Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1863-10-22
An EngIisn crltisism OF Prssldent
t-ilEl 3a LlReb1n. So
From the LLyerpeolP Post, OelOber


t-il Ltneetn. f
From the LvsrptOlPOst, October l.
Perhaps no leader IN a great con test
ever stood so little chance; Of being sub
Iect of hero worship as Abraham Lincoln,
the President of the United States. That
he was once a railspiter would be par
doued II It could be ptoyed that be were
now "sWeli." Bot here Is nothing of
the swell about "Old Ale" Every visitor
that goes to Washtngtbn has something
disrespectfal to say OF bis very long legs
and consequently very lobg pantaloOns; or
his sbambling hgure; or his awkward
speech and doubly awkward silence; of his
general unfitness in appearance and man.
ner to mix in high society. Those who
only know him from his exercitatIons in
tpriut conceive but little bstter opinion Of
him. - "a
His grammar is decidedly self.taught
and perhaps not quite remembered; his
style is no style at all; bic Arguments seem
sometimes to have been written rather on
the principle of Sampson making sport
for the Philistines than as ut all adapted
to advance his cause; and some of his met
aphors are voted decidedly below par by
the crowd OF arrogant pretenders TO taste
who never admired saying that was
tinged with vulgarity, aud never said one
that could be suspected of vigor or origin
ality. When the enemies OF the North
have nothing else to say they deride the
President; aud when they feel the point of
his homely jokes they bitterly depOunce
him as sort of Nero fddling away to a
ribald tune while the empire be rules is in
flames of civil war. Scarcely any one has
good word to say for him; and even his
own party in the States seem too ready to
remain silent about his merits, and to base
their defence of the Administration on any
grounds rather than confidence in its head.
possibly travel d great deal farther and
fare much worse for an idol than in select
ing this same lanky American-the per-
sonifcaliOn of freesoil PEinciples-the re.
presentative of the idea that slavery, with.
out being forcibly interfered with, must
not be allowed to spread itself over the
North American continent-and the i'm.
.persouation, also, of the victory of that
idea-a victory, which, as it were, stands
on the defensive against those WHO would
turn it into defeat. Absolute truth, stern
resolution, clear insight. solemn faithful
ness, courage that. cannot be daGuted,
hopefulness that cannot be dashed-these
are qualities that go a Tong way TO make
up q hero, whatever side tue pOSsessOr of
bAAVs AZ 0ll
Aud ie-wouldi not be easy to dispute Mr..
Lipcoln's Claim tolan, these, -lIjJ I,
- BE has never, given up good servant or
'a-souud principle. BE has never shut his
eyes to facts, or remained in ignorance of
them. HehaRsneyer hesitated to do his
work, or faltered in doing it. No resolu-
tion has remained IN nub bus with him be.
cause it was a strong one. No measure
has been adopted merely because "some-
thing must be DONE" The exigencies OF a
fapatical war have never betrayed him iu-
to fauaticism, and the sharp stings of satire
have never drawn from him an explana:
tion of ill humoF, or even an imPrudent
reioiuder.' = :
Depend upon it, the whole history OF the
war proves that this quiet, unpretending,
awkward man Is, on the whole, q otter
subject for respect than ridicule even as q
public man, leaving altogether aside the
consideratiou-Once p aifaVOrite one in aug
land-that he has raised himself literally
from nothing. But It is not from the his
tory of the war that We draw to.Glayshb H.
1nstratfon..o this conspicuous mans honest,
generous and thoughtful character. We
derive it from what little private life he has
had while he has been ut the wheel-whera
be must have been q very Ixion-of the
great american Eship Last cwinter or
spfing-Mr. Lincoln does not well remem-
Der whfch-he went to the theatre aud saw
Hackett, an excellent actor, as few even 10
England need to be told.
Some time after Mr.. Hackett sent the
President ~ book with a complimentary
note. But, having something more eeri-
Gus In hand, Mr. Lincoln omitted for some
timelto use the player after his own honor,
and did not. acknowledge the present.
AtleDgth, however, in August, the acknoWl-
edgment was sent. Now letus see in what
terms Mr.. Lincoln, the rough, uneducated,
empty. minded President, as some think
him, addressed the actor whose FAlstaR,
after delighting tens Of thousands, had
ehanced TO be played before him
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