Year: 1875

The following. from the New \ ork
Tribune. is supposed to be from the
pen of John Hay. formerly private
secretary to President Lincoln:


The sympathy Of the nation, whicE
has been too grudgingly given to the
widow of Abraham Lincoln, will GER
tainly be no longer withheld now that
court OF justice has declared her be-
reft of reason. It has long been
known to those nearest to her that
her mind never entirely recovered
from the shock of the Presidents as
saasination. It would have been a
brain of extraordinary force which
could have withstood that night of
horrors. Her husband, to whom, In
spite of all gossip to the contrary, she
was devotedly attached. was shot
down at her side in perfect health and
strength. Her dress was stained
with his blood. She passed the long
lours OF his agony at his bedside, re-
ftsing to bslieve the senteuce of his
surgeons, and in the morning. when
all was over. she confronted loss
such as has been experienced by few
women. For the next few weeks it
was doubtful whether she would ever
emerge from the shadow of death in
which she lay But everything she
did or said n that delirium of despair
was wickedly and shameful;y used
against her afterwards.


1t was the duty of the country, out
of regard to its own honor and dignity.
to provide for her future. This Con-
greSs for years refus sed to do. Not a
cent was raised for the purpose by
public subscriptions When at last
Mr.. Sumner forced bill through
Congress giving her the pitiful pen
sion of 5000. it only passed after
malicious and scurrilous opposition.
in the course of which her enemies
quoted every utterance and act which
had proceeded. after her troubles,
from her d sordered brain She was
entitled to the een'lest and most
tender consideration from every de-
cent man; but she was attacked by
Congressman and vilifed by portion
of the press, as If she had been an
able bodied politician, cour.ing votes
and criticism. There Is no doubt
that this treatment had its effect in
preventing her recovery from the
great shock which had shattered her
life The death of her young boy,
whom she idolized, filled up the meas
ure of her sorrows, and finished the
wreck Of her intellectual faculties.
As long as it was possible her son,
the worthy inheritor of his fathers
character, bore with touching pa
tience and devotion the consequences
of this misfortune. But it became
evident at last that to prevent worse
disasters the unfortunate la aly must
be put under restraint, and the pro :
ceediDgs in court were taken, with
which our readers are familiar. The
attempt upon her own life the next
day was terrible confirmation OF the
justice OF the decree of the court. We
are sure that the long delayed sy ympa
thies of the country will attend this
deeply aff icted widow to the retreat
which has been provided for her,
where cure for her malady may be
found. which was impossible as long
as she remained in contact with the
world We deem it Dot intrusive to
say. also. that the only surviving son
Of Mr.. Lincoln deserves. in this Ca
lamity. the respect aud consideration
of every one. He has borne himself
always with irreproachable dignity
and decorum. lie has asked nothing
from the country which was SO deeply
indebted to his father He has gained
an enviable position in his profession
and in society by his own merit and
industry. He is not man to give
way to misfortune, however sorely
tried But he ought not to be left to
meet this last affl ction without the
assurance of the respect and good will
which his character, no less than his
name, deserves.