
had been wanting He believed the civil
war virtually at an end, and he desired to
appeal from the sword to diplomacy and
craftsmanship.


His course since the fall of Richmond his
recognition Of the only elements by which
that commonwealth could be restored to her
allegiance, the wisdom and moderation
which he brought to confront the mighty
difficulties before him, were all full of prom |
ise OF the greatest good by his immense |
influence he could have controlled the fac |
tlons OF his own party, and could have ac-
complshed the salvation of his country. -
That the bullet Of a single brutal fanatic
should be allowed to crush all these glorious
hopes and plunge the nation into the abyss
of despair and anarchy, contounds the rea-
son and psralyzes the heart Whatever
may be the inscrutable decrecs of Providence |
and it would be impious to suppose the
He who notcth the fall of asparrow had not |
foreseen the fall of a man in whose hands !
the veal or woe Of great people is held
this is certain, unless all are at fault, gen
enerations yet unborn will curse the slavish |
instrument of this awful catastrophe.


In moment like the present, in the
midst of calamity so astounding and crush
ing, human Judgment of itself is power
less to divine or control the immediate fu-
ture, and it beconies christian people to
fervently and sincerely invoke, and calmly
rely upon the assistance and guidance of
God.