Inhabitants of Savannah, Georgia
Pursuant to a call of his honor Mayor Arnold, a large assemblage of the citizens of Savannah met at the Exchange to-day, Thursday, April 20, to give expression to their sentiments in relation to the assassination of President Lincoln and the attempt upon the life of Secretary of State Seward, and upon the lives of members of his family.
The room being incapable of holding the vast assemblage, the meeting was adjourned to Johnson Square, where, upon motion of the Hon. W. B. Hodgson, the mayor was chosen to preside, and on motion of H. Brigham, esq., Henry C. Freeman was requested to act as secretary.
Upon taking the chair the mayor addressed the meeting in the following remarks:
- “Fellow-citizens: We have assembled to-day under circumstances unparallelled, not only in the annals of the history of this country, but in that of the whole civilized world. The unanimous request of every citizen whom I met yesterday, according with my own judgment and feelings, was that a meeting of citizens should be called to give authentic record to their feelings and sentiments in relation to the most atrocious assassination of President Lincoln, and the probably fatal attempt at that of Secretary Seward and his family.
- “Twice before has this nation been called upon to mourn the death of the occupant of the White House, the residence of the ruler of a great republic, Presidents Harrison and Taylor; but they had been stricken down by the hand of Providence; they were the common inheritors of ‘all the ills that flesh is heir to.’ They yielded their lives in accordance with the great law of our Creator.
- “But to-day we are called upon to chronicle an event of a very different kind; a deed has been committed repugnant to every feeling of justice and humanity; a scene which has inscribed on it, by every book of law, the stigma of the vilest crime, and the penalty justly due such a crime. I refrain from further expressions, because I cannot trust myself without trespassing on your patience. Your immense assemblage is a sufficient guarantee that you comprehend the awfulness of the crime, socially, morally, and politically, and that you wish to set upon it the seal of your emphatic condemnation.
- “In the unsuspecting enjoyment of a public entertainment, seated by his own wife and near another lady, a base, cowardly assassin enters the private box occupied by the President at the theatre, presents a pistol at the back of his head, and discharging it, in a moment inflicts a fatal wound which precipitates him into eternity.
- “If this had happened to an ordinary private citizen, the feelings of the country would have been justly excited against such an act so base, so cowardly, and our sympathies would have been excited for the suddenly bereaved family; [Page 710] but in a case like the present, private griefs are swallowed up in a calamity which affects the interests and feelings of a wide-spread country; and I would not profane the sanctity of domestic grief by mingling it with our present meeting. Circumstances had so ordered it that, in my opinion, no life in the whole country was more important than that of President Lincoln, in settling the unfortunate condition of affairs which now exists.
- “Next to his in importance was that of Secretary Seward. The assassination of the one, and, I fear, the too successful attempt on the life of the other, are events which, from our surrounding circumstances, I believe, will be ever marked with a cursed pre-eminence of evil in the annals of time. It is right that our city should place upon record its abhorrence of the awful crime perpetrated and its views of the lamentable consequences which may flow from it. It remains for the meeting to appoint a committee to report suitable resolutions for its consideration.”
On motion, a committee of thirteen was appointed to draught suitable resolutions expressive of the sense of the meeting, who retired, and, after deliberation, reported the following preamble and resolutions:
Whereas authentic information has reached the city of Savannah that President Lincoln has been murdered by an assassin, and that an attempt has been made upon the life of Secretary Seward and on the lives of several members of his family: Therefore,
Resolved, by the citizens of Savannah in public meeting assembled, in obedience to a call from his honor the mayor—
- 1st. That we regard with deepest pain and sorrow, as a calamity to the whole country, the assassination of the President and the attempt on the life of the Secretary of State and on the lives of members of his family.
- 2d. That while we should have been pained to hear of these events, even if they had occurred in the providence of God, without human agency, we are especially and profoundly grieved at the manner of their occurrence.
- 3d. That we sincerely trust for the honor of human nature, that investigations may prove these horrid acts to have been perpetrated by a madman, whose loss of reason has made him irresponsible for his deeds.
- 4th. That in case it be ascertained that these deeds have been committed by any person or persons of sound mind, or that they are the result of deliberate conspiracy, then we regard the criminals with abhorrence and detestation, as enemies of the South, enemies of the North, and enemies to mankind, and our hope is that they may meet with speedy justice in the extreme penalties of the law.
- 5th. That this meeting most deeply sympathizes with the families of the late President of the United States and of the Secretary of State, and will unite in any further mark of respect that may be proposed.
- 6th. That a copy of the proceedings of this meeting be forwarded to the family of the late President and to Mr. Seward.
- 7th. That a copy be furnished to Major General Grover, commanding this post, and that the same be published in the public prints.
- R. D. ARNOLD, Chairman.
- H. C. FREEMAN, Secretary.