SEYMOUR DURST -f 'Fort ntfuw ^^m^erdam ojr Je Manhatarus r Wben you leave, please leave this book Because it has been said "Ever'tbincj comes t' bim who waits Except a loaned book." Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library Gift of Seymour B. Durst Old York Library Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2013 http://archive.org/details/boardofsupervisoOOnewy BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, APRIL 15, 1865, 4 o'clock, p. M. PRESENT : Esq., President. Supervisors, James Davis, Sheridan Shook, /./ William R. Stewart, Walter Roche, Elijah F. Purdy, Orison Blunt, Andreas Willmann. The Board met, pursuant to the following call, in their Chamber, No. 17 City Hall : Board op Supervisors, Office No. 7 City Hall, \ New York, April 15, 1805. \ AVe, the undersigned members of the Board of Super- visors of the County of New York, do hereby request Joseph B. Young, Clerk of the Board of Supervisors of said County, to call a special meeting of said Board of Supervisors for Saturday, the 15th instant, at four o'clock, 41 April 15. J 5 1 8 p. m., to take action in regard to the calamity that lias be- fallen the nation in the death of President Lincoln. ELIJAH F. PURDY, WILLIAM R. STEWART, ORISON BLUNT. JAMES DAVIS, SHERIDAN SHOOK, ANDREAS WILLMANN, WALTER ROCHE. In the absence of the President, Supervisor Blunt was called to the Chair. On motion, the said call was approved. DECEASE OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN. Supervisor Purdy spoke as follows : Mr. President — I suppose it is hardly necessary for me to say for what purpose this Board has been convened. The news has spread with the wings of lightning throughout the length and breadth of the land. We have assembled upon an occasion of an unusual character, such as has never been witnessed by the American people. The Chief Magistrate of the Republic has been murdered by an assassin. I hope that the murderer is not of the manor born : and hope, also, he is not a citizen by adoption. It is disgraceful to the American nation to contemplate for a single moment that anybody be- longing to this country would commit so great an outrage upon humanity, and upon the interests of the whole country. I am deeply pained to make this announcement. I feel that it is a foul disgrace, that the Chief Magistrate of this nation 519 [April 15. should be stricken down. If it shall be found that this damnable outrage has been instigated by European emissa- ries, who, jealous of the mighty power of America, have given aid and comfort to this rebellious crew, then to a certainty will the uprising of our Union-loving people be in- stantaneous, and vengeance will be theirs. Abraham Lincoln was surrounded with difficulties on entering upon his admin- istration, which it seemed almost impossible to overcome, and yet he was on the point of success in re-establishing the Constitution and the laws. Not only that, but the second in command, the man who has guided the helm of state so successfully, prostrated as he was by an accident of a very melancholy character, was attacked in his sick chamber by the assassin, who attempted to murder his assistant as well as himself. These events should fill every American heart with gloom. Mr. President, I feel alarmed for the country ; I feel as though we were now groping again in the dark ; I feel that we may see scenes such as have never been seen before. The war was ending, but suddenly this new scene opened before us ; we have now no man upon wliqm the country can rely with the same confidence as upon the man who has been stricken down, and should we lose the Secretary of State, what would become of this country? Mr. President, I think I can truly say there is no man in existence, to my knowledge, that can occupy the place of Abraham Lincoln. I believe I can say that with unquestioned sincerity, for no man can say that 1 did anything towards his election to the Presidency. But 1 do believe that there is no man who is so stroiis; in the confidence of the people, who is more earnest to do right, and so anxious to do justice to all as he. But, Mr. Presi- April 15.] dent, my feelings are so deep that I cannot give them ex- pression; how truly can I say, that a great man has this day fallen in Israel. I feel that my time also has nearly come. Mr. President, I offer the following : Whereas, The startling intelligence reaches us from Washington that President Lincoln, the head of the American nation, is no more, having been basely assas- sinated on the evening of the 14th inst. ; and Whereas, The horrible crime of assassination of officers high in authority, which has caused this sorrowful event, has never before disgraced the pages of American history, the will of the majority of the people having always been cheerfully acquiesced in, prior to the rebellion a{ the Southern States, with a unanimity that has formed the strongest bond of republican unity, and the surest guaran- tee of the perpetuation of our liberties ; and Whereas, This fearful crime and shocking calamity have occurred just at the moment when every patriot's heart was full of joy at the glorious victories won by the Union arms, and at the prospect of an early and lasting peace to our beloved country — triumphs which gladden and cheer.an American, and which bid fair to present to the nations of the earth a happy, united, and powerful people — triumphs resulting mainly from the honest, devoted, pure, patriotic energies of him whose untimely end the nation mourns ; and Whereas, We, in common with our fellow-citizens, suffer the terrible shock, an.d our hearts swell with undissembled grief at the calamity which has been permitted to befall us in the sudden death of our Chief Magistrate — no such 521 [April 15. pang of sorrow at the loss of a beloved public officer hav- ing ever occurred in the history of this country ; Resolved, That this Board receives with unfeigned emo- tion and deep solemnity the dire and heart-rending intelli- gence of the death of Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States; and that while we truly sympathize with the family and relatives of the deceased in their sudden and irreparable bereavement, and deeply deplore the sad event, we fervently unite with our fellow-citizens through- out the country and nation in expressing the deep-rooted sorrow which pervades all hearts at the loss of one who had peculiarly signalized his administration of the affairs of his great office, and who has enshrined himself in the heart of every patriot and well-wisher of his country by the purity of his private character, and by the elevated position in which he had been placed by the voice of the American people. Resolved, That this Board will participate in a suitable demonstration of respect for the memory of the late Presi- dent; that the Chamber of the Board be hung in black for ninety days ; and that the members of this Board wear the usual badge of mourning for the same period. Resolved, That the officers of the Board be requested to transmit a copy of this preamble and resolutions to the sorrow-stricken family of the deceased, and cause the same to be published. Resolved, That a Committee of four be appointed to facilitate any arrangements which may be deemed advisa- ble for a suitable manifestation of respect for the memory of the lamented and illustrious deceased. April 1;VJ 522 Resolved^ That all County officers 1 >o requested to close their offices until after the obsequies. Supervisor Davis seconded the adoption of the above, and spoke as follows : I rise for the purpose of seconding these resolutions, not for the purpose of attempting to pass any eulogy upon the deceased. I feel that, if I were competent to deliver a eulogy upon the character of him whose loss we are called upon to mourn, my feelings upon this occasion arc such that I cannot bring my mind to the subject. It is truly said in these resolutions (and they seem to cover the whole ground of what need be said upon an occasion of this kind), that such an event has never before occurred in our history. In other countries and under other govern- ments, similar events have occurred, but in this country never. We arc not now able to bring our minds to con- template the vast results which may ensue, so as fully to understand the great loss that we have suffered. We can only bow in submission to the stroke, and put our trust in God for the future. That we have suffered an overwhelm- ing loss, however, the gloom which pervades this whole community, the melancholy appearance of the buildings draped in mourning, the flags floating at half-mast, and the subdued manner in which this event is alluded to, indicate that the public mind is deeply impressed with the fact, that a great and good man has fallen in the discharge of duty, lie has fallen a martyr to the principles which have guided him in his public acts. His country will feel its loss, will mourn at his untimely end ; but history will record his 523 [April 15. name high upon the record of the benefactors of his race, and the nation will reap the fruits of the rich legacy he has bequeathed to it. It is proper that the action which these resolutions contemplate should be taken, and that the members of this Board should co-operate with the other departments of the City and General Government in pay- ing due honor to the memory of him whose loss we are called upon on this occasion to deplore. I second the reso- lutions with feelings of deep solemnity, and trust that they will be properly engrossed, and a copy transmitted to the family of the deceased. The resolutions were then unanimously adopted. Supervisors Purdy, Stewart, Roche, and Shook were ap- pointed a Special Committee to carry out the object of the resolutions. Supervisor Stewart presented the following, viz. : Whereas, The shocking intelligence has been communi- cated that the assassination of Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, was attempted in Washington, about the same time that President Lincoln met his untimely end ; and Whereas, He now lies in a critical condition, resulting from the shameful and disgraceful act ; as also his son Frederick, Assistant Secretary of State, who attempted to prevent the commission of the murderous deed ; and Whereas, The Honorable the Secretary of State has been intimately associated with President Lincoln in the ad- ministration of the public affairs of this country for the April 15.] 524 last tour years, assisting and advising in regard to the ac- coruplishment of those glorious triumphs which have caused the nation to joyfully exult ; and Whereas^ Mr. Seward, by his marked ability, his long experience in public affairs, has stamped himself as one of the greatest statesmen of modern times, and his extensive knowledge and research have been invaluable during the crisis from which the country has nearly emerged ; there- fore It caul ci