The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1856-10-15
Letter from N, P. Willis about the Pres


The following an extractirom private
letter written by N P Willis. ESQ, II fur
aishes additional evidence which way the
intellect Of The country IS leaning, and as
showing also how the present contest ap-
pears to those habitually neutral in politics,
but who are awakened by the peril Of the
times TO give a voice 10 the question OF
Presidency
I'VE all turned out che other evening 70
hear Gurus stump speech lot Fremont, at
Newburph, five mile drive in the night
/, air was quite venture ,ul enc, AMI did II
| more for interest Ia the cause than with ANY
| expectations OF eloqueaee from Howadt,
| thought be was gnite too handsome and
| well dressed boy lor popular oratoR Aud
continued 10 think SO, tor five MIC es OF
SO s.ter he had begun, and then, 10 tell the
teath, forgot all about i. tie enprossed
ale SO completely with has subject that
ost sight Of what was % eFitglse. When
he got Through, drew long breath, and
remembered Tor the fret time that must
get back to personal con sidersttons, and tell
my previous Curtis hos much admired the
prssen. stump speaker Ii was really very
self-possessed, Logical snd rational
enough to sasp,se absolute confidence and
yet, now and then bursting into the full
tide Of eloqaence unresgained. 1t comes
natural TO the bey Tie MAS born 10 be an
orator
II find myself, fer the trst Time in NY
hie, interested for politicsl candidate; or,
| should rather say, perhaps, IN candidate
without his politics. | have hitherto Ito
account somewhat for my apparent want Of
pstriotisml thought the country under a
headway which made slnest any steer ng
safe enough Il seems&o me Of very lnle
consequence " nybody but offi ce.seekers)
whether Why or Democrat was at the
helm--pabllo opinion, besides, being alto
ee,her too VIDE awake, 10 SO educated a
country. Tor either a blunder or sin Of pi-
lo,age 10 be more than approached So
complete was this confidence in Amerca's
adolescent yigcr and eorreeuVeness Of con-
stilution, that would ven believe IT'D
never voted in my life,
but with the events OF the last year or
two, and with all the intellect OF the cean-
tEy al work upon the two gtsat questions at
issue, IL would be hard 10 remain longer
blind or insensihle. And yet, 80 dodgey are
political theories, SO insecure are party plat
forms, (and above all, SO often may the
changing tide Of events present decision with
| little or no reference toparty theory or par
| " platlorm,) that, il seems 70 ME, we ahould
look most II not only 70 the quality Of The
maa-whst our candidate is, by nature and
culture, rather than 10 wha, his party pro-
fesses, or his platform promises.
| You see. in this last remark, the ground
upon which shall give my virgin vote"
| for Fremont H. - one of those rare men
sure to do we'll in all emergencie s--not on.
IL with brain lofty enough at the main
mast, and heart sound and true enough ~
the hold. but with that deep ksst 2t c3nalot
ssEss which hes REQUESTED the perilous nsys
CATION by all the great pilots Of the world
Che most signal quality Of Washington
among others, and which alone can insure
true sailing snd no caps.zing ia ihez5
stormy times Fremont Is boil. l9ily-mi adeC
and wise both iRcounptble and sagacioa.
both fehrle-sly aks pendent aud modestly
deteTentia. To taet, il seems 10 me he wa;
born for the cgisis on which the country j.
nov balancing, and that he has had iby Ia,
Overriding providence of God precisely tht
training and discipline @ III him for HI;
work. That lie viii be our next Presiden
have no doubt; bat mean to do ali in ny
power, hereabouts 10 add ny grain VI san,
10 what trust viii be mountain Of ma
i0rity N u Post