Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1864-12-17
The New York Press on the Message
From the New York Tribune,

The Presidents Message elicits the usual va.
riety of comments from the journals of N, Y
City, 1t is pleasant though not surprising, to
find that Mr.. Lincolu's opinions are distastefu
TO the two journals which serve most devoted
ly the cause of t Rebellion. The .Ne,os,
which is the acknowledged mouth-picce OF Mr..
Jefferson Davis. in that city, says
ats language is more dgnifed and less
years Message, and its tone is more sub
dued aud less suggestive Of an eifort to
create melodramatc effects. Nevertheless,
it is vague and superficial. 1t deals care
.lessly with those points that are of para
mount Interest to The public, and evinces
no, state>manlike analysis of the political
situation 1t sheds no ray of hope upon
the future. Perusing it with vain ex.
pectution Of finding some cIne that may
lead out of be dismal Iabyrinths of inter.
sectional dsSenson, the patriot will put it
aside with sigh, painfully conscious that
it hei;ber solves nor was intended TO solve
the terrible enigma. Ii is emphatic and
plain spoken only when it sfii ms that the
war Shall be prosecuted 10 the bitter eud."
The Worid which sometim: conceals its par.
tisanship with the Rebellion under an affecta,iou
Of regard for the old Uuiou, remarks with its
usual bland courtesy:
"A more tame, j june, commonplace
state paper never emauated FROM man
clothed with high responsible les. Il is,
/ in ha ma N a faI al "A
points and statistics from the reports OF
the heads Of the executive departments, in
a style not better than is attained by every
abridger of documents in a newspaper. L,
does not reach even the subordinate merits
Of method and proportion.
"Faults of arrangement. however, are
trivial, when compared with poverty Of
matter. The brevty Of the message
would under any circumstances, he mer-
it: but in this case the merit would have
been more conspicuous, had it been still
shorter. SuccinctneSs resulting fIom close
ness and condensation is very different
thug from the penury of barren intel.
lect. The intellectual poverty of the mes.
sage is in no degree atoned for by patriotic
iervor or elevation of sentiment. 1t is
amazing that man called TO be the chief
actor in the most momentous civil struggle
the world ever saw is lifted to no insplra
tion. 1t Mr.. LiDcoln understood his ep.
och, one would naturally expect that its
grandeur would impress bis Imagination
But the message is as cold as it is feeble
"Such document affords no scope fol
particular comment. IL is. beneath it. Ii
is idle to contute what nobody will remem
ber; and as for commendation, even thu
Republican organs will be at loss TO be
STOW il.
In curious financial recommendation
be deviates for once into originality; bu
it is an originality which 10 painfuly sug
gestive OF low tone of moral feeling. w
must indeed concede 10 Mr. Lincoln tn
possession of a perfectly balanced charac
ter; his conscience is worthy of his inte
{ lect, and his sense of decorum worth
Of both. He gravely recommend
that our government shall raise none
from our citizens by corruptibg their sens
; Of pecuniary honor He wants Congres
TO pass an act TO protect the purchasers ,
Government bonds from paying their hol
est debts He gravely recommends th,
: this species of property shah be placed b
, yond the reach not only OF taxation but
= creditors. II is q spectacle as astonudir
as il is melancholy to see the Chief Mag
!, trate Of a great nation asking Congress
= enable citizens to cheat their creditors o
4 Of their honest dues" 81
% The Journal ef Commerce, which has Il