The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-05-23


nation of Mr.. LINCOLN, as the Republican Candi-
date for the Presidency, does not appear to be re-
ceived with much favor. What enthusiasm has,
been expressed is of weak and dubious quality
and is altogether sporadic Occasionally
shout of satisfaction is heard above the din.
but it can scarcely be called either hearty or con-
fdent. The friends of Mr.. SEWARD profess to be
indignant at the treatment which he has received.
The friends of Mr.. CAMERON declare that he was
tricked out of the nomination All express sur
prise at the result and none know exactly what to
think Of It, Some are inclined to believe that the
nomination is strong one; others that it is but
indiferently good; whilst not few assert that it
is sacrifice Of principle to expediency. Throw
all these diverse opinions into a common crucbIe.
and the nature of the amalgam will be under
stood. Here Is Candidate introduced to his
Party for tho highHAt Office IN tue giTU or tne
people who is tolerated rather than welcomed
Yet this man, who has but recently emerged from
political obscurity, and whose name was scarcely
known beyond the borders of the great Lakes b.,
fore be canvassed Illinois against Judge DOUGLAS
in a contest for the Senatorshp, is suddenly ele
waited, by the adroit management of few politi-
guished competitors for the same honor He
will be sustained, too, even by those Republicans
to whom his nomination was made distasteful; for
all the customary machinery will be brought to
bear to bestow upon him Fictitious reputation.
The materials slight enough upon which to
build biography that shall be attractive to the
masses, but they will suffice Give a French
woman but fine eyes, says the satirist, and she
will furnish all the rest. Politicians can do better
shn--they can change cloth of frieze into cloth of
gold. Here are the heads of chapters in the his
tory of the Life of ABRAHAM LINCOLN: He was
poor boy. He drove his fathers oxen He was
fat-boatman. He served in the BLACK HAWK
war. He kept grocery. He studied law. He
became politician. He was a village Postmaster
He was elected 10 the Illinois Legislature. He
served one term in Congress. He stumped the
State of Illinois the competitor of Judge DoUG-
LAS for seat in the Senate of the UNITED STATES.
He was Wing He is Republican. Out of
these meagre materials some Industrious and not
wholly disinterested biographer will speedily fab
ricate volume that shall serve as the textbook of
Republican orators, and as new medium for con-
veying the trite but encouraging information
possible President of the UNITED STATES 1t is
somewhat unfortunate that the great bulk of the
people of this country should have been ignorant
of the claims of Mr. LINCOLN to the high Office to
which he aspires; but it is certainly gratifying to
know that the initial steps have already been
taken towards their enlightenment. His friends
have already begun to distinguish him by those
familiar but endearing appeations which not
only disclose to us the character of the man, but
also his social standing. Some of the rougher
sort rather irreverently designate him as HOe
ABE" Others, more considerate and with
shrewd knowledge of the value of the prefix,
speak of him as 'Honest old ABE;n and others
again, as "Old ABRAM LINCOLN Now, although
age and honesty are both of them valuable ouali-
ties, and entitle to a certain amount of respect
those who possess them, yet they are not of them
selves all-sutficient. An old man is not neces-
sarily wise or prudent man; is honesty
the sole qualification for the Presidency. The
true point, therefore, is not whether Mr.. LINCOLN
is old and honest-but whether he is patriot and
a statesman OF course his partisans will assert
that he has not only age, probity, and capacity,
but every other virtue that should distinguish the
those, however, who estimate him very diff.
ferently. They see in him only a third rate
lawyer-a stump-orator of some local notoriety
and politician of narrow views and equivocal
morality 1t was reserved for the New York
Eoening Post to discover in him "the real repre-
sentative man. of this country. In the opinion
of The Post, Mr.. LINCOLN personifes above all
others ''the distinctive genius of our country and
''its institutions" If this be true, those who
regard the sectional issues which now prevail as
dangerous to the prosperity of the one and the
perpetuity of the Others may well despair of the
Republic. Nominated by the Northern and North
Western States alone--rejected by the entire
south-Mr. LINCOLN has nothing in his antece-
dents to recommend him to the Presidency, with
out platform; while, with the platform upon
which he processes to stand, he can never be made
acceptable to more than ~one-half of the States of
the TTNroN