Boston Bombing aftermath, any similarity to the Lincoln assassination aftermath?

[MaddieM]

(04-22-2013 02:51 PM)KateH. Wrote:  We'll never know why Powell did what he did. However, I'm not sure if Powell would have agreed to blow up the White House or something along those lines. Using that example, blowing up the White House would take a lot of innocent lives, including cooks and maids as well as the first family. His task was to kill Seward and leave. He did attack other people in the house, one of the reasons he felt guilt after, but he did not attack any women or children. Gus and Fredrick were not young boys like Tad Lincoln. Robinson and Hansell were grown men. Furthermore, Powell could have easily stabbed Fanny was she tried to come between him and Seward, but he merely threw her aside. That shows that he had some thought going through his mind that wasn't just to kill everyone that was in his way. Just my opinion.

Agreed. To compare Powell's psychology to that of a terrorist seems illogical to me. There is no comparison.

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(04-22-2013 05:09 PM)My Name Is Kate Wrote:  If Powell had succeeded in assassinating Seward, and together with Booth's assassinating Lincoln, it had somehow breathed new life into the Confederacy, I think Powell would have felt differently about his deed. Alot of people probably would have.

I disagree. I think he was genuinely appalled at what he'd done. I also suspect that a part of him gave himself up that night he returned to the Surratt house.

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(04-22-2013 05:04 PM)BettyO Wrote:  

Quote:Does anyone think that Powell would have felt remorse in attacking the Seward household had he met with Booth right afterwards and they had managed to escape?

Do you think if Powell had met up with Booth that he would have felt bad that he had NOT succeeded in killing Seward like he said he was ordered to do?

I think that if a person feels remorse right after doing something vilely wrong - that doesn't change - whether or not they have escaped or not. Since Powell said that he felt remorse time he jumped into the saddle. I don't think that had he escaped it would have changed his feelings. He still was carrying a lot of guilt. This in itself may have hindered JWB's escape itself - or maybe not. Perhaps he would have carried his guilt inside and just been silent. One doesn't know....

When has any terrorist every shown any remorse or common sense? As has been pointed out, their war as they see it, is a holy one... and let's face it, they have 72 virgins to greet them in the afterlife... Makes sense to slaughter people.