The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1864-11-17
President Lincoln.

A-r@sNCaii
Mr. Whiting, in his address at Mu4
SIC Hall, last evening, thrs slsetched
President LINCOLN ..
Perhaps you will expect me to say
word upon th" personal qualification
Of our candiIatc for the Presidency
1t has been my COOL fortune to see
much Of the Pres dent. He is one of
the most industrious, hardworking
men in Washington. His manners
and style OF dress aud of living are
simple and unOstcntatious. lie puts
on no airs lie is kind, tender heart
ed. and goncrons man. lie opens his
house tn thc public. lie hears the
complaints Of The humble. lie is tho
friend OF the people
He j. not puiTtI mp by tho distino-
ton Of Office. and assumes no superb
ority on account .! his station. He
has great love OF wit and humor,
and does tell stories. Perhaps this
peculiar quality Of humor may have
saved him from being broken down by
the eight Of his cares and immense
responsibilities.
Having observed lis conduct under
! trying circumstances, be has seemed
to ME to be one vt the most conscien.
I tious public men ! have ever known.
His honesty, as you all know, is incor-
ruptible and unHnching.
His abiIity-his intellectual powers,
have. think, not been sufficiently
appreciated. lie takes broad, compre-
heI >ivc views Of c7cry subject he ex-
amincs lie looks at ali its bearings.
lie is cautious IN getting at the facts.
He breads mistakes with might mis-
lead him, or DO injustice to the abb
sent,
| His reasoning powers seem TO me,
to be OF Il high order. His discourse
and his writings are plain but power
ful. They are loaded with common
sense.
TO many he seems Too slow and too
cautious. lie may be go. But We
must remember that what Is too slow
for New England may be too fast for
the Western States; and the States
must go together, or they cannot go at
all.
He has been called vacillating.-
But no President has ever trod his on
ward path with irmcr steps. lie has
never looked backward; nor has ho
ever broken his word, nor taken back
what he has said. While he holds a
question uuder c nsideration, he list
ems to all opinions in or out of his cab
met. When he has fully made up his
mind, he is immovable.
10 not hesitate to say that Gener-'
al Jackson had no more tirmncss than
President Linro n; bu: the former was
guided to his conclusions (too ofter)
| by will and tcmpcr-thc latter is only
guided by conscientious conviction OF
duty
II has been said that the President
is ovcrborne ly the influence Of the
members OF his Cabinet, and is thus
swaved one way and the other Tho
instance most relied on is that Of Mr..
| Blairc. Yet it is Il fact. that on most
Of the great Questions of public policy
relating to slavery, the President has
gone directly against the views of Mr..
/ Blairc, and. finally requested him to
resign his seat in the Cabinet Be-
yond all question, Mr.. Lincoln is now
and always has been the controlling
mind in the Government.
They are greatly mistaken who sup
pose that tirmness of PURPOSE, decision
of character, and genllencss of man
ners are not combined in him. He
wins constantly upon the respect of all
who know him well; and whatever
faults he may have, whatever errors
of judgement he may have committed
under the unparalleled difficulties or
The Cox amer in new and untried
situation, vet those who know him
best believe that he is the man for the
hour. and that he has been raised up
by the providence of God to save this
! pcople.-BoS Traveller, November /.