The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1864-05-11
III. LintoIh.s War Spssch in 1913.

The following is Mr.. Lincoln's only
speech in Congress, iG is4s, in which he
discussed the message OF President Polk
and the war with Mexico. Persons anxious
TO jump with the administration may per-
haps get light, in the darkness with which
arbitrary arrests and lhs Suppression of free
speech have enshrouded them, on The ques-
ton what sort of talk Mr.. Lincoln will per-
nit 10 be uttered concerning himself:
| Let him Che Presieent) answer fully and
candidly. Let him answer with facts, and
not with arguments. Let him remember
he sits where Washington sat; aud. so re.
membering, le, him answer as Wsshing;on
would answer. AS nation should not, and
the Almighty 1oiH not, be evaded, 80 let him
attempt no evasion, no equivocation.
\
But if he cannot or will not do ihis-if,
on sny pretense, he shall refuse or omit il
then shall be fully convinced, of what
more than suspect already, that he Is
deeply conscious OF being in the wrong !:
that he feels the blood of this war, like the
blood of Abel, is crying to heaven against
him ; that be ordered Gen. Taylor into the
midst of a peaceful Mexican settlement
| purposely to bring on war; that, original
ly having some strong molive-wbai, will
not stop now to give my opinion concern.
ing-io involve the two countries in war
and, trusting 20 escape scrutiny By fixing
the public gaze upon the exceeding bright
ness OF military glor,-that attractive rain
bow that rises in showers of blood-that
charms to destroy-he pulled into it, and
has swept on and on, till, disappointed in
his calculation of The ease with which Mex
leo might be subdued, he now finds himself
he knows not where. How like The half
insane mumeIing Of fevef dream is the
whole war part oil The late message!
All this shows that The President is in no
wise satisfied with his own positions. First,
he takes up one view and, in Attempting 10
argue ns into il, he argues himself out of
IT, then sizes another, and goes through the
same process aud then, confused at be-
ing able to think OF nothing new, he snatch-
es up the old enc again, which he has some
time before cast of. His mind, tasked be-
yond us power, is running hither and ihiih-
er, like some tortured creature on burning
surface, finding no position on which it cas-
settle down and be al ease.
! Again, it is a singular omission in this
messags that it is nowhere infimated when
! the Pfesiden: expects the war TO terminate
/ AT it's beginning General Scott was, BY the
/ President, driven into disfavor, If not dis
1 gtaced, FOR intimaling that peace could not
| be conquered in less than three months
Bui now, a, The endof about twenty monihs
during which time our arms have given
us the most splendid suceesses-eyets de-
parttnent, and every part, land and water,
officers and privates, regulars and voIun~
leers. doing all that men could do, and hun
dreds OF things which it had never before
been thought men could do--alier ell this
this same President gives Us long mes.
sage, without showing ns thai, as 10 the end
he has himself even an imaginary concep-
lion. As have before said, be knows rot
where be H. He is bewildered, conioun-
ded, and misefabIy perplexed man. God
grant he may be able to show there is no
something about his conscience more gain.
ful than all his mental perplexity.