Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1865-04-28

contest, as the representative of the princi-
pies he had so faithfully advocated.
His character. es statesman has partly APP
pesred IN his lifeas q seiitiaian. Bya states
man we mean more than simply one employ
ed in public or state affairs. TO us the term
designates one who clearly comprehends the
fundamental principles upon which the state
rests, who is expert in,the application ofthese
principles under the various developments of
political life, and who with skill and prompn-
tude can regulate the interest of the national
community, and adjust them to the various
exigencies of international relations We
do not claim the highest character and order
, of craftsmanship for him whom we are here
to honor tonight, yet comprehensively his
superi0rs in the existing generation are not
numerous. The Hon. w. I'll. Seward, who
n also sleeps through the hand of the cruel as
sasSln, may be taken as a medel of states
man. Able, acute, far-sighted and compre-
hensive, he had no superior in America and
few If any in the world. How nearly his ex
eellency approximated to the Hon. Secretary
we shall not undertake to say; but we patient.
ly wait to hear whether his own peculiar ge-
MUS was not as efficient in safely guiding all
The interests of the state, in his high position,
as that of any other individual Moreover
his opportunities and facilities for developing
| the characteristic qualities of the statesman
were not as numerous and ample as those of
others who stand out eonspicuously in the
history of the American people. Though
this worthily honored man did not enjoy the
! facilities for acquiring scientific OF classical
education he nevertheless attained TO consid-
erable eminenee as popular orator. TO the
unlettered he was the man of simple words
and clear easy sentences, while the depth of
| his ideas and conceptions required the more
cultivated and enlarged faculties of the learn
ed to fathom them. His style, like the whole
/ character of the man, was characterized by
peculiar frmness. Lucid in all his most
technical expositions, he never condescended
to the use OF mere ornament for the want of
sound argument He was characteristically
! brief when the subject permitted it, yet suf-
! tlciently prolix when the occasion required it.
Ills style was somewhat nervous and bold, his
voice clear, full and round, readily sweeping
over the hidden chords of the heart, and
| sweetly constraining the mind to assent to
| his views.
! His fame as an orator, however, never shone
so brilliantly as to constitute marked char
acterlstic. He was too much rounded in his
entire nature, for any one quality to become
| distinctive. But like all his other qualities,
there were times when this alternated and
became CONSPICUOUS. A few winters before
he came to Washington to control more di-
| rectly the destinies of this great Republic, he
was engaged, in the New England States, in
| delivering lectures, at 50 or So per night
After he had taken his seat in the chair of the
Father ofhis Country, he permitted only those
characteristics OF his nature to shine, which
were there brought more Immediately into ex
ereise. Though some of his public documents
were model papers in every particular, yet he
was no more the lawyer, the politician, the
disputant, the statesman, the orator, or either
particularly but eminently the President. 1t
does not seem necessary to say much of him
in this capacity before an American audience.
During the last four years he has been SO
prominently before the American people. all
his actions have been so critically scrutinized
that any minute analysis would be superfous
That the capacities and abilities which he
brought to this most responsible task we're
adequate to the occasion is universally con-
eeded. We ask not wherein his administra-
ton has been at fault, but in what particular
could it have been changed for the better
Through the darkest and difficult period
of our whole history he has guided the ship
of state with a success seldom equalled in the
times of profound peace. We are not aecus-
toned to look for absolute perfection in any
human agent, but we may safely say that his
administration will yet be admitted by the best
men as characterized by the loftiest admins
tratiye genius. | can name no executive of
icer, since the days of George Washington,
who is more generally recognized as an agent
in the hands of Providence, than our lamen-
ted President. And when the various pur-
poses of Providence are more fully developed
we shall regard him as one of its most honor
ed and efficient instrumentalities. Generous
and mild as he was, these characteristics were
blended with degree of firmness truly ad
mirable. Immovable when convinced he was
right, he still possesseda magnanimity of soul
which lent charming grace to his indomita
bic purpose. Even in his high position he
never forgot or despised his humble extrac
ton. He was emineutly man of the people |
and for the people Humanitarian in an en-
inent degree, the great object Of his life seem
Ell to be the ameleoration of the condition of
all men, And yet so tenacious Of political
principles that he was ever solicitous to con-
form his actions to the fundamental law of the
land, even at the expense oI his own particu
lar views. And even when Providence un-
mistakably directed himin an apparently clear
and evident course, he seemed reluctant to
depart from the more general construction OF
that instrument, so that it was not blind,
passionate following ofhis own preconceived
views, but calm aud enlightened acquies
cence in the developments of the purposes of
the Great Ruler of nations, that actuated him
IN the UlOSl pIOUlleHt dCtS VI HIS duHllNlslTd-
ton Nor would he swerve from any position
which he might thus be directed to take-but
he stood firm and immoyable, as a rock, pa
tiently waiting until the nation through suf
fering might learn the same lessons of Provi-
dence But his tirmness was peculiar in it's
nature 1t was not that obstinate frmness,
which yielding, breaks, but what might APP
propriately be called elastic stability. Allied
to this is the persistency which characterized
the prosecution of his purposes. Doubtless
the hardships and tolls of his early life i'm
pressed this quality upon his mind. He had
been taught by long experience that labor ON
nia 0incit-perseveranee is essential to final
success-and was therefore not disheartened
when his first effort was not crowned with the
desired results. But all these characteristics
were at last crowned, as we have reason to be-
lieye, by christian virtues. Never does pub
lie man appear to such good advantage, as
when, with all his sterling qualities, he stands
out before the world as a truly pious man.
The fact that he was assassinated nthe The
atre may have tendency to darken, in the
minds of some, his religious character. But
where we remember the fact that our public
men, members of all the different Churches,
are in the habit of visiting such places of a.
musement, it should not have the effect of
weakening our faith in him as a Christian
man, or darken our hopes of his Immortality
in Paradise. 1t is well known that in his of
fetal capacity he always gave his influence in
favor of true piety, and that on few occa-
sions he directly appealed to the divine agen-
cy in justification of his course in admins