Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1862-09-26
Let Us Quit ScoldinS.

we editor chaps are considerable of a con
sideration when you come to sum up the gen
eral aggregate of brains and Generals-espec
tally Generals-in this great country Ou
toes are not to be trod on without the proper
penalty of pistols and coffee all around W,
make and unmake politicans-puif pump
kins-elect Presidents, and go to see EN- in
augurated are the life and blood of the agri
cultural societies-the sine qua non of the
internal revenue law; are at the top and bot
tom Of all good reforms, and the bulwarks
not to say impregnable fortitications, of Chris
tian civilization on this continent The fact
is, those who take the editors of this country
as class, to be little better than small beer,
put their feet in it clear up to the knees. For
examples, see Port Royal Sherman, Don Car
los Buell. and II. W. Halleck.
Nevertheless, there are few things which
editors cannot Do. They could not build
Rome in day, nor make yearling colt in
the same short space of time They cannot
make the mountains come to them. But we
believe it would be easier for them to build
Rome in a day, or move the mountains and
cast them into the midst of the sea, than to
scold Abraham Lincoln into measures against
his will! When Mahomet saw that the noun
tain would not approach him at his bidding,
he girded up his loins about him and, like
man of tirst-rate common sense, went to the
mountain; which, for all practical purposes
seeing that all he wanted was to get on the
mountain-was the same thing. 1t was,
moreover, the very best thing he could have
done. under the circumstances.
We think it is about time the true and
earnest friends of the Union-the only sincere
friends of Mr.. Lincoln should cease scolding
at him and commence to treat him as though
he were not whole fool and half traitor. In
their intercourse with the President and in
the tone of their recognized organs, the Eor-
der State men have secured advantages over
better men and purer patriots than themselves.
They have treated the Executive with at least
a show of kindness and respect, whilst many
intensely earnest friends of the Union have
treated him with at least an appearance of
unkindness ard disrespect. Even Mr.. Cow
an, the beastly bully of the Senate, roars the
President as gently as 'twere any nightingale,
the moment he sits upon, the velvet cushions
of the reception room. Powder magazines
are excellent things in their way but soft
soap has been the true lubricator of Cabinets
from the time of Ferdinand to date, after all.
Let us, then, friends of the Union and of
the Administration, treat our chosen Presi-
dent with conhding kindness and manly cour-
tesv Ne need not abate jot of our earn
estness nor change hairs breadth our opin-
ions. But in the expression of them, we can
we'll afford to put aside dictatorial, rude
scolding manner-a manner which makes us
seem less friendly to the Government than
those who are practically perhaps nninten-
tionally-its worst enemies. The times de-
mand that we should be both personally and
politically friendly with the President. He
has that now weighing upon his soul and
wearing out his life which oppresses him with
a load of care such as did not Cypress even
Washington in the darkest hours of those
early times that tried the souls of men. In
stead of scolding at him and hcctoring him,
we ought to give him our best assistance and
our warnest prayers. And that, too. not IN
charity but in simple justice; for no true pa
triot will place his hand upon his heart and
say that he believes Abraham Lincoln to be
deserving of less