The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1864-09-29
Abraham Lincoln,
From the Washington Chronic


wrested the concluding paragraph of our
article on the 'Lasting road to peace to
a meaning foreign to our thought, and ut
terly unjustifed by the words themselves
or the context. We stated, ''Now that
slavery is absolutely gone, We would sacri-
fee all other things but the Union to save
the Union. We would see Mr.. Lincoln
himself out of the canvass, with all our at
tachment to his person, and our high sense
of his prescience, which so many did not see
three years ago who are now SO ready to re-
cognize it, if by such a surrender we could
save the country from the election of a
representative of dishonorable peace Oh the
basis of separation. From that catastrophe
we must be saved at all hazards" There
is nothing in this which intimates Or was in
tended to intimate the slightest desire to
throw Mr.. Lincoln overheard. We took
ground OF an early day in favor of his re-
nomination. We rejoiced over the hearty
Endorsement given him at the Baltimore
Convention. We knew that there were
clements of dissatisfaction with that nomi-
nation which if occasion offered, would find
expression. g.. ss. se .E
We thought that such an occasion might
be prevent ed but if Mr.. Lincoln had not
been our choice, we have always acted Oil
the maxim that forbids changing fronts in
the face of the enemy. Ne, the abandon
ment of Mr.. Lincoln would be construed in
to the abandonment of our principles 1t
would throw our ranks into confusion, and
introduce inevitable discussions as to his
successor. So that ON the ground of policy
merely, we should have avoided any such
absurdty We were expressing our willing
ness to make sacrifices for the Union, and
spoke of his withdrawal from the canvass
simply as as an illustration, never dreaming
of its being construed into an object of de-
sire.
If Mr.. Lincoln, with rudeness of speech
and discourtesy of manner disgracefuI to
| American journalism and the national repu
tation, is spoken Of as ''an ignorant bufoon
and ''ll -maunered JESTER" destitute of all
the qualities of statesman, such vituper-
alive coarsness will only recoil on the heads
af those who utter it.. He stands as the
central figure in the greatest war of, per
laps any age, and is type of the most str
king traits of remarkable people. In sim
plicity, in frankness, carlessness of conven
tional manners, accompanied by sincere OBJ
servance of the essentials of good breeding
in his intuitive knowledge of men, his keer
sense of the humorous, his clear perception
of the common sense relations of things, h,
is one of the fines specimens of the Western
man. 1t is simple nonsense to deny hin
great capacity. .<
The Wing party of Illinois comprised to-
may able men to be led by a''third rate pol
itican, and he was long its acknowledged
leader.
The Republican party of that State wa
too well aware of the necessity of putin {
its best representative in the United State
Senate to consent to the nomination of one
Of its ordinary members. And there is tn
record The speeches speak for themseIve
as does that great address before the Coope
Institute. limo political debate ever he'll
in this country was greater ability displaye
than in that memorable contest between
Illinois greatest sons. For compact state
ment, terse vigor, homely presentation Q
abstract truths so as to sieze hold ofthe pop
ular apprehension, Mr.. Lincoln is unsurpass
ed by any public man. Look at his inaugu
raj. There is nothing ahead OF it among
the many able papers of his predecessors
Jackson's iron nerve and passionate patriot
ism give no greater stamp of individuality
to his work than do the homey earnestnes
and terse quaintness Of Lincoln to his. Their,
are sentences iii that inaugural that deserv
to stand i'll golden letters i'll the high place
of public resort all over the land We in
stance but one: Gan aliens make treaties
easier than friends can make laws? So, ,ot
with that we'll known letter to Horace Gree
ley, and the famous letter to the Springfield
Convention. In regard to this last We vel
remember how excited and feverish and dis
comtented the public mind was at the time
The Republicans were abusing ''Old Abe tol
being too slow" and the Democrats Were
complaining of his 'tyranical disregard Of the
Constitution" That silenced both, for a time
at least, and gave universal satisfaction to
the moderate men of both parties; and in all
our acquaintance with the effect of the doc
uments ofpublic men on the public mind, we
never knew a more instantaneous and deci-
ded impression made than by that SPRING
field letter. .. ...
There are two qualities of Mr. LincoIn's
character that have most remarkably fitted
him for this crisis. He is an intellectual
pugllist, bound to see the other side, and SUD-
port it, if there is no one else to it. lie
is incapable of combining himself exclusively
to enc side of the question. Hence his re-
nlarkable moderation and freedom from pas
slonate bitterness. Had he been a violent
self-willed man, the nation, in all probability
would have been plunged into the very yor-
tex of destruction. The other is freedom
from mere personal ACKNOWLEDGMENT We
do not believe Washington himself was less
indifferent tothe exercise of power for powers
sake. Though concentr ating in his hands
more potic-authority, in many respects
than Napoleon, he has never used it for his
personalend and we believe the verdict of
history will be that he has far less freouent-
ly abused it than he has failed to use it as a
terror to evil-doers despite the clamor about
arbitrary arrests.
Mr.. Lincoln is not without his faults. No
man is more conscious of then He has made
mistakes in his administration. He would
be something more than man to have avoid
ed them. But with all his faults and DESPITE
his mistakes he has administered the Gov
ernment wisely and well. Has borne him
self nobly In his high office at most irving
epoch in our national life, and has honestly
sought to ascertain, and energeticalIy la
bored to fulfill, the public demands Of the
Government. We have no doubt that, hay.
ing been once elected to preside over a ma
ton threatened with ACKNOWLEDGMENT and
torn by civil dissensions, he will be called
to preside over it when the clash of arms is
siIenced, and the mad projects of rebellion
hopelessly buried.
VI tiitnry Men Against Civilians ON Nae.
Cieilam
iiora'o 0eS lhour IN ms speech at the New
AoiA "cNleha4 T&tlncatlon meeting, asks tbii
question, which, rs he already claims to be iguo
rant i'll The premises. we propose to answer no
with assertions but with proofs
Why is it. my friends that there has beer
MS utter failure III bringing this war to sue.
cessfu end 1t must be either the fault OF Tie mol
icy OF tie Government, or it must be the fauif .
tnOsa Who Essr ArnLs il, sI,r - !