Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-02-24

paF Mr.. IfneoIn's Secret.
kRIn his progress from Springfield to Wash
iueton, Mr.. LINCOLN has made greater
number of speeches, perhaps, than any other
man who ever made a journey from one
point to another on the American continent
with the one single exception of Senator
Payne, Of this State, last year. in Legisla-
tive Excursion to Kentucky and Ohio. Mr..
PAYNE did not make more speeches than Mr..
LINCOLN, but more in proportion to the dis
lance travelled. Mr. LINCOLN set out In his
specifications in a semi declarative tone;
but by the time be reached Cincinnati and
Pittsburg, he found that he needed all the in
formation that could possibly be obtained
between Springfield and Washington before
be could have any opinion at all, on the first
and most momentous question of the age,
and of his own administration. At first he
propounded some significant interrogatoriss,
but failing 10 obtain satiefaetory answers. be
modified these, and now at every depot be is
biting the bit, telling the people that he will
not say anything till, by the custom of for
mer Presidents, he is bound to speak; and
then he will speak go as not to disappoint
anybody, and in such way that the Union
and the liberties of the people thereof will
be maintained. But what he is going to say
is, as yet, profound secret. What he thinks
Of the first great question with which he will
have to deal is in his own breast. For our
part, We imagine the secret will be disclosed
soon enough for the well-being of the Ameri-
can people, and have no disposition to preci-
pitate the utterance of it.
1t has been argued by some that circum-
stances make men, and by others that men
make circumstances. 1t il evident that Mr.
LINCOLN belongs to the former class OF ga
souers. What sort of man present circum-
stances will make of him, it is impossible to
foretell with certainty. We hope they will
be able to make one equal to themselves,
and equal to the wants of the hour. We
have no sort of doubt that Mr.. LINCOLN
could. at one time have made as many rails
ss anybody from easy splitting timber, and
that he could have rowed acceptably to
owners and consiguees fiat-boat on mod
crate tide and wide stream. He has shown
abilities as pettifogger, ready and shrewd.
to catch the weak points of an adversary in
court. But these admirable qualities in their
appropriate place, are not altogether absolute
proof to our mind that circumstances will
have the most eligible material out of which
to manufacture tip-top imam for the times"
If the circumstances are permitted to have |
full sway at him. they may succeed, for the |
law of existence is, ''to live and learn Mr. |
LINCOLN, we hope, will learn by the 4th of /
March that the Chicago platform was made /
for Presidential campaign; that ii was to-
tally repudiated by about fourteen States of |
the Union, and that if the government is adj
ministsred strictly according to its provi- |
sions. the government must go to pieces.
That q sentiment must always give way to
practical necessity, in puplic as well as in |
private affairs. That his supporters are not
all the people Of the Uaion for which he ex-
presses so much devotion, and ifhe wishes to
preside over all he must respect the opinions
and feelings of all. He must learn that the
public liberty, which be in such general and
patriotic terms promises to defend and pro-
tect, is inseparable in fact anc theory from
individual right. That the American people
are not such fools as to grasp at a shadow
when they know that the substance is else
where. That while they are fondly attached
to party, they will not be moved from their
fidelity to the country, and to their own
sense of right and justice, when that party
comes in open and palpable conflict with the
first duties of the patriotic citizen If Mr..
LINCOLN Will turn back to these rudimentary
lessons of freedom, and put confidence in
them, and let platforms and parties go to the /
dogs, he will unite the qualities of both sage |
and patriot, and evince his worthiuess to be |
the successor of such a man as WASHINGTON. |
Mr.. LINCOLN sometimes hits a re sponsive |
chord. He says he is nothing without the |
people, the support, the confidence and the |
generous good will of the people. Let him
ponder this sentiment in all its breadth and
significance. Let him study alone the good
Of the people and nobody else, and put
his studies into practice by administering the
government for their peace, prosperity and |
happiness, and all will be well with him and |
the Union. Let this but be the secret dis |
closed on the 4th of March, not by implica- |
ton or construction, but in the brief, plain |
language of patriot, rising to the full and |
glorious attitude of a comprehensive and i'm |
partial statesman, and then we shall have |
the MAN as well as the mystery revealed.