Year: 1865

separate even In tais sad hour, to seek
this interview with your Excellency
that, while the bleeding heart is pouring
out its mournful anguish over the death
of our beloved late President, the idol OF
our State and the pride of the whole
country, we may earnestly express to you,
the living head of this nation, our dellb
crate, full. and abiding confidence iu you
as the one who. in these dark hours,
must bear upon yourself the mighty re-
sponsibility of maintaining, defending
aud directing its affairs. In the midst
of this sadness, through the oppressive
gloom that surrounds US, We look to you
and to bright future for our country.
The assassination of the President of the
i United States deeply impresses and seri.
ously aggravates the entire nation; but,
under our blessed Constitution, it does
not delay, nor for any great length of
time retard its progress, does not for an
instant disorganize or threaten its des


truction The record of your whole past
life, familiar to all, the splendor OF your
recent gigantic efforts to stay the hand of
treason and assassination and restore the
flag to the uttermost bounds of the Re


public, assure the noble State which we
represent, and, we believe, the people of
the United States, that we may safely
trust our destinies in your hands and to
this end we come in the name of the
State of Illinois, and, we confidently be-
llieve, fully and faithfully expressing the
wishes of our people, to present and
pledge to you the cordial, earnest and
unremittiug purpose Of our State to give
Jour administration the strong support
we have heretofore given to the admins
tration of our lamented late President,
the policy of whom we have heretofore,
do now, and shall continue to indorse.


HIS REPLY:


GENTLEMEN [ have listened with
profound emotion TO the kind words you
have addressed to me. The visit of this


large delegation to speak to me through
you, sir, these words of encouragement,
| had not anticipated, in the midst Of
the saddening circumstances which sur
round US, and the immense responsibility
thrown upon me, an expression of the
confidence of individuals, and still more
OF an influential body like that before me,
representing a great commonwealth,
cheers and strengthens my heavily bur-
deDed mind. | am at loss for words to
respond In an hour like this, Of deep
est sorrow, were it possible to embody in
words the feelings of my bosom, | could
not command my lips to utter them
Perhaps the best reply could make, and
the one most readily appropriate to your
kind assurances of confidence, would be
to receive them iu silence [Seusation,


The thrObbings Of my heart since the sad
catastrophe which has appalled, US cannot
be reduced to words; and, oppressed as
[ am with the new and great response
bility which has devoleed upon me,and
saddened with grief, can with difficulty
respond to you at all. But cannot per
init such expression of the confidence
reposed in me by the people to pass with
out acknowledgment. To an individual
like myself, who has never claimed much,
but who has, it is true, received from a
generous people many marks of trust and
honor for long time, au occasion like
this and manifestation of public feeling
so we'll timed are peculiarly acceptable.
Sprung from the people myself, every
pulsation of the popular heart finds an
Immediate answer 10 my own. BY many
men in public life such occasions are
often considered merely formal To me
they are real Your words of counter.
ance and encouragement sank deep in
my heart, and were | even coward |
could but gather from them strength to
carry out my convictions of right. Thus
feeling, | shall enter upon the discharge
of my great duty firmly, steadfastly, APP
plause] if not with the signal ability ex
hibited BY my predecessor, which is still
fresh 10 our sorrowing minds. Need |
repeat that no hear: feels more sensibly
than mine this great afaiction. In what
[ say on this occasion I'shali indulge in
no petty spirit of anger, no feeling of re
venge. But we have beheld notable
event in tie history of mankind. In the
midst Of the American people, where
every citizen is taught to obey law and
observe the rules of Christian con1uct,
our Chief Magistrate, the beloved of all
hearts, has been sssassinated and wheG
we trace this crime to its cause, when we
remember the source whence the assassin
drew his inspiration, aud then look at
the result, we stand yet more astounded
at this most barbarous, most diabolical
assassination. Such crime as the mur
der of great and good man, honored
and revered, the beloved and the nope
of the people, springs not alone from a