The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1864-11-17
President Lincoln,

The following article Of contemporary
nccords with our views so exactly thu
we adopt IL:
The speech OF President LINCOLN since
his recollection, in response 10 the calls
ofrolitical friends, nro conciliatory in
tone and magnanimous in sentiment
Ho attributes the bitter and dishonest
criticism Of which his administration and
personal motives have been subjected, TO
the scrinony which inevitably attends an
exciting political contest. Hei is not
merely disposed to forget these himself
but desires that they be forgotten by
others. IL would bo fortunate for the
county if his friends were equally mog.
unanimous in sentiment. II would be
still more fortunate, II his enemies were
equally charitable IN spirit. Mr. LiS'
c,LS is not the greatest statesman the
world has eyer seen, nor the haughticst
tyrant that ambition and lust Of power
have produced. lie is as fur from BuREE
in the ono sense as from Bombo in the
other. Irho has rcsortcd to questionable
constitutional power it has been to sub.
serve questionable constitutional ends
Ifho has "kilcd the letter Of the law" in
any instance, il has been that ho nigh,
keep alive It's spirit. Surrounded by un.
paralleled dangers; bcsct by uncxamplcd
difficulties. ho clothed himself with all
the authority oc the Constitution, and
evoked its hitherto unknown, bccaGsc
unrcquircd, powers, to deliver the ma.
ton from its peril, and relieve the pco
pie from their bow ildcriug doubts. Nor
has he been unmiudrul Of the obligations
he owes to the Constitution. lie has
sought tho indcmniiicition of tho Con-
grcs, for his executive acts, and handed
over to the judgment Of the Supreme
Court the final settlement OF measures,
the constitulionnlity Of which has been,
aud still is, questioned. liz has neither
acted like n tyrant, nor spoken like a
dictator, but ns man called to the cxcr.
else of great aud responsible trusts by
his countrymen, and conscious that 10
them he must account for their proper
discharge. Tho dangers TO which our
Constitutional liberties are exposed, do
not spring from tho acts of the Exccu.
tive in protecting them, but from the
insuhordination of those whose highest
privilege IL Us TO crjoy them. Tho
measure of what il called constitutional
usurpntion" in dcfcnsc OF the Consliiu'
lion, will be mainly determined by the
violence of the attempts To overthrow
the Constitution itself. Tho law restricts
the liberties of the individual only when
the individual tie spisscs upon the pre-
scripiions of the aw.
II the opponents OF the Administration
desire large area of personal and polili
cal freedom, they should do noIhinG
which makes il necessary for the general
welfare, TO limit their action and express
ion. II they conspire in secret TO over
throw existing authority, and unsctilc
the foundations of social order aud peace
they can not reasonably expect 10 pro
coed with indefinite impunity to tie ac
complishmcnt of their evil purposes; ant
so lar as their opposition tends To rclaN
the bonds of civil order aud unchain th'
spirit Of civil discord, they are to bo me
and controlled 10y the powers which tn
people have themselves appointed t.
protect them from 50 great n calamity.
There can be no objection to a manly
open and fair discussi n Of all the meas
ures Of the Administration which Uiltc
the welfare of the people and the pro
gross of the war. On the contrary, sucl
opposition is desirable. Wisely conducted
IL is calculated to check excess in an,
direction, and cngraft upon the admins
trativc policy whatever is excellent II
suggestN>ps arising out of such discus
sions But this opposition is a very diff
fcrcnt thing from faction, which, failing
& curry lis ends by means not pcrilous Il
the common welfare, seeks to accom-
plish them by methods as rcprchonsibl
as they are dangerous. In the heat o
political controversy, when the passion
and PR judiccs of men are aroused, AM
each side is intent on carrying its caus'
before the people, the exccsscs OF faction
may be tolerated, hIf there can be- M
excuse, and no latitude should be granite,
for their indulgence when tho case il
closed and the decision of the people
rendered.
In the recent election an appeal wa
taken from the policy of arms to th
policy Of negotiation, as the sureSt an
wiscst method Of terminating hoslllitic
and restoring the Un;on. The tempe
of those in arms against the Governmcn
gave no indication that the latter polio
would succeed in elccting these end'
while il was almutt certain TO result in
peace d;shonorable 10 the nation an
temporary IN It's character. The subject
In al. it's bearing was cxhausIivcy dis
cussed, aud with all the oarneslRess an
force so momentcus a question deserved
IL any man deposited his ballot on III
s,h of November without full conscious
ness OF the character Of the verdict h
was rendering, he can not attribute hi
ignorance to AIRY lack Of inIormation.--'
Never have the hmericOn people Gee'
more thoroughly informed. The re.elec
tion Of Mr. LINCOLN, therefore, is an en-
-xhaNr daclrntion thai the war nolicy