The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1864-01-05
The Character ofPresident Linz
coin.


The Rev. Henry Fo sler Of Auburn, N. ".
10 his Thanksgiving sermon, drew the follow
ing picture Of the President, which will be re-
cognized as slriking portrait 10 many partic'
ulsrs. 4,p r
''Tbc progress OF the President illustrates
tho progress Of the people. Arthur Stanley
speaks Of Samue! the prophet as mediator be-
tween the old and the new, 10 Jewish history.
His two sided sympathy enabled him to unite
the passing and the coming epoch. Such an
epoch Of perpIexity, translation and change Is
not ofted witnessed. In every such passage OF
nation there ought to be character like
that of Samuel. Misunderstood and misreh'
resented at theiime; attacked from both sides;
charged with not going far enough and with
going TOO far; charged with saying too much
and saying too little /; he slowly, conscentiously
and honestly works out the mighty problem.
He was not founder Of new state OF tbinas
like Moses; he wss not champion OF the ex-
isting order Of things like Elijah. He stood
between the two; between the living and the
dead between the past and the present; be-
tween the old and The new with that sympa-
thy for each which at such period is the best
hope for any permanent solution Of tie ques.
tions which torment it. His duty is carefully
to distinguish between that which is tempora
and that which is eternal He has but little
praise from partisans; but is the careful healer,
binding up the wounds of the age, in spite OF
itself; the good surgeon, knitting togethei
the disocated bones Of the disjointed times.
"Such man was Samuel among the Jews; ;
such man was Athanacus among the early
Christians; such a man is Abraham Lincoln
in this day. The explanation fer his every
act is this; he executes the will Of the people;
he represents controlling majority. If he
bo slow it is because the people are slow. Ii
he has done foolish act, it vac the stupidity
of tho people that impellei it. His vision
consists 10 carrying out the good sense OF the
nation. His growth in political knowledge,
lis steady movement towards emancipation,
are but the growth and movement Of the ma
tional mind. Indeed, in character auG cul-
ture he is fair representative Of the ayerag,
American. His awkward speech, and yet
10 ore awkward silence, bis uncouth manners,
his grammar self.thought and partly forgot.
len, his style miscellaneous, concerted from
the best authors, like reading book, and yet
oftentiues Of Saxon force and classic purity
his humor an argument, and bis logic a joke,
both unreasonable at times, and irresistible
always; his questions answers, and his an.
swers questions; his guesses prophesiss and
fulfiment ever beyond his promise; honest
and shrewj, simple and yet reticent; heavy
and yet energetic, never despairnb and new
er anguine; careless in forms, conscientious
in essentials; never sacrificing good servant
orco trusted, never deserving good principle
once adopted; not afraid Of new ideas, mol
despising old ones; improving opportunities
TO confess mistakes, realy to learn, getting al
facis, doing nothing when he knows not wha
to do; hesiiaiipg at nothing when he sees th'
right; lacking tie recognized qualificat iona
, a party leader, aud yet leading bis party a
no other man can; sustaining bis political en-
emies in Missouri to their defeat, sustaining
, his political friends in Maryland TO their vic
tory, cor serva:iye in bis sympathies, and rad
ical in bis acts; Socratic in style, and Baconi
an in his method; bis religion consisting j
truthful luess, temperance, asking good people
to pray for him and publicly acknowledge
iu events the hand Of God, he stands Sefor
you as a type Of Brother Jonathan" no
perfect man, and yet more precsous than hn'
gold" bHa