The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1861-12-28
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.


We find the following sarcastic remarks
on the Presidents Message, in the Cincin-
natl Commercial:
1t is not a great State paper. AS for its
style-enough is said when we observe that
Mr.. Lincoln certainly wrote it himself.
While it is plain that an honest man,
whose intentions are excellent, is the occu-
pant of the Presi Dental chair, it is equally
clear that he brings to the aid of the coun-
try no such thing as frst-rate Executive
ability. We may, however. console our
selves, and perhaps it would profitable to
do so, with the reflection that while there
is no reason to expect any mastery and
brilliant performance on the part of the
President, there is no danger that he will
place the country in peril, or cause any con-
siderable combustion in any quarter, by any
rash act.
A large portion of the message relates d.
rectly to business, and here the President
states the point tersely, and makes recon-
mendations with brevity and good sense.
Quite number of his business paragraphs
are models of condensation-a merit the
conscientious readers of messages will
gratefully recognize.
| We cannot say that we admire particu-
larly the style in which our foreign relations
are discussed. A more dignihed stand
point, and a more elevated tone, might, we
think, have been assumed in this part of the
message, without inconvenience to the
President or detriment to the Republic. We
need not be surprised, however, if the few
knotty paragraphs, in which the attitude of
foreign powers is noticed, should puzzle our
| English critics far more than if the rhetoric
were improved, and the corners rounded
according to the literature of diplomacy.
The recommendation for the construction
of railroad to East Tennessee, is curious
one. 1t would be good thing to have a
railroad In that direction, but Government
has no authority to build it save as mill
tarv road, and there is good reason to be-
lieve that the war would be over before it
could be built. We would recommend the
opening of the line of the proposed road by
an United States army, before laying down
the rails. There is already road between
Louisville and Nashville. Would it not be
we'll to open it before commencing another?
However, the Kentuckians will be pleased
at the suggestion of an important internal
improvement, and if the road were actually
constructed, Cincinnati, as one of the great
termini, would be willing to celebrate, as
usual in such cases.
The omission to discuss the domestic
controversy" out of which the war has
sprung, and the quaint Lincolnian phraseol,
ogy with which he takes leave of that sub
iect, are charming. The review of the pro-
gress Of the war is not felicitous, and some
of the statements made are not distinguished
for exact accordance with the facts The
information that missouri is comparatively
quiet" will be news to the unhappy people
of that State. We find in this portion of
the Message testimony that corroborates
the assurance we some time ago had from
good authority, that the President is too
busy in discharging the duties of his Office
to read the newspapers.
Few readers will suppress smile at the
sort of reference that is made to the retire
ment of General Scott and the appointment
of General Mcclellan as General in Chief of
the Army. The profound paragraph in
which we are treated to discussion of the
proposition that zone bad General is better
than two good ones,'' is especially enter
tanning. The intention probably was to
make very discreet notice of the evils
which had been endured when Generals
Scott and Nc Clellan were both in command
but it would be cruelty, as well as inconsis-
tent with the remark about "two good Gen
erals" to draw the inference that the Presi-
dent congratulates himself upon having only
Zone bad General" in Nc Cleilan. In fact,
Seward ought to have revised that para
0ropb