OF ASSASSINATION. THERE were threats of personal violence openly made very soon after Mr. Lincoln's election. Other and even deadlier menaces came to him secretly, or were privately made known to his personal friends. From the day of his arrival in Washington, his mails teemed with letters of a threatening character, but he invariably refused to see them or be informed of their contents. He would not permit himself to know or to think that his service to his country was performed in the constant presence of personal peril. Other people thought of it, however, and tried to guard him, but the idea of assassina tion had probably passed out of the minds of all men but the actual assassins themselves when at last the murderous blow so long withheld was given. COOPER INSTITUTE SPEECH, FEB. 27, 1860. "That affair, (John Brown's raid) in its philosophy corresponds with many attempts, related in history, at the assassination of kings and emperors. An enthusiast broods over the oppression of a people, till he fancies himself commissioned by Heaven to liberate them. He ventures the attempt, which results in little more than his own execution." TO HANNAH ARMSTRONG, CONVERSATION, FEB., 1861. "Hannah, if they do kill me, I shall never die another death." TO HIS STEPMOTHER, FEBRUARY, 1861, BEFORE SETTING OUT FOR WASH INGTON. "No, mamma, they will never do that (assassination). Trust in the Lord and all will be well. We will see each other again." CONVERSATIONALLY, TO MAJOR WASHINGTON. We are "If there were such a plot and they wanted to get at me, no vigilance could keep them out. so mixed up in our affairs that no matter what the system established -a conspiracy to assassinate, if such there were, could easily obtain a pass to see me, for one or more of its instruments. As to the crazy folks, Major, why, I must only take my chances." CONVERSATION WITH GEN. B. F. BUTLER, 1863. "O, assassination of public officers is not an American crime." |