Inhabitants of Huntsville, Alabama

PUBLIC MEETING.

Pursuant to previous notice, a meeting of the citizens of Huntsville and Madison county, Alabama, was held in the court-house at 12 m. on the 18th instant, which was very largely attended.

On motion of Hon. Nicholas Davis, Hon. D. C. Humphreys was called to the chair. He explained the object of the meeting to be to give expression to the sentiments of the community, and the citizens generally, in regard to the death of the President of the United States by the hands of the assassin. His remarks evinced deep feeling, and were forcible and judicious.

On motion of Hon. D. P. Lewis, W. B. Figures was requested to act as secretary of the meeting.

Judge P. M. Dox then moved that a committee of fifteen be appointed by the chair to draft resolutions expressive of the sense of the assemblage, which was carried.

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The chair appointed the following gentlemen as said committee, viz: P. M. Dox, chairman, D. P. Lewis, F. A. Saunders, Smith Adams, Nicholas Davis, Joseph Ward, Britton Frank, B. M. Lowe, jr., Thos. Bibb, A. J. Johnson, C. E. Douglass, S. M. Weaver, Thos. U. Green, Jas. M. Venable, and Theo. Lacy.

The committee retired for a short while and then reported the following preamble and resolutions, which were read and unanimously adopted, viz:

Whereas official information has been received in this community that Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States of America, has been killed by the hand of an assassin, and that an attempt, by assassination, has been made on the life of William H. Seward, Secretary of State; and whereas civilization and Christianity alike the laws of God and the laws of man, regard such acts with unmixed horror and execration; the citizens of Huntsville, in primary meeting assembled, and without distinction of parties, do resolve—

1.
That they can view the acts of assassination of President Lincoln, and the attempt to assassinate Mr. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, only with emotions of unmixed grief and detestation; and that the assassins are the enemies of civilization and humanity.
1.
That the acts and the actors can find parallels alone in the calendars of the most flagitious crimes and the most fiendish criminals. They can only be classed in infamy with the savage and the cannibal, the guerilla of Spain, the carbonari of Italy, and thugs of India.
3.
That copies of the proceedings of this meeting be laid before Brigadier General R. S. Granger, commanding the district of northern Alabama. That copies of the same be sent to Andrew Johnson, President of the United States of America; to Mrs. Lincoln, relict of Abraham Lincoln, late President of the United States; and to Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State of the United States of America.
4.
That the proceedings of the meeting be signed by the president and secretary, and that the same be forwarded to the newspapers in the cities of Nashville and Washington, D. C., with the request that they publish the same.

On motion of Judge Lewis, a committee of three was appointed by the chair, consisting of Messrs. D. P. Lewis, William B. Figures, and J. W. Scraggs, to carry out the wishes of the meeting expressed in the resolutions.

In response to loud calls from the multitude, feeling, appropriate, and eloquent remarks were made by Judge Dox, Hon. Nicholas Davis, Judge Lewis, and the chairman of the meeting, which were received with hearty applause.

On motion, the meeting then adjourned.

  • D. C. HUMPHREY, Chairman.
  • WM. B. FIGURES, Secretary.

Huntsville, Alabama, April 18, 1865.