The Portland daily press., 1864-11-15
Not One Head has fallen on the Judicial
Rlonku

The words forming the caption OF this arti-
Gle, were uttered by Mr.. Seward, Secretary of
the United States, at Auburn, MY, the eve
ming preceding the Presidential election
The words are pregnant with meaning, and
contain a great truth which viii. not be for
gotten BY him who writes the history Of this
rebellion.
Now the excitementis over and the smoke
Of the election battle has passed away, all can
clearly see to what extent President Lincoln
and his administration have been assailed, vii
lied and misrepresented by their unscrupu-
lous opponents. Even the editors of opposi-
ton journals cannot now fail to see and feel
that they have done great injustice to those
who have the control Of our government, and
especially to him who stands at its head
Never in the history of politicical parties in
this country has any public man been so
grossly abused, slandered and misrepresented
as Abraham Lincoln, and never has any man
borne Misrepresentation and abuse with more
patience, calmness and true fortitude than he
has during the time he has stood at the head
of this great nation. .sRr u sg-ts 4 t-s
Well do we remember the abuse and vitu-
psration heaped upon the head of Jefferson
by heated and exasperated partisans. His
name and "Black Sal" were associated In the
public mind for a long time, and his rank in
fidelity was the current theme on, thousands
Of tongues. Bibles were to be burned, church
doors closed up, and the cross Of Christ hewn
down and cast into the dirt in case he should
be elected to the Presidency. saasa s 81 =
AT a later period in our political history,
yituperation and abuse from his opponents
He was represented as cruel, hard hearted
and one who could look upon human blood
with composure. The "cofin handbills" were
current eleetioneering documents and thrown
broadcast all over the country. But he, as
well as Jefferson, outllved the Islander and
abuse heaped upon him by over Jealous oppo-
neuts, and their names now illuminate the
page of history 1851
But we believe Abraham Lincoln has been
the Chest abused nam of the trio I We might
have said, too, that the now generated Wash
ington was slandered and viliHed by unscru-
pulous men, but we will not increase the cat
alogue.o While each Of the others received q
certain kind of ebHse, President Lincoln has
been made the recipient Of oil kinds The
arrows from thousand quivers, dipped in all
sorts of poison, and forced by many smart
bows, hsve aowp thick and fast at him during
the last year. go sa4 ssss
The odions name of despot has been given
him! The most inscriptions journals have
started the cry and it has been reiterated in a
thousand forms until many, no doubt, really
believed in Its truth, and yet no public man
living possesses less of those qualities that
constitute a despot, than Abraham Lincoln.
1t is the last charge that ought to be brought
against him. He is by nature as far removed
from such character as any other mortal
man. he has not one single element of
despot In his aopstitution. His very nature,
temper and dispositions give the lie to such a
charge, and these political juggiess end quasi
TRAITORS who have trumped it up, know 1t a.
we'll as we do, ~
Not one word has eyer fallen from his lips,
not syllable his pen ever wrote in private
letters or public documents give the Least
hint or intimation that furnishes any founda-
ton for such charge, but all these and every
act OF his Official life furnish the most plenary
proof to the contrary. And yet, strange as it
may seem, his vili6ers have made such
charge the cornerstone Of all their vile elec-
tioneering to hurl him from Office and place
one in power whose MUD they could mould
to suit their ambitious and hellish purposes.
Arbitrary arrests! violations of the consti-
tutionf disregard of laws, human and divine!
suppression of the freedom of the Pressi all
these and many more have been the cry con-