The Portland daily press., 1864-11-17


and the events of the last tour years nave
taught him, and taught US, and taught 'ne
world lessons which, it is hoped never WIZ pe
forgotten. Amongst other lessons tDis ~ one
that it is always safe to do right, anu always
dangerous to do wrong. Abraham Lincoln is
and ALWAYS will be an honest man, and his
honesty led him. on his accession to the presi-
DENTAL chair to respect and act upon his own
interpretation of his official oath in the matter
of state riehts-but when those rights were
oyerridden by a foul rebellion, when constitu
tionaI authority was repudiated and the con
stitution itself violated, then, as an honest
man, after exhanstlng all means and appli-
ances for bringing those reereants to reason.
he took advantage Of that happiest of all mill
tary necessities, which constrained him as
Commander-in-C Chief to issue that memorable
decree which, had he done nothing more, has
made the name Of Abraham Lincoln simmor-
tal Up to that time, the public policy Of this
natlon was tortuOus. We were crying "peace
and safety" when sudden destruction was inn
pending over US. We were cherishing in our
midst an evil acknowledged by all, deplored
by many, denounced only by a few, a crime
against divine law, against human right,against
conscience, against God and we were hoping,
fooiishly and vainly hoping, that, with this
crime, serpent-like coiling in our bosom, this
plague, we should have peace, prosperity, and
protTacted national existence. In mercy to
US, in mercy to this continent, In mercy to
the world, God permitted that military necessi-
ty to arise, and provided in the person Of Abra-
ham Lincoln that earnest and indomitable pur-
pose which bent this necessity to the glorious
work Of Negro Emancipation. Abraham Lin
coin, as an individual, was an emancipationist
long before that. In the course of the elections
eering campaign of 1858, when he and Douglas
We're pitted against each other as candidates
for the representation of Illinois, he used these
words: Il hold there is no reason in the
world why the Negro is not entitled to all the
national rights enumerated in the Declaration
Of Independence, the right to life, liberty and
the pursuit OF happiness hold that he is as
much entitled to these as the White man.
agree With Judge Douglas he is not my equal
in many respects, certainly not in color per-
haps not in moral or intellectual endowments,
but in the right to eat the bread, without the
leave OF anybody else, which his own hand
earns, he is my equal, and the equal of Judge
Douglas and the equal of every living man.o*
Thank Godfor that military necessity which
inclined aud authorized the President OF the
United States, in less than FIVE years after
wards, to embody this sentiment in the never
to-be-iorgotten proclamation. And thanks
also, sincere and fervent he gives to the Au-
thor of all good, that this sentiment, so hu-
name, so wise, SO just, 80 entirely harmonic
ing with His own righteous and good and ho-
ly lava has now received by the vote of last
Tuesday, the unequivocal sufrages of a firm
andloyal people. Now as people, thus far,
we are on the Lords side, Now our prayers
are not hindered by the interposing cries of
wretched bondsmen. Now we can come and
consistently offer our gifts upon the Altar OF
the God OF love. Our brothers bloodno longer
cries for vengeance, and having guaranteed
his brtlUighI OF liberty and all his social priv
ileges, we may hope, by Gods blessing, TO
preserve and perpetuate our own, ~
s lhope not to tIespasss on your patience by
an allusion-it can be scarcely more, to the ef-
feet which the peaceful triumph Of last Tues
day cannot fail tolhave on certain parties be-
yond the seas. 1t will dissipate much delu-
sion touching the self-goyerning power OF an
enlightened Republic. Certain despots will
be better for the LESSON it affords "a to the
capacity OF free people to control the ebul-
itlons OF party strife and with perfect mutual
respect to exercise the right OF suffrage, Sir
iii angels take cognizanoe as we believe they
do, OF this worlds affairs, they never witness
ed sublimer spectacle than that of millions
Of people in the very midst uf sanguinary
civil war, moving peacefully to the polls, and
depositing their sutfrages in favor of their chos
candidates. There we're other angels, as well
as good ones, watching the movements of that
memorable day, and they must have been sad
dened and surprised by the issue, as will doubt
less many of those who have too blindly given
in to the theory that Republicanism has had
its day, and that the children OF the Puritans
would practically falsify the political creed of
their iliustrious ancestors. ALL such theories
are now at an end. The quiet mulutudinous
voting OF last Tuesday viii serve as an anti
dote to VII such theories for centuries to come.
am glad that few specimens of the ancient
arlstocracy still Inger around st. James and
the Louvre. 1t will do them good to learn
that ballots are superseding bayonets, and
that elections on the largest scale can be con-
Quoted without butchery and bloodshed. That
non -aristocratic lady, Queen Victoria, has long
since learned from her illustrious son intelli.
gently and fully t0sympathize with the north
and gladly to anticipate such an issue as that
OF Tuesday, How Napoleon will take It, we
have yet to learn-but this great event has an
aspect not over auspicious towards that mush-
room monarchy which like Jonah's gourd, has
grown up 30 rapidly to overshadow the youth
ful deputy Of Napoleon on the throne of Mex
ico. The sunlight OF republican freedom is
unlriendly to the yerdure of such plant and
the French Emperor may soon cease, on this
continent at least, to exercise his hereditary
GIT OF King making. 9e7a at isi % AUijHrs
it will be amongst the most glorious issues
of the event We celebrate that it cannot fail
to tell on the speedy termination of this war.
Jefferson Davis has stultiied himself and his
satellites by offering emancipation as a re-
ward to negroes eRlisting under the rebel flag
and fighting for the sinking cause of the con-
federacy. BY his own showing the condition
OF the negroes will be improved by emancipa-
ton, since this is offered as boon, and, fur
ther these poor slaves are supposed capable
Of appreciating such boon, since else it
would be futile and in vain to offer it. They
will soon have emancipation on easier terms
at the hands oflthose who under the admins
tration of Abraham Lincoln will give effect
to the policy which the people have SO signal
" endorsed and will 50 ioyalLy sustain. m6 M
Political Debates p. 20. Ia .s'a IL a.ef
DR.. G. in closing, read a passage from the
"British Standard of Oct. 2sth animadvert-
ing on the late speech of JEFF. Davis at Macon.
'h "The thing" says the Editor, sis mass of