Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-11-14
monday Morning, November ID.

little speech made by the Pfeeldent on W cd
nesday night last, in response to a sere-
made and formal congratulation upon his
re election. Perhaps all our readers did
not notice the speech. We think it was a
gem of its kind. Init occurred the follow
ing expressions:
/ earnestly believe that the consequences
of this DAVIS work, if it be as you assume,
and. as now seems probable, will be to the
lasting advantage, if not TO the very salVa-
ton, of the country.
cannot at this hour say what has been
the result of the election, but whatever it
NAV be have no desire to modify this
oninion that all who have labored day
in behalf of the Union organization, have
Wronpht for the best interest of their coun-
try aud the world, not only for the present,
but for all future agee.
Lam thankful TO God for this approval
of the people but while deeply grateful for
tbis mark of their confidence in me, if
know my heart, my gratitude is free from
any faint of personal triumph. do not
impugn the motives of any one opposed TO
me.
/, is no pleasure to me to triumph over
any one; but give thanks to the Almighty
for the evidence of the peoples resolutlon
10 stand by free Government and the rights
Of humanity.
The President says that it is no pleasure
for him TO triumph over any one. The
country will implicitly respond, ave be-
lieve you, Mr.. Lincoln 1t is the belief Of
the people that he is exactly the manner of
man indicated by that utterance. And this
is why Abraham Lincoln is man after the
popular heart. His kindness of heart, in
compatibility of character, and out and out
frankness of speech, combine to make him
in the minds of the people representative
of their ideas of what our form of govern
ment is in theory and what it should be in
practice-viz, simple, unostentatious, for
bearing, magnanimous, and strong in its
common sense.
SIT is no pleasure to me to triumph over
any one." The utterance, so oppOrtune,
SO suggestive, SO exemplary, is a golden
one. Every patriotic man who yields an
influence in these times should be inspired
by the same feeling. If his feelings do not
at once respond to the utterance he should
studywhy they do not. DOubtless.the Presi-
den had, as be must ever have, before his
mind, the magnitude of the rebellion-the |
magnitude of the stake involved in the effort |
to put it down-the necessity for the great
eat unanimity-the dangers narrowly es-
capped from division and sedition in the
loyal states-the uncertainty and darkness
of the future had his administration been |
overthrow. 1t was no time for him to feel |
narrowly and personally triumphant. And
way, We SORROW to think of that large |
minority who on last Tuesday seemed will
ing to look over the precipice. We recall
the twenty hundred and eight votes that
we're given in our own county here for
what? All for what2 Who shall an
swer as to the uncertain meaning of those
votes7 Who shall predict the Potentially
that was latent in them for "some dread
shaping of destiny" Historians have
coujectu1ed what might have been the
destiny of the world if Hannibal had
marched on Rome after the battle of Can
ne-it the capital of the Roman empire
had never been changed to ConstantinoPle
it William of Holland had declined to
assert bis pretensions to the throne of
Great Britain-if Napoleon had won the
battle of waterloo-if Washington had
been killed in the Revolution-if Burr had
succeeded the elder Adams in the Presf-
depcy. OF course no historian can give as
anything but his copjectUres as to what
might have been" bad any or all the FORE
going happened, instead of what actually
did happen. And so the future Macaulay
of this country will linger around last
Tuesday, and will devote more than q
passing page to a consideration of the pos
sible future from which the nation was
providentially delivered on that day. 1t will
stand alongside of Gettysburg IS hitherto
whereat the wave was stayed and rolled
back. Who can say that it was not the
equal of Gettysburg2 Just as we believe
that this nation was rescued on the Sd
day of July, 1868, so do we believe that it
was saved on the 9Th of November, 1854.
It's evident that very many are not of
our opinion. Either that, or they were
reckless or Indifferent as to what might
follow the dropping of their harmless bal.
lots into simple bOx-simple to be sure,
but as volcanic of awful fate as the tabled
box of Pandora. And this is why we feel
ourselves responding to the sentiments ex-
pressed by the President in his disclaimer
of any narrow e1ultatiOn over those who
were beaten last Tuesday. There were
those who were not only beaten but baf-
fed on that day. Such were, however,
the comparative few. The error of the
many was the error OF Ignorance. They