The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1864-02-18

lA> Il LII ~ lOk II Ia Il
Springfield letter. especially that mastery
one where he compares the conduct of the
patriotic and loyal BLACKSMITH that Of tin
treacherous and disloyal whites. No ont
can read this letter without feeling the influ
encs Of . mind both strong and generous.
Lincoln is strong man, but his strength
is Of . peculiar kind il is not aggressive 81
much ~ passive, a nd among passive thing
tits like the strength not 80 much Of stone
buttress, as Of wire cable II is strength
swaying to every influence, yielding on thiI
side and on that to popular needs, yet ten
aciou<ly and inflexibly bound to carry it.
great end and probably by no other kind
Of strength could our national ship havt
heen drawn sfely thuslfar during the toss
inys and tempests which bcsct her way.
Surrounded by all sorts Of conflicting
claims. by traitors, by half. hearted, timid
men. by border States men and free State
men, by radical abolitionists and conserva.
tives, he has listened to all. weighed toe
words Of all, waited, observed, yielded now
here and now there, but in the main KEEP,
one infexible, honest purpose, and drawn
the national ship through.
In times of our trouble Abraham Lincoln
has had mis- turn of being the best abused
man of our nation. Like Moses leading the
Israelites throu gh the wilderness, he has
seen the day when every man seemed ready
to stone hun. and yet with simple, wry
steady perseverance, he has held on, con
scious CT honest intentions and looking to
God for help. All the nation have felt, in
the increasing solemnity of his Proclama.
tons AMI papers. how deep an education
was being wrought in his mind by this sim.
pie faith in G,i. the Ruler of na tions, and
this humble willingness to learn the awful
lessons Of His providence. rarr
We do not mean to give the impression
that Lincoln is a religions man in the sense
in which that term is popularity applied
We believe he has never made any such ,ro
fession, bat We see evidence that in passing
through this dreadful n,t,onsl crisis he has
been forced by the very anguish of the
struggl. to lo,k upward, where any rational
creature mnst look for support. No man
in this agony has suffered more or deeper,
albeit with dry, weary, patient, pain. that
seemed to some like insensibility. (which
ever way it ends" he said to the writer, II
have the impression that I shan't last long
after it's over" After the dreadful repulse
at fredericksburg heis reported to have
said. I'll there is man out of hell that sui
fers more than ! d., pity him." In those
dark days his heavy eyes and worn, weary
air told how our reverses wore upon him,
and yet there was a never failing fund Of
patience at bottom, that sometimes rose to
the surfacein snme droll, qusint saying, OF
story, that forcel laugh even from him.
self.
There have he en- times with many, of inn
pctuous impotence. when our national ship
seemed tolie water logged and we have call
| ell aloud for deliverer Of another fashion
brilliant General, a dsshing, fearless states
man. = man who could dare and do, who
would stake all on die, and win or lose by
brilliant'coups dc nsnia. II may comfort
our minds that since He who ruleth IN the
armies of nations set no such man to this
work; that perh,ps III, saw in the man
whom He did send some peculiar fitness
and aptituies therefor. t ac
Slow and careful in coming to resolutions
willing to talk with every person who has
anything to show on anv side of disputed
subject, long in weighing and pondering,
attached to constitutional limits and time
honored landmarks, Lincoln certainly was
the s1fsst leader nation could have at =
time where the h1beas corpus must be sus-
pended. and all the constitutional and minor
rights Of citizens be thr ,wn into the hands
Of their military leader. A reckless, bold,
theorizing, dashing man of genius might
have wrecked our Constitution and ended
us in q splendid military despotism, when
honest Abe has only walkei off with our
rights a. he did with his bag of specie from
the bank. on his simple promise to bring
them back when ne had done with them;
Among the many accusations which in
hours Of i'll luck have been thrown ont upon
Lincoln, it is remarkable that ha has never
been c,llei self seeking, or selfish. When
va were trouble ia11 s,t in darkness, and
lookel doubtfu'ly towards tho presidential
chair, it was never that we dribted the good
will Of our pilnt--only the clearness Of his
eye sight. Bat Almighty God has granted
to him that clearness of vision which He
gives to the true-hearted, and enabled him
to set his honest foot in that promised land
Of freedom which il to he tho patrimony OF
all mon, black and white and from hence
forth nations shall rise up aud call him bless
ed. piivst. 6.s9
FAruER AND SoN.-The Lafayette (Ind.)
Courier, Of the 5th, tells the following:,
"Among the rebels who spent last Sun.
day in the cars there was an old man, and
among the Federal Soldiers appointed to
guard them was son Of this same old man,
both from Kentucky, having joined the two
armies about the same time. The son was
appointed to guard the door of the car in
which his father was prisoner. The old