Chapter CXXI

ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT JACKSON.

On Friday, the 30th of January, the President with some members of his Cabinet, attended the funeral ceremonies of Warren R. Davis, Esq., in the hall of the House of Representatives--of which body Mr. Davis had been a member from the State of South Carolina. The procession had moved out with the body, and its front had reached the foot of the broad steps of the eastern portico, when the President, with Mr. Woodbury, Secretary of the Treasury, and Mr. Mahlon Dickerson, Secretary of the Navy, were issuing from the door of the great rotunda--which opens upon the portico. At that instant a person stepped from the crowd into the little open space in front of the President, levelled a pistol at him, at the distance of about eight feet, and attempted to fire. It was a percussion lock, and the cap exploded, without firing the powder in the barrel. The explosion of the cap was so loud that many persons thought the pistol had fired: I heard it at the foot of the steps, far from the place, and a great crowd between. Instantly the person dropped the pistol which had missed fire, took another which he held ready cocked in the left hand, concealed by a cloak--levelled it--and pulled the trigger. It was also a percussion lock, and the cap exploded without firing the powder in the barrel. The President instantly rushed upon him with his uplifted cane: the man shrunk back; Mr. Woodbury aimed a blow at him; Lieutenant Gedney of the Navy knocked him down; he was secured by the bystanders, who delivered him to the officers of justice for judicial examination. The examination took place before the chief justice of the district, Mr. Cranch; by whom he was committed in default of bail. His name was ascertained to be Richard Lawrence, an Englishman by birth, and house-painter by trade, at present out of employment, melancholy and irascible. The pistols were examined, and found to be well loaded; and fired afterwards without fail, carrying their bullets true, and driving them through inch boards at thirty feet distance; nor could any reason be found for the two failures at the door of the rotunda. On his examination the prisoner seemed to be at his ease, as if unconscious of having done any thing wrong--refusing to cross-examine the witnesses who testified against him, or to give any explanation of his conduct. The idea of an unsound mind strongly impressing itself upon the public opinion, the marshal of the district invited two of the most respectable physicians of the city (Dr. Caussin and Dr. Thomas Sewell), to visit him and examine into his mental condition. They did so: and the following is the report which they made upon the case:

"The undersigned, having been requested by the marshal of the
District of Columbia to visit Richard Lawrence, now confined
in the jail of the county of Washington, for an attempt to
assassinate the President of the United States, with a view
to ascertain, as far as practicable, the present condition
of his bodily health and state of mind, and believing that
a detail of the examination will be more satisfactory than
an abstract opinion on the subject, we therefore give the
following statement. On entering his room, we engaged in
a free conversation with him, in which he participated,
apparently, in the most artless and unreserved manner. The first
interrogatory propounded was, as to his age--which question
alone he sportively declined answering. We then inquired into
the condition of his health, for several years past--to which
he replied that it had been uniformly good, and that he had
never labored under any mental derangement; nor did he admit
the existence of any of those symptoms of physical derangement
which usually attend mental alienation. He said he was born
in England, and came to this country when twelve or thirteen
years of age, and that his father died in this District, about
six or eight years since; that his father was a Protestant and
his mother a Methodist, and that he was not a professor of
any religion, but sometimes read the Bible, and occasionally
attended church. He stated that he was a painter by trade,
and had followed that occupation to the present time; but, of
late, could not find steady employment--which had caused much
pecuniary embarrassment with him; that he had been generally
temperate in his habits, using ardent spirits moderately when at
work; but, for the last three or four weeks, had not taken any;
that he had never gambled, and, in other respects, had led a
regular, sober life.

"Upon being interrogated as to the circumstances connected
with the attempted assassination, he said that he had been
deliberating on it for some time past, and that he had called
at the President's house about a week previous to the attempt,
and being conducted to the President's apartment by the porter,
found him in conversation with a member of Congress, whom he
believed to have been Mr. Sutherland, of Pennsylvania; that he
stated to the President that he wanted money to take him to
England, and that he must give him a check on the bank, and the
President remarked, that he was too much engaged to attend to
him--he must call another time, for Mr. Dibble was in waiting
for an interview. When asked about the pistols which he had
used, he stated that his father left him a pair, but not being
alike, about four years since he exchanged one for another,
which exactly matched the best of the pair; these were both
flint locks, which he recently had altered to percussion locks,
by a Mr. Boteler; that he had been frequently in the habit
of loading and firing those pistols at marks, and that he had
never known them to fail going off on any other occasion, and
that, at the distance of ten yards, the ball always passed
through an inch plank. He also stated that he had loaded those
pistols three or four days previous, with ordinary care, for
the purpose attempted; but that he used a pencil instead of a
ramrod, and that during that period, they were at all times
carried in his pocket; and when asked why they failed to
explode, he replied he knew no cause. When asked why he went
to the capitol on that day, he replied that he expected that
the President would be there. He also stated, that he was in
the rotunda when the President arrived; and on being asked why
he did not then attempt to shoot him, he replied that he did
not wish to interfere with the funeral ceremony, and therefore
waited till it was over. He also observed that he did not enter
the hall, but looked through a window from a lobby, and saw the
President seated with members of Congress, and he then returned
to the rotunda, and waited till the President again entered
it, and then passed through and took his position in the east
portico, about two yards from the door, drew his pistols from
his inside coat pocket, cocked them and held one in each hand,
concealed by his coat, lest he should alarm the spectators--and
states, that as soon as the one in the right hand missed fire,
he immediately dropped or exchanged it, and attempted to fire
the second, before he was seized; he further stated that he
aimed each pistol at the President's heart, and intended, if the
first pistol had gone off, and the president had fallen, to have
defended himself with the second, if defence had been necessary.
On being asked if he did not expect to have been killed on the
spot, if he had killed the President, he replied he did not;
and that he had no doubt but that he would have been protected
by the spectators. He was frequently questioned whether he had
any friends present, from whom he expected protection. To this
he replied, that he never had mentioned his intention to any
one, and that no one in particular knew his design; but that
he presumed it was generally know that he intended to put the
President out of the way. He further stated, that when the
President arrived at the door, near which he stood, finding
him supported on the left by Mr. Woodbury, and observing many
persons in his rear, and being himself rather to the right of
the President, in order to avoid wounding Mr. Woodbury, and
those in the rear, he stepped a little to his own right, so
that should the ball pass through the body of the President,
it would be received by the door-frame or stone wall. On being
asked if he felt no trepidation during the attempt: He replied,
not the slightest, until he found that the second pistol had
missed fire. Then observing that the President was advancing
upon him, with an uplifted cane, he feared that it contained
a sword, which might have been thrust through him before he
could have been protected by the crowd. And when interrogated
as to the motive which induced him to attempt the assassination
of the President, he replied, that he had been told that the
President had caused his loss of occupation, and the consequent
want of money, and he believed that to put him out of the way,
was the only remedy for this evil; but to the interrogatory, who
told you this? he could not identify any one, but remarked that
his brother-in-law, Mr. Redfern, told him that he would have
no more business, because he was opposed to the President--and
he believed Redfern to be in league with the President against
him. Again being questioned, whether he had often attended the
debates in Congress, during the present session, and whether
they had influenced him in making this attack on the person of
the President, he replied that he had frequently attended the
discussions in both branches of Congress, but that they had, in
no degree, influenced his action.

"Upon being asked if he expected to become the president of the
United States, if Gen. Jackson had fallen, he replied no.

"When asked whom he wished to be the President, his answer
was, there were many persons in the House of Representatives.
On being asked if there were no persons in the Senate, yes,
several; and it was the Senate to which I alluded. Who, in
your opinion, of the Senate, would make a good President? He
answered, Mr. Clay, Mr. Webster, Mr. Calhoun. What do you think
of Col. Benton, Mr. Van Buren, or Judge White, for President? He
thought they would do well. On being asked if he knew any member
of either house of Congress, he replied that he did not--and
never spoke to one in his life, or they to him. On being
asked what benefit he expected himself from the death of the
President, he answered he could not rise unless the President
fell, and that he expected thereby to recover his liberty, and
that the mechanics would all be benefited; that the mechanics
would have plenty of work; and that money would be more plenty.
On being asked why it would be more plenty, he replied, it would
be more easily obtained from the bank. On being asked what bank,
he replied, the Bank of the United States. On being asked if he
knew the president, directors, or any of the officers of the
bank, or had ever held any intercourse with them, or knew how he
could get money out of the bank, he replied no--that he slightly
knew Mr. Smith only.

"On being asked with respect to the speeches which he had heard
in Congress, and whether he was particularly pleased with those
of Messrs. Calhoun, Clay, and Webster, he replied that he was,
because they were on his side. He was then asked if he was well
pleased with the speeches of Col. Benton and Judge White? He
said he was and thought Col. Benton highly talented.

"When asked if he was friendly to Gen. Jackson, he replied,
no. Why not? He answered, because he was a tyrant. Who told
you he was a tyrant? He answered, it was a common talk with
the people, and that he had read it in all the papers. He was
asked if he could name any one who had told him so? He replied,
no. He was asked if he ever threatened to shoot Mr. Clay, Mr.
Webster, or Mr. Calhoun, or whether he would shoot them if he
had an opportunity? He replied, no. When asked if he would shoot
Mr. Van Buren? He replied, no, that he once met with Mr. Van
Buren in the rotunda, and told him he was in want of money and
must have it, and if he did not get it he (Mr. Van Buren), or
Gen. Jackson must fall. He was asked if any person were present
during the conversation? He replied, that there were several
present, and when asked if he recollected one of them, he
replied that he did not. When asked if any one advised him to
shoot Gen. Jackson, or say that it ought to be done? He replied,
I do not like to say. On being pressed on this point, he said no
one in particular had advised him.

"He further stated, that believing the President to be the
source of all his difficulties, he was still fixed in his
purpose to kill him, and if his successor pursued the same
course, to put him out of the way also--and declared that no
power in this country could punish him for having done so,
because it would be resisted by the powers of Europe, as well
as of this country. He also stated, that he had been long in
correspondence with the powers of Europe, and that his family
had been wrongfully deprived of the crown of England, and that
_he_ should yet live to regain it--and that he considered the
President of the United States nothing more than his clerk.

"We now think proper to add, that the young man appears
perfectly tranquil and unconcerned, as to the final result, and
seems to anticipate no punishment for what he has done. The
above contains the leading, and literally expressed facts of the
whole conversation we had with him, which continued at least
two hours. The questions were frequently repeated at different
stages of the examination; and presented in various forms."

It is clearly to be seen from this medical examination of the man, that this attempted assassination of the President, was one of those cases of which history presents many instances--a diseased mind acted upon by a general outcry against a public man. Lawrence was in the particular condition to be acted upon by what he heard against General Jackson:--a workman out of employment--needy--idle--mentally morbid; and with reason enough to argue regularly from false premises. He heard the President accused of breaking up the labor of the country! and believed it--of making money scarce! and he believed it--of producing the distress! and believed it--of being a tyrant! and believed it--of being an obstacle to all relief! and believed it. And coming to a regular conclusion from all these beliefs, he attempted to do what he believed the state of things required him to do--take the life of the man whom he considered the sole cause of his own and the general calamity--and the sole obstacle to his own and the general happiness. Hallucination of mind was evident; and the wretched victim of a dreadful delusion was afterwards treated as insane, and never brought to trial. But the circumstance made a deep impression upon the public feeling, and irresistibly carried many minds to the belief in a superintending Providence, manifested in the extraordinary case of two pistols in succession--so well loaded, so coolly handled, and which afterwards fired with such readiness, force, and precision--missing fire, each in its turn, when levelled eight feet at the President's heart.