Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1864-12-28
Edward Everett OH President Lin.
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At the banquet given by the authorities of
the city of Boston to Captain Winslow and
the officers of the Kearsarge, on the l4th inst,
Mr.. Everett being called upon to respond to
the toast in honor of the President, made
speech from which we take the following
striking passage:
"But 1 would not have it inferred from
these remarks, that the President of the
United States, in whose honor you have pro-
posed the toast to which you have called me
to respond, is entitled to this mark Of respect
only in his official capacity. Now that the
struggle is past, am sure that no liberal
minded person, however opposed to him po-
litically, land you know, sir, that belong to
the Presidents opposition }, will be unwil-
ling that, in performing the duty you have
deyolved upon me, should say that recog
nize in him full measure of the qualities
which entitle him to the personal respect of
the people, who have just given him proof
of their confidence, not extended to any of his
predecessors in this generation. 1t is no
small proof Of this, that he has passed through
the fiery ordeal of the recent canvass, and
stood the storm of detraction from hundreds
of vigorous and hostile presses, and had so
little said against him Il speak now of per-
sonal qualities) which deserves even an ans
wcr. There is no one OF his predecessors,
not even Washington, of whom as many and
as reproachful things have not been said, I'M
less perhaps it be Mr.. Monroe, who had the
happiness to fall upon the era of good feel
ing and who was, in no one quality, either
as man or President, superior to Mr..
Lincoln. The President gave ample proof of
his intellectual capacity when he contested a
seat in the Senate of the United States with
Judge Douglas. When sat in the Senate
with Judge Douglas, l thought him, for bust
ness and debate, the equal OF the ablest in that
body but his speeches, in the senatorial
canvass, were in no respect to Mr.. Lincoln's.
| believe the President to be entirely con-
scientiOus in the discharge of his high trust,
and that, under circumstances of unparal-
| lclcd difficulty, he has administered the Gov
ernment with the deepest sense of response
bility to his country and his God. He is
eminently kind-hearted. l am sure he spake
the truth, the other day, when he said that
he had never willingly planted thorn in any
mans bosom. He is one of the most labori-
GUS 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 Yindictiye and angry passions form
no part of his nature, and that kindly and
playful spirit mingles its sweetness with the
austere cup of public duty.
1t may seem hardly worth while to notice
the descriptions which represent the Presi-
dent as person of uncouth appearance and
manners But as Mr.. Burke did not think
it out of place, in the most magnificent dis
course in the English language, to comment
| on the appearance, manners and converse
ton of the exiled French princes, will take
| the liberty to say that on the only social &C.
casion on which l ever had the honor to be
| in the Presidents company, viz: the COM
memoratiOn at Gettysburg, he sat at table at
the house OF my friend, David Wills, ESQ.,,
| by the side of several distinguished persons,
ladies and gentlemen, foreigners and Ameri-
cans, among them the French Minister at
Washington, since appointed French Ambas-
Sador at Madrid, and the Admiral of the
| French fleet, and that, in gentlemanly APP
| pcaranCe, manners and conversation, he was
the peer Of any man at the table.
The most important objection urged against
Mr.. Lincoln is, that personally he lacks fix
edncsS Of purpose, and that his Cabinet and
| Administration have wanted unity of counsel.
| Il certainly am no partisan myself) il re-
mind you that precisely the same charge, on
the same grounds, might be brought against
| General Washington and his Administra-
| ton Under circumstances vastly less en-
barrassing, he placed in his Cabinet and
kept there, as long as they could be
induced to stay, the two political leaders
| Jefferson and Hamilton) not merely OF
| different wings Of the same political con-
nection, but the heads Of two radical
IL opposite parties. Mr.. Monroe, though
elected himself by an almost unanimous
vote, allowed his cabinet to contain three
rival candidates for the succession who Diff
| fercd radically on almost every public quts-
| ton. 1t rarely happens in popular govern
ment, that any other course is practicable in
difficult times. In England, where the theo-
~ and practice of parliamentary government
have been maturing for ages, there has sell
dom been a cabinet in which the same dis
sidence has not existed. 1t does at the
present time in the cabinet of Lord Palmer
| ston.
At any rate, our friends Of the party OPP
posed to Mr.. Lincoln. at the late election,
must exercise some charity toward him in
this respect. 1t was made up of two wings
entertaining Numerically opposite views of
the policy which ought to be pursued IN the
present difficult crisis of affairs, and no little
sstrategical skill was required to produce
even show of unity sufficient for the pur-
poses of the election.
But forbear. 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
moderation and equanimty. 1t is in this
spirit alone that our common country can
be carried through its great trial. The last
hope of the hostile leaders is in our divisions.
With sure indications Of a cordial union on
our part, down their idle weapons will drop
or be wrested from their hands by the in
dignant and weary masses whom they have
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