The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-10-21

FelIow Citizens. On the 18th of February
1851, Abraham Lincoln, President elect, lei
his home, at this place, 40 go to Washington
to become, on the 4th Of March ensuing, Pres
ident Of great country and great people.
In the whole history OF the world there is
nothing more simple, more touching, more
sublime than the scene at his departure.
Bear in mind the situation OF affairs then ex-
isting. That conspiracy which had been plot
ting disunion for more than quarter ola CEN
fury; which had been secretly arming, organ
izing and drilling its forces; which had filled
the Cabinet, if not the head and the heart OF
buchanan himself with most malignant trea-
son, had at this time already made open war
against the Government OF the United States.
know the iull forge OF what say, and | re-
peat, open and Incorporating war had been
declared. levied and actually waged against
the United States, before Mr.. Lincoln LETT his
home for Washington. l say nothing now OIL
ordinances of secession, ! speak only of acts
Of AagTant war. 4 .s.e6a rrr \
Here the speaker recounted the various fla
gitious acts of war, such as the capture efforts,
aFsenals, revenue cutters, &C., committed prior
TO Mr.. Lincolns inagqration o..
While all this was transpiring, James Bu-
ehanan, then President, the most imbecil of
men, or the most wicked oftraitors, refused to
raise hand in defence of the Constitution he
had sworn to preserve, protect, and defend"
1t was under circumstances like these, ia the
midst OF civil war already begun, which, by
bold and rapid movements OF the rebels, and
by the base, coWardly surrender of Buchanan's
administration, had already given possession
of nearly 1000 miles of our sea coast and one
third of our States to the rebellion, that Mr..
Lincoln, the citizen President elect unarmed
and with a few friends, left home, here, for
Washington, Citizens of Springfield, what
scene was here presented on that memorable
11th of February. 1t must still live in your
memories. The words he uttered at parting
with you, az you stood around him uncovered
and ia tears, are known the world over, they
are classed alike in their simplicity, touching
nathcs, and depth of meaning. "My friends"
said be- s.nl one not LIZ my position can anpre-
ciate the sadness / feel at this parting. To
this people l owe all that am. Here / have
lived more than quarter of century; here
my children were born, and here one of them
lies buried. ! know not how soon shall see
you again. a duty deuatueS upon me which
Is perhaps, greater than that aohich has de-
uotced upon any other man since the days of
Washington. 81.
He never would have succeeded except for
the aid OF Divine Providence, upon which he
al all times relied. II feel that cannot sue
coed without the same Divine aid which sus-
tanned him. ca Tie same Almighty Being l
Mace my reliance for support, and hope you,
t1y friends. loiLt all prdb that may receiue
tkut Dioiae assistance, without acllich I can
not succeed, but NTH ,chich success is GER
tain" 1900 e ~stf
How clearly he saw, how deeply he felt the
great duty deyolved upon him; the work to
which he was called; viz: to maintain the
Union, some of whose pillars had long been
undermined, and were then crumbling around
him; to defend the Constitution, whose au-
thority the party then In power, and which is
seeking il again, would not enforce, and de-
clared it had no right to enforce by arms; to
execute the lawsin every state and hold, oc-
cupy and possess the forts, property and
places belonging to the Government, one
third Of which had already been seized by
armed traitors, or basely surrendered by the
administration of James Buchanan Ia one
word, to take from a weak and cowardly i'm
beetle the flag of the Union thus insulted,
outraged and trampled upon, aud raise it once
more aloft, as the glorious standard of a COM
mon cogntry--with not one stripe erased, nor
one star obscured-full high advanced and
right onward, until, in spite of rebellion at
home and threatened Intervention from abroad
1t should float again, honorable, respected, on
every foot OF every State and Territory of the
United States.
Never, in my opinion, since the world be-
gan has a higher duty, a greater work, q
weightier responsibility rested upon any hu-
man being than upon him. Cheers.
For almost four years, he has been engaged
In discharging that duty, in performing the
great work,-in bearing that responsibility.
The amount of his mental and physical labor
IS interchangeable, more than that of ten Pres
idents in ordinary times. In the mere matter
of appointments to office, he has been called
upon to make more and to sign more commits
sions Than all the other Presidents put tOgeth-
err. That he may have made mistakes is true
but the marvel of marvels is, that he has not
made many more, and can only be accounted
for in the fact that he is endowed by nature
with vigor, activity and clearness of Intellect
unsurpassed in any man Of our time, Icheersl .
and by patriotic, unsel6sh singleness Of pnr.
pose in disposing ofevery question as 1t arises
fcheersl. The welding Of great patronage is
the severest test Of executive ability. That in
addition to all his other duties he has done SC
So long and upon so vast scale, and still re-
tanned his unbounded popularity among the
masses of the people, is the highest evidence
OF capacity, and will place his name in history
among the great ones of earth, as Of the few
the Immortal few, that sWere not born to de-
EGreat and prolonged cheeringl. Could thos'
men who denounce Mr.. Lincoln as tyran
and usurper know him as you have know
him for quarter of century, or as hav'
seen him and come to know him at Wasnlng
ton, during these last four years OF great trial
their tongues would cleave to the roof OF thel
mouths. ! have seen him under various CIR
cumstances in the Joy of successful the an
guish OF defeat 1t has been my good fortune
70 snare, IN some measure his friendship ant
confidence, az y has been my highest duty a
all times TO give him words of encouragement
and support. have seen him by day and b.
night ic time OF victory, when his soul wa
lighted up and his face beaming with a halo q
ioy. / have seen him in the hour Of defeat
when his soul was all but ready to sink viii
his head bowed down like q bulrush, over
Rhelmed In agony and tears; and l tell yo,
that know, from personal knowledge, tina
the sense of that great duty which he felt an,
expressed at his departure from THIS place i
February, 1861, has been ever present with hi
has never forsaken him. 1t has become an
is, the absorbing idea of his soul. To restol
peace TO a bleeding country to save the Unto
and with it our National life; to preserve Co
stitutional, Republican liberty to ourselv
and TO our posterity forever and to bring OF
beloved country safely through this terrib
baptism Of blood end fire redeemed and rege
Grated, to take its true place in the yangual
Of civilization, leading, by the light It's gre
example, all nations and people under Il
whole heavens to the blessings OF civil and r
&tanrTn To ILL