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4 ■BNRV H.TUCKKR, Kditor. ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION OF THE PRESIDENT. Ar this is the first issue of our paper which has been published since the event about to be spoken of, we make the following record more as a matter of history than as a piece of news. On Saturday, the second day of the pres ent month, as His Excellency the President of the United States was about to leave the city of Washington for a trip to New England, and while walking with Secretary Blaine in the ladies’ room of the depot, he was shot in the back with a pistol by a man named Charles Julius Guiteau. Two shots were fired, the first of which pro duced a slight wound in the arm ; the second entered just below the ribs on the right side, near the spine, and seems to have deflected downwards. At the second shot the President fell as if dead, but was soon removed to a suitable room, and when the first shock was over was again removed to the Executive Mansion. The wound was one which would be technically called a mortal’one, yet the illustrious patient stil. lives. For several days he lay in a condition of the utmost peril, and, although he has steadily improved, he is not yet out of danger; but at the date of this writing (Monday, July 11) the indications are favorable, and from the first the prayers of millions have been ascending in his behalf. THE ASSASSIN. The name of the would-be assassin has already been given. He is a resi dent of Chicago, and a lawyer by pro fession, though his practice seems to have been small and confined to cases of the lowest grade, and chiefly in the criminal courts. He is an erratic kind of man, fond of lecturing on religion as well as on politics, and imagining himself to be some great person; though of this opinion he has a mo nopoly, as he is held in very low esteem by all who know him. He was once a member of Calvary Baptist church, in New York, but was excluded for immoral conduct. He was after wards a member of that disgusting herd of human cattle known as the Oneida Community; and after this, strange to say, he obtained the con sent of a respectable woman to become his wife, and she actually married him. He is now safely lodged in jail. His MOTIVE. The culprit avows his motive to havfi. been a political one. He claims "a stalwart of the stalwarts,” and de clares that the President’s death was •‘a political necessity,” that it will unite and solidify the Republican party, and by putting Vice-President Arthur in the chair, will prove a great blessing to the country. But, though this is his own statement of the motive, its truth may be doubted. It is just possi ble that the wild and foolish notion ex pressed by him may have had some influence on his mind, but it is more probable that his motive was one of personal vindictiveness. He had been a persistent applicant for the office of consul at some foreign port, and the President had refused to appoint him. Not following the example of two dis tinguished Senators who committed political suicide because the President’s appointments did not suit them, he made his attempt on the life of the President himself. Those who know him best seem to think that he was in fluenced more by the mere love of no toriety than by anything else. His former wife, already spoken of, from whom he was divorced, and who is now the wife of another man, is one of those who entertain this opinion. Each of the three motives named may have had its share in producing the result, and with these we suggest that there may be a fourth cause co-operating. There is such a thing as epidemic in crime, and not only so, but in species of crime. Even suicide has been known to be epidemic. In the city of Paris this crime once became frightfully preva lent,and various measures were adopted to prevent it, though with no success, until it was observed that most of the guilty ones were women, and an ordi dance was passed that the bodies of such should be exposed nude to the public. The law had the desired effect, and suicides ceased. The disease was a moral one, and it was cured by a moral remedy. Os late the mind of the civilized world has been constantly agi tated by the efforts, too successful re cently, to assassinate the Czar, and by continued attempts on the life of his successor. The murderers were promptly executed, but in the estimation of thou sands or millions of misguided people, they died as heroes and martyrs. Hence, not only has the public mind been familiarized with the assassination of rulers, but many have been led to regard the crime as a virtue. It is easy to see that so eccentric and half-crazy a person as Guiteau may have caught this horrid infection, and that this, in connection with the motives named, may have led to the shocking result. HIS DEFENCE. Os course the culprit will have his trial before the proper court, and this is just as it should be. Under no cir cumstances whatever, and for no crime known to human nature, should pen- THE CHRISTIAN INDEX AND SOUTH-WESTERN BAPTIST: THURSDAY, JULY 14, 1881. alties be inflicted except in accordance with the forms of law, and by the le gally constituted authorities. Os course Guiteau will be defended by counsel, as he ought to be, for otherwise, his trial would be no trial, and nothing but a mockery, and a sham, and an outrage. We hope that he will have able coun sel, and that they will be able to make it appear, to the minds of a wise and honest jury, that the man was insane. We can conceive of no other line of defence. That there is some evidence of insanity, there can be no doubt, but whether this evidence amounts to proof, and whether the insanity, if there be any, is of a kind to free from responsibility, are the very questions to. be decided. Not having heard all the evidence on this subject, we have no opinion ; and if we had, we should not express it. We wait for the jury. One reason for hoping that the man may be proved to be insane is, that in that case the act is purged of the element of crime, for a lunatic is incapable of committing crime. It would be an immense relief to the minds of all, to know that the President’s misfortune was simply an accident, such as might have happened to any man. The horror which seized upon us at first, would let go its hold,if we could be fully convinced of the ab sence of guilt. Moreover, if the man was really sane, his act would seem to indicate what we may call a ferment ing state of the public mind, and a dissatisfaction, not only with the ad ministration, but with the Government itself, and a state of unrest in American society, which do not exist. The truth is, that the people of the United States have not been as firmly united, and as determined to sustain their govern ment, at any time in the last thirty years, as they are this very day. Questions of the gravest import, long unsettled, were settled by the war, and they are settled finally. We were never more peaceful than now. It will be hard for our neighbors abroad to believe this, if a citizen in full possession of his reason has attempted to murder the President. But if the act was that of a lunatic, it has no significance what ever. In the absence of very clear evidence of insanity, if the President should die, the wretch ought to be convicted of murder, as in such case he undoubtedly will be, and when the court pronounces sentence of death, the fifty millions of our people will shout Amen! If the President should not die, the guilty man can be convicted of nothing more than an assault with intent to murder, the penalty of which is confinement in the penitentiary for a term of years. It has been suggested, that in this case penalty ought to be visited Htlie we cJajact to this for two reasons : 1. If_done without authority of law it would be no better than lynching, which is itself war on society and on all government; if done with such authority,, the law would be ex post facto, and such a law is itself a crime, quite as great as that which Guiteau has committed. 2. It would show a vindictiveness and a pettish absence of self-control unworthy of a great people, and somewhat akin to that of which poor Mrs. Surratt was the innocent victim, when the people of the United States resolved them sevles into a rabble and murdered a woman. And on general principles, we should object to the passage of such a law to operate in future, for it is contrary to the spirit of American institutions to protect the rights of one person or class of persons more than those of another. Those who live under monarchy are apt to imagine that there is something sacred about the per son of a king. We are affected by no such delusion. Where the king is the government, an attack on him is trea son ; but with us, the President is not the government; he is simply a citi zen as we all are; and the law that is good enough for us, is good enough for him. WAS THERE A CONSPIRACY? So far as we know or believe, there is not one iota of evidence that there was any conspiracy, or that any one knew of Guiteau’s intentions, or had the least suspicion of them. The act, we have no doubt, was wholly and only his own. Whether others were in any degree, or in any way responsible, is a question which we shall discuss in another article. A Short Baptist Sermon.—Under this heading the Southern Churchman publishes a travesty of a Baptist ser mon, the object being to ridicule some millions of pious people and their cher ished views. We are surprised that our respected friend and brother should so forget his dignity. We observe also that from carelessness, he has mis quoted Scripture. “And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac, being eight days old, as God had commanded him.” Gen. 21:4. Mark the words, as God had commanded him. Abraham’s act was one of obedience. But suppose that God had not com manded him, would there have been any duty discharged, or would there have been any religious value or signifi cance in the act of circumcision? If the Churchman, or anybody else, will show us where God has commanded us to sprinkle our children in the name of the Holy Trinity, we shall be in haste to obey; but w« must not be asked to accept the inventions of men for the commandments of God. THE SILVER LINING. The dark cloud which the hite na tional calamity has brought over th# minds and hearts of our people, is not without its silver lining; and perhaps if we had eyes to see things invisible and future, we should perceive that no evil has ever occurred, or can ever occur, out of which omnipotent good ness does not develop blessing. The recent deplorable event which occurred in Washington will tend more to unite the American people than anything else, perhaps, that could have taken place. It may be the remedy which the providence of God has applied to heal the great national wound; the blood of the President, whether he lives or dies, may cement together those long severed, and, resolve alienation and estrangement into friendship—into brotherhood. Among our millions there is but one opinion, but one sentiment; and if it be but repetition, let it be repetition when we say that there is absolute unaffknity of thought and absolute harmony of feel ing. For once, at least, we are all togeth er. Thank God we have all shaken hands at last; thank God we are all locked in one sympathetic embrace. “The South is solid,” and nobody objects to it. The whole country is solid, in the sense of being a unit. In another sense solids have ceased to be; there has been a general melting; fifty mil lins of streams have become confluent in one huge flood of patriotic, and hu mane, and fraternal emotion. Sectional feeling! Where is it? It is ouYbf sight now. God grant that it may remain so. Party feeling! Where is it? Gone, and we hope forever. About half the people of the United States,/lid not desire Mr. Garfield for their President,! but when elected he was theirs; and now that sympathy is stirred to its depths, he is, as it were, re-elected unanimously—unanimously, and by ' myriad voiced acclamation. And, if General Hancock had been elected in stead of Mr. Garfield, we doubt not that, under the same circumstances, he would have been voted again into the chair in the same way, and with equal unanimity and enthusiasm. Should the President recover, as we pray God he may, he will be no longer the Presi dent of his party, but the President of his people; and the suffering that he has endured will be compensated for by the peace and joy that will follow. There is nothing that reconciles parted friendship more promptly or more fully than a common misfortune. A common danger has much the same effect, but the tie it forms is neither so strong nor so tender. In case of war with a foreign power, we should all stand shoulder to shoulder. jThe peo ple of the South, notwithstanding all the stereotyped nonsense ajjlrtit their chronic disloyalty, would be strongly relied on to display their valor, and very recent history justifies us in say ing that they would display it to the admiration of the world. But the feelings engendered by war are severe and harsh; and it gives rise to jeal ousies and rivalries, and even to ani mosities, among those who fight on the same side. But, in a common sorrow, there are no such hateful and hurtful elements. None but the better feelings of our nature are aroused ; the tender side of each is pressed to the tender side of the other; those who saw noth ing but harm in each other see nothing but good; and they who imagined themselves to be strangers and aliens and enemies, find that they are broth ers! While we lament the cause, let us thank God for the result. Provi dence has brought good out of evil, and by the hand of the wicked has made us a united people. So let us remain. Let there be no more criminations and recriminations; no more false charges nor unkind slurs nor vicious inuendoes; we have now a “bloody shirt” around which we can all rally; let us take a new departure in the way of soberness, and truth, and peace, and love. The series of “Mercer University Notes” by “Ernest” comes to a close with this issue of The Index. We hope that our readers have not passed them over: they are well adapted to awaken and augment an interest in that institution hallowed to us by the wise counsel, the liberality and the prayers of our fathers. May we do as well for it, in proportion to our light and our means, as they did in proportion to theirs! It is proper, in this connection, to call attention to a change adopted at the recent meeting of the Board of Trustees. A Sub-Freshman Class has been established for youths of fourteen and upwards. The necessity for this measure lies in the fact that academies of higher grade throughout the State have largely gone to wreck under the operation of the free-school system; and many parents find themselves un able to secure such instruction for their sons as would enable them to enter college. To supply this “missing link,” without lowering the standard of ma triculation in the collegiate department of the University, is the design of the Sub-Freshman Class. Further informa tion in the premises will be given by Dr. Landrum, as Financial Agent of the University, or by the Faculty, of whom Rev. J. J. Brantly, D. D., Macon, Ga., is the Secretary. The article referred to in the last sentence of our leader to-day has been crowded out of this issue; it will ap pear in our next. The editor of The Index acknowl edges with gratitude the gift of a splen did copy of the revised New Testament, sent to him personally, and not to The Index, accompanied with a compli mentary note from the publishers, stating that the gift was made in re cognition of the value of an article which appeared in eur columns defend ing the New Version from some of the absurd attacks which have been made on it This superb volume contains, besides the sacred text, “A brief history of the origin and transmission of the New Testament Scriptures, and of its many versions and revisions that have beeh made; also a complete history of this last great combined movement of the best scholarship of the world; with reasons for the effort; advantages gained; with sketches of each of the eminent men engaged upon it, etc., etc.” The copy sent us is in magnifi cent dress; doubtless the same book is prepared in much cheaper style. The publishers are Messrs. Hubbard Bros., of Philadelphia, whose acquaintance with the editor of The Index is limited to the transaction above described. —Atlanta Constitution: Dr. Gwin, pastor of the First Baptist church, preached asermon.takingforhis theme, “Our Scriptual Relations to our Civil Government," and referred with feel ing to the attempt to assassinate the President. The sermon was a power ful effort and kept the attention of the congregation from beginning to end. The preacher eschewed all narrow su perficial politics, deprecated all so call ed “political preaching,” and brought his proof texts from God’s word, as he urged all to frown down on crime and lawlessness, and presented purified and righteous character and living as the sovereign antidote of all that might injure our government, which could continue only by habitual repose on God and religion. There can be no civilization without such a fai h. When a nation loses its faith in God it decays and drifts on to the “ Stygian cave forlorn, Where broiding darkness spreads Ids jealous wings, And the night raven sings.’’ Merger University.—A n educa tional meeting, with reference to the interests of Mercer University, was held on Sunday night last in the Second Baptist church of Atlanta. Brother Joseph E. Brown presided over the meeting with grace and dignity. Ad dresses were delivered by brother S. Landrum, the Financial Agent of the University; by brother William A. Northen, Chairman of the Committee on Education .in the -House of Repre sentatiyes; by brother William P. Price, Chairman of the Committee on Education in the Senate, and by broth er James S. Boynton, President of the Senate of Georgia. The editor of The Index, having been honored by an in vitation to a seat on the rostrum, dis missed the meeting with his heartfelt blessing. The audience was large and appeared to be much interested. No effort was made to collect funds. —Dr. Winkler, in the Christian Re pository for July, mentions the fact that the office of deacon was abolished in Methodist Protestant churches, by their General Conference, six years ago. This was done on the ground that the deaconship, was the outgrowth of spe cial circumstances which exist no longer, and that it was not constituted as one of the ecclesiastical “orders.” We hold, on the contrary ,that the of fice is one of the vital needs of the Church, and that no better work could be done for the diffusion of Christianity than to maintain—or shall we say re vive!—the office in its primitive form, with the distinct recognition of that mission of secular benefaction on the part of the church of which this office is the organ and instrument! —The New York Methodist says: “Bishop Foster,in his’Beyond the Grave’ rejects, in toto, the notion of the res urrection of the physical body, as con trary to both Scripture and reason; and no church authority has yet said to him ‘what doest thou?’ ” Is the Northern Methodist Church infected with the loose doctrinal tendencies of the times? And is that the reason why one of its bishops is suffered without challenge to reject the orthodox doc rine of the resurrection, of which “all the Methodist authorities, of the first generations, were staunch supporters?” —At the laying of the corner stone of Seney Hall, Macon, Dr. Haygood gave as “one reason why authorship at the South has yielded such small re sults,” the fact that there is not in all the South one single library so amply furnished with good books, new and old, that a student or author can fully investigate any large and important subject.” We could wish that Bap tists might have the honor of first sup plying this great want. Have we no men of wealth among us who will at tempt it? —The Dunkards are called “River Brethren’” to distinguish them from the Mennonites who are called “Breth ren,” not, as we might naturally sup pose, because they practice immersion, but because on emigrating to America when driven out by persecution from Swertzman about 1729, their principal original societies were located near the Susquehanna river, Penn. glimpses and hints. —The average attendance on the Sunday-school, recently commenced in connection with our mission at Canton, China, for the month of March, was eighty-five. —ln two counties of western North Carolina, nearly adjoining Buncombe county, it is said that there is not a single Sunday-school of any denomina tion. Should not all the denominations feel themselves put to shame by this fact? —Four D.D.’s were made by Rich mond College; Rev. R. H. Graves our missionary at Canton, China, Rev. C. H. Corey, President of the Richmond Institute for colored ministers, Rev. Thos. Hume, Norfolk, and Rev. I. B. Lake, Fauquier county, Va. —The Foreign Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention has with drawn the appointment of Rev. J. Stout and Rev T. P. Bell to labor in China, because these brethren hold and claim the right to teach views on the subject of inspiration not in har mony with the doctrinal belief of our denomination at the South. —“Jabbernacle” is the name more expressive than euphonious, which the Examiner and Chronicle gives to the Talmage Tabernacle, Brooklyn. —Rev. G. B. Eager, pastor at Mobile, received the title of D.D. at the recent Commencement of Howard College, Marion, Ala. —Rev. E. Z. Simmons, our mission ary at Canton,China, writes, April 29th, that “we have members enough at Tsing Une and Tsing Fa to organize churches,” but she organization is de layed until the return of Dr. R. H. Graves. —Judson University has added the name of Rev. B. R. Womack, formerly pastor of Curtis Baptist church, Augus ta, Ga., and now editor of the Arkansas Evangel, to the list of Doctors of Divini ty. —Since last August two hundred and seventy Mission Circles have been organized among the Baptist women of Texas by Gen. Hawthorne. Who will attempt a similar work here in Geor gia? Do we not need it? —The Georgia Baptist announces the death at Warrenton, June 28th, of Rev. F. D. Williams, Sunday-school mission ary of the American Baptist Publica tion Society for this State. He was a student for several years in the Augus ta Institute and Atlanta Baptist Semi nary and possessed the confidence of his instructors, Drs. Robert and Shaver. —At the Baptist Sunday-school Con vention, North Carolina, Rev. R. H. Marsh inferred to Mt. Zion in Gran ville county as the banner school of the Stale. “Not only were the members of the church, parents and children, found there, but he had seen there the cradle With the baby in it.” —There are now three flourishing summer resorts under Baptist control— at Martha’s Vineyard, at Chautauqua Point and on Round Island, St. Law rence river. Please take notice that they are all convenient to “much water.” —Let not the Southern Baptist mis sion to the Chinese in California lan guish. The Northern Methodist Church expends SIO,OOO annually, on similar work in that field, and we ought to emulate their liberality. —On the first Sabbath in July, Dr. Shaver baptized at Decatur, Mr. R. Jones, one ol the earliest settlers of the town and now 82 years old. —Rev. M. R. Fory, who died in New York, June 4th, wrought in former years a good work for Baptist female education in North Carolina, and pro jected a still better work for Virginia which failed through lack of co-opera tion. —Our missionaries in China report three baptisms recently at Canton, and several applications for baptism at Kuin San and Shanghai. —We notice the almost incredible statement in one of our exchanges, that a Chinese boy, at a recent examination in Pekin, repeated the whole of the New Testament without missing a sin gle word. —“Local option” has carried the day in the English House of Commons. Can not Georgia do at least as well as that? —Here is a contrast at once start ling and suggestive. In the year 1879, the contributions of Romanists to for eign missions were, in the United States $15,000, and in Great Britain $40,560 ; while Protestants contributed in the former $2,623,618, and in the latter $5,392,830. —Rev. J. B. Gambrell returns to the Baptist Record permanently, as proprie tor and editor. We welcome him back to the fraternity with unaffected and intense pleasure. —There are but two classes in Mex ico, says a St. Louis tourist in that country; the upper who have lost all their religion, and the lower who never had any. —An exchange quotes an old divine who “never knew but one very lazy person who became a Christian—and that one fell from grace.” —A wealthy and prominent Jewish synagogue in New York, under Rabbi Kohler, has decided, to hold regular Sunday services hereafter. This is done because, in so active and keen a centre of commercial competition as New York, it is impossible to keep up meetings on Saturday. Byway of compromise, however, the Sunday ser vices will not partake much of a reli gious character, but will rather be a combination of lectures and sacred music. —“lt is interesting to note,” said Dr. John Hall, in a recent sermon, “that the greatest progress of Christianity has been by colonization,” The future, we are sure, has a far more glorious story to tell to this effect than lies anywhere in the past, when the church, true to her double mission of secular and spir itual benefaction, becomes fully alive, in all her members, to the thought of subduing the world to her Lord. GEORGIA BAPTIST NEWS. —The colored Baptists at Cedartown are now having a neat and substantial house of worship erected very close te the one burned down some time since. —The Noonday Association will meet on Friday before the first Sabbath in August, at Acworth, Cobb county. —Augusta Evening News • Rev. J. A. Munday, who has been preaching at Kollock street church for the last three weeks with much effect, will begin a meeting with the Curtis Baptist church next Sunday morning, and continue through the week. —The North Georgia General Mis sionary Association will hold its annual meeting Friday before the fourth Sab bath in July, at Oconee, Jackson county. —“Friday, June 24th, was observed as a day of fasting and prayer by Pro vidence church. Brother W. M. Ver dery preaches for us this year.” For these items we are indebted to brother M. P. Cain, of Davisboro. —The Second Baptist church, of Atlanta, has ordered a supply of the excellent “Calvary Selection of Hymns,” published by The Century Company, (formerly Scribner & Co.) New York. We wish the brethren in our chur ches to remember that they can be supplied with this elegant Baptist Hymn-book through The Christian Index office. —W. Stokes Walker, a student of the Seminary, and a native of Walton county, in this State, is supplying the pulpit of the Savannah church for the summer. The position is a trying one for him, as he is without experience and not ordained, but he is succeeding very well, giving general satisfaction. It is his purpose to offer himself as a missionary to China. —The Minister’s and Deacon’s and church meeting of the Oostanaula As sociation will meet with the church at Kingston on Friday before the fifth Sabbath in this month. It was thought best that no programme be given, and that each delegate come with such subject and query as he may deem proper. A large and profitable meet ing is expected. —Douglasville Star: The work on the Baptist church was resumed on last Thurday and continued for about one day. At the present rate of work (and pay) it will take 7 years 8 months and 15 days to finish the work. Our calculation is based on the estimate of one of our best workmen, we of course calculating from the rate worked for the last six months. —The Sunday-school Convention of the Appalachee Association meets with the church at Monroe, on the 9th and 10th on August, next. The executive committee appointed at the last session, have adopted for the coming conven tion the following programme. Tus day 9th of August 11 a.m. Ist. In troductory sermom by Rev. J. A. Har riss; 2 :30 p.m. 2d. Reading letters from churches and schools and enroll ment of delegates; 3d. Elections of officers; 4th. Reports of former of ficers, superintendents, pastors and others; sth. Appointment of com mittees ; Ist. State of the work; 2d. Neglected fields; 3d. Business. 6th. Address by T. J. Swanson—Our suc cesses and failures —the future outlook —followed by general discussion. 8 p.m. Address by T. C. Boykin— Trained Christian workers—how can they be secured? Wednesday 8:30 a.m. Bth. Short devotonal exercises; 9th. Address by J. F. Edens—Chris tian benevolence —how best promoted in Sunday-schools; J Oth. Reports of committees. 11 a.m. 12th. Sermon by T. C. Boykin. 2:30 p.m. 13th. Miscellaneous business; Resolutions, Recommendations etc. 14th. Address by H. D. McDaniel—What has been the apparent influence and effect pro duced by Sabbath-schools in advanc ing the cause of Christ during the last fifteen years. 15th. Parting words by of ficers and others; 16th. Adjournment. J. E. Nunnally, G. C. Selman, S. C. Burson, James Frazier, John Nunnally. Executive Committee. The committee says : The church at Monroe through a committee extend to all a cordial in vitation, and will be glad to meet you all at their place of worship and at their homes, and it is earnestly hoped, by y.our Executive Committee that every church and school in our Association be represented by letter and delegates, and, brethren all over the Association, let us not forget that Bro. Boykin is still in the field working in the inter est of the Lord in building up the waste places of Zion, and preaching the glorious gospel of the Son of God. Let us all bring him a contribution to encourage him in his noble work.