The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1860-08-22

Lincoln has long head. IL takes good head
to tell what has happened, but it requires bet
ter and a longer head, to tell with certainty and
accuracy, what is going to happen. Abraham
Lincoln is the proprietor Of one Of those heads
which work both ways. One Of his life-writers,
who is evidently familiar with his political course,
both remotely and proxmately, gives the follow
ing instance Of that long-headed sagacity, which
philosophers and Psychologists say, springs from
u combination of sound judgment, with an
active imagination-a rare union. productive Of
rare qualities. These two capacities, form what
is known in the practical northwest where
shrewdness takes the place Of philosophy, as a
"a level head" the prime advantage of which
is that it prevents the pOssessor from committing
blunders, and enables him not only "to go
energy, but "to be sure he Is right before he
does it.
The passage of the late Senatorial conflict to
which the biographer refers, is the following,
and it possesses the unusual advantage of carry
ing conviction of its truth along with it, require
ing no extrinsic testimony--or if so, that testi-
mony has been furnished by Douglas himself.
"He had triumphanty answered that set of
interrogatories which Douglas had calculated
would crush him, and had made up his mind that
his antagonist should be presented with col.
lection. His plan was to compel him by public
interrogation TO repudiate either the bred Scott
decision or the doctrine Of unfriendly legislation
in the territories. Before the discussion COM
Inenced at Freeport, Mr.. Lincoln informed his
friends Of his intention. They unanimously
counseled him to abandon his purpose, for, "
said they, "if you put that question to him he
viii perc0'~c that an answer giving practical
force and decision TO the bred Scott decision in
the territories inevitably loses him the battle,
and he will therefore reply by affirming the de.
cision as an abstract principle but by denying
its practical application. But" said Mr. Lin
coin, "if he does that he can never DC Presi-
dent" His friends replied "that s not your
look out, you are after the Senatorship." "No,
gentlemen" said he. g. ola after larger game.
The battle of 1860 is worth hundred of this ~
From the day Mr.. Douglas promulgated his doc
trine OF unfriendly legislation" TO save himself
in Illinois, he was doomed man in all the South,
and the battle in l s60" was won for the Re.
pubcans, though Mr.. Lincoln of course could
not know that he was TO be their gallant leader.
Where Douglas has split, is exactly where
Lincoln predicted he would split, when he pre-,
fered lasting to temporary advantage. The
old "rail splitter" knew how "the rift would
run" when he brought the mani down upon the
entering wedge, and he was content to "bide hi:
time and wait a couple of years, to lay the
Douglas log open, and display its rotten heart to
the whole country-north as well as south Who
shall say now that he did not wisely? Yet where
the men among Us, who could have held
their self-control so firmly, as TO have denied
themselves the temporary advantage, even with
full mental conviction Of greater results, in the
end. Men who can 90 that thing, are great
men, st TO be endowed with great powers, and
TO keep and guard great interests. To be able
to do so, or to be unable, often makes the diff.
ference between an ordinary man, ard truly
great one.
One of the great and powerful families Of
Scotland, strong alike in counsel and in the field
great in achieving, and strong in maintaining
power, expressed upon the family escutcheon OF
the founder, the secret of supremacy-"I tide
mV time"