Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1865-04-21
From the New York. Times.
COUNTRY.

p.obsblv nil meu in all quarters of the world who
- President Lncoln's last Inaugural Address were
by the evident tone OF sOemnity in IT, and the
WANT Of any expression oil personal tXutaton There
goo1 after four years Of trial. and exposed TO
cb late and oboquy no other great leader IN mod
eTn history has experienced successful reelected his
poey approved by the people and by the greater test OF
lent the terrible rebellion evidently coming to its end
now certain Of his grand position in the
ave. of hstory-and yet not word escaped him of tri
umph or personal glory or even OF much hopeiuness-
W. OH eXnected more confdence-words promising the
80. ~ the war aud speaking of the end of difficult
tis MANY hoped for some definite line Of policy to be
laid outa this address, But instead, we heard voice
a, # from some ophet looking with solemn gaze
Sorn over the centuries, seeing that both sides
IN tba great contest had their errors and sins
be, no sDeedy victory could be looked for, and yet
tb the great Judge of the world would certainly give
csse 20 right and Justice. The feeling for the bond
man ana sense Of the great wrong do he to them, with
ito inevitable punishment, seemed TO rest with such
solemn earnesness his soul that to the surprise of
nj nj the de sion of the ippant official speech be-
zane clothed in the language OF the Bible The Eng
IL and French critics all observed this peculiar re
81 tome of the Inaugural, aud yearly all sensible per-
So felt IL not unsuited 10 the grandeur and momen
80 charac ter of the events accompanying il. Many
-nonn led II o Cromwellian speech but il had one pc
cnIsrty which CrOmwels speeches never possessed-a
49,. ~ nsrfect kindness and good will TO all whether
enemies or political opponents.
nT;tb charity to ali and malice for none" President
;noIn made his last speech to the world. Men viii re-
se that solemn address with ever increasing interest
d emoton as if the shadow of his own tragic fate and
A. near and dangers TO the country rested I'M
Csciously on its words. II will seem natural that no
Tesion of exutati personal triumph escaped the
at le der Of this revolution, but that his mind was
ana with the impressive religious lessons Of the times
he thought characteristic Of his Of justice
h sincere una nifty, that his last public address to
tSS country'was most of all occupied by the wrongs
Sone IN the helpless race whose friend and mancpatoI
taen And il will seem but part Of his wonder
I'M snt Of goodwill to all that not syllable Of bitter
ne toward the enemies Of his country to the traitors al
home or his personal reyilers, passed his lips.
no sncb 1ueech 10 the world as Christian states
man would gladly have his ast-esrnest humane, truly
nut mot technically religious, filled with forgiveness
when generations have passed away, and tho unhapP!
wounds of this war are healed and the whole nation
njtsS an basis of universal liberty our posterty will
80 ar dving words of the great Emancipator an
eSde Of the people with new sympathy and Teverenc,
thanking God that honest and 50 pure man 6 SO S
3 friend of the oppressed and SO GENUINE Ps'Tlo
guided the nation in the time OF its trial, ana pr
pared the final triumph which he was never allowed
zee.