The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1864-03-09
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relative sagacity between n, you IA and the Prssi
dent. You think the people were ready.
He thought they were not. Add observe.
that nov, more than two years afterward. the S
Senate Of the United States, almost i1,tst purrged
of ssecessionists, can not make up its mind to
pay colored soldiers, who have most bravely
fought for the Gag, the wages which the Gov
ernment expressly agreed to pay- them. Do
you suppose they would debate the point a {
quarter, Of an hour if these soldiers were
white? The President can not rightfully do
what he honestly thinks the people ought to
wish, but what he honestly thinks they do
wish, because only what they do wish viii
stand There were men enough who said,
when General Fremont's order came, Ger.
tainly; arm tie slaves, and they will make
short work of rebels. But within six months
these same men were signing for well l-stecked
plantations, The ,sagacity. which distin-.
guished between the furious but. eyanescent
gust of excitement and enthusiasm aud the
steady trade-wind of principle, is the very
quality to be desired in. chief magistrate at
this time ; and among all the prominent men
in our history from the beginning none have
ever shown the power of understanding the
popular mind so accurately as Mr.. Lincoln.
Nothing is more natural and more common
than that. an ardent man should in one breath
declare that the people wish this or that
course to be pursued and in the next sneer at
the President because he yields only to pres
sure of the people. What should he yield
to? And did Mr.. Lincoln ever resist it? Did
he ever lag behind i'll The President can
not treat the nation as a general does an army,
and make it subject to his arbitrary will !, and
although the Constitution wisely intrusts dur
ing war the most important powers to bis
discretion, that discretion, consists in his wise
estimate Of the conviction, aud desire Of the
public mind as to their exercise.
From the beginning of his term the Presi-
dent has evidently been persuaded thatthis
was peoples war; that, if the people were
wise and brave enough, they would save the
Union and the Government;;s and if they.were
not, then that no leader could or ought to save
them. Twenty months ago h, was without
a party. The Oopperheads hated him :. the
"Copservasive, Republicans thought him, too
fast; the Radical Republicans thought him,
too slow; the War Democrats were looking
L f-TA 80
/ for the chance of return to political power.
He held steadily upon his way As he.
thought the country ready he took each adj
yaneng step. He issued the preparatory.
proclamation, he followed it with the. New.
Years decree. He wrote the Greeley letter,
the Yallandigham letter, the Springfield let
ter. simple, plain, direct; letters which the
heart of every man in the land interpreted,
and unlike any other instance in our political
annals Ilp every letter he wrote, every speech he
made, brought him nearer to the popular
heart; SO that now it is little too late to call
him, "well-meanng, p Incompetent, . "a mere
JOKER" because it is the general conviction
/ that he is no MANS pnppet; that he listens
respectfully to his Cabinet and then acts from
bis own convictions; that by his calm and
cheerful temperament. by, bis shrewd insight,
his practical sagacity, his undannted patience,
his profound faith in the people and their
cause, he is peculiarly fitted for his solemn and
responsible office, Nor is it likely that the
people who elected himswhen he was compar-
atigely unknown will discard him because, in
the fierce light of war which tries every quail
ity and exposes every defect. he has steadily
grown in popular love 's and confidenee.i sssis
-; s17 70T -'-1-'rrs>'7 2 - 777771th ses Z
Daring Plot toflRebelPrlsenersE of r Erus-
: .ss trated.
a Columbus dispatch Of the, 22d to the
I Cincinnati Gazette, gives the following par
ticnlars of the daring plot of the rebel priso-
, ners in the Ohio Penitentiary to escape by
ioyerpowering and killing the guard -,
I A, few days since Basil Duke, who has beer
/ at Camp Chase on parole for the past two o.
three weeks expressed desire to be- taken
: back to the Penitentiary. He urged this with
so much rpersistency, as to lead Gov. Brougf
land Gen. Heintxeiman to suspect that he hac
e some other object in view, than simply re.
: turn to his old quarters in the prison. Pre-.
E cautionary measures were immediately adopt
: ed, and tie Governor very soon had the salts
faction of knowing that his plans .wer,
: successful. They unmasked a deep lait
!, schemes on the part Of the rebel prisoners, 4
b attempt an escape. The rebel plan Wa
Il briefly to overpower the guard when the,
: were in the ball, as they have been permit
ted to be, and force their way through a
: whatever cost. They had armed themseive
with knives, which they. had stolen from th,
d tables from sine to time and shsrpened 70
! the work. These knives have stout blades
four or fiveiinches long thick backs and heav,
! wood handles and when ground down TO
s sharp point and edge, as these were, maxi
J. ugly and formidable weapons. They han
provided themselves with files, one Of whicl
. was ground down so as TO serve as q screv
. bdriver, and oneofe the men had nearly com
e'f pleted wooden key, which could be used,
it necessary; but their plans were for shof
q and bloody work. sa . lts fsisas
D Yesterday was the day set apart for the at
n tempt, but to the surprise of the prisoner
q they were not permitted their usual freedom
hd AT breakfast they werel taken to and fron
their cells with double guard. In the after
noon they were taken out sihgly and searche
g IN the presence of the Warden and Governor
sr All bore the search with tolerable eomposur
is except one of the Morgans brothers, who los
!, i his temper The guard, observingt that Nor
: gan stood lightly upon one foot, sutldeul
T. jerked it1up and pulled off the boot, when ou
|; dropped al file.g This caused the Kentuck
d horse thief to indulge in profane language =
!. The knives which are thus collected are pre-
!. served bythe Warden as trophies. 1t is nc
? proper to state how the rebels cafne into pos