American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1864-11-23

! 10 AlS country anu his JOU. lie Is emil
nently kind-hearted. ! am sure he spoke
the truth, the other day, when he said
that he had never willingly planted a
thorn in any mans bosom. He is one Of
the most laborious and indefatigable men
in the country, and that he has been able
to sustain himself under as great load
Of care as was ever laid upon the head or
the heart Of living man, is in no small
degree owing to the fact that the vindic-
tive and angry passions form no part Of
his nature, aud that kindly and playful
spirit mingles its sweetness with the aus
tere cup Of public duty
1t may seem hardly worth while to no.
ticc the descriptions, which represent the
/ President as a person Of mcouth appear
ance and manners But as Mr. Burke
/ did not think it out Of place, in the most
magnificent discourse in the English Ian
guagc, TO comment on the appearance,
manners, and conversation of the exiled
French princes will take the liberty to
say, that on the only social occasion | cv-
cr had the honor to be in the Company Of
the President, viz. the commemoration at
Gettysburg, he sat at table at the house
of my friend David Wills Esq, by the
side Of several distinguished persons, la
dies and gentlemen. foreigners and Amer
leans. among them the French Minister
at Washington. since appointed French
Ambassador at Madrid, and the Admiral
Of the French feet, and that in gentle
manly appearance, manners and conyersa-
ton, he was the peer Of any man at the
table
The most important objection urged
against Mr.. Lincoln is that personally he
lacks fxedness Of purpose, and that his
cabinet and administration have wanted
unity Of counsel. | think | shall offend
no candid opponent q certainly am no
partisan myself if ! remind you that
precisely the same charge on the same
grounds might be brought against Wash
iugton and his administration Under
circumstances vastly embarrassing, he
placed in his cabinet and kept there
as long as they could be induced to
stay, the two political leaders (Jcffer-
son and IIamiton) not merely of diff
fercnt wings Of the same political con-
ncction, but the heads of two radi-
cally opposite parties. Mr., Monroe,
though elected himself by an almost
unanimous vote, allowed his cabinet
to contain three rival candidates for
the succession who differed radically
on almost every political question:
1t rarely happens in popular govern
monts, that any'othcr course is prac-
ticablc in difficult times. In England
where the theory and practice of par
lamcntary government have been
maturing for ages, there has seldom
been a cabinet, in which the same
distance has not existed. 1t does at
the present time in the cabinet of
Lord Palmcrston.
At any rate, our friends Of the
party opposed to Mr.. Lincoln, at the
late election, must exercise some char
ity towards him in this respect. 1t
was made up Of two wings cntertain-
ing diametrically opposite views of
the policy which ought to be pursued
in the present difficult crisis Of affairs
and no little strategical skill was re-
quircd to produce even a show of uni
ty sufficient for the purpose Of the
election.
But / forbcar. The election, in
all but its formalities, is decided. 1t
is due to both parties to say that they
accept the result, the one its defeat
and the other its victory, with mod
Grafton and cquanimity, 1t is in this
spirit alone that uncommon country
can be carried through its great tri-
al. The last hope Of the hostile lea
ders is in our division. With sure
indications of cordial union on our
part, "down their idle weapons will
drop, or be wrcsted from their hands
by the indignant and weary masses,
whom they have betrayed into this
desolating war.
Let US, then, Mr.. Chairman, study
the things that make for peace, in the
first instascc with each other as the
surest means of an honorable and a
lasting peace with our deluded coun-
trymen. 1t rejoiced my heart the
evening, at the opening of the Fair,
to be followed on the platform by my
life long friend Winthrop, who filed
the same place on the unsuccessful
electoral ticket, that / do in that which
has prevailed, and whose admirable
speech commanded the entire SYM
pathy of the audience. A fair APP
peal has been made to the people, to
which they have responded in terms
not to be mistaken. Let the success
full party continue to abstain from
all unkindly exultation, and the de-
feated from all bitter partisan war
fare. General Grant has declared
that the late election is worth pitch
ed battle, not surely because it is a
party triumph, but beause ii is the
trumpet tone of the Peoples voice,
affirming the immortalmazm of Gen.
jackson. that the Union must and
shall be preserved. Let our brave