, 1865-01-24
Lincoln and Davis Contraktcd.

From the Charleston Mercury, Jan. 101
When Abraham Lincoln took the chair OF tie
Presidency Of tho United states. he promised In
foana ,s 1 # Wtether be has strictly kept BIS PROM
lie, those may doubt who choose TO consider the
znDject. 1t i enough for a. to know, TINT wheth-
nrratccasoFs, or moi, be has run ii With. storm,
fnaexibie purpose bold. steady hand. a vlgilsnt,
active eye steeplcse energy, fanatic spirit and
Ie las called around him, IN counsei, The ablest
md mott earnest men Of biz country. Whcro he
had lacked N trelvidnnl sbu1ty. learning, expe,
1enee {anna f E' IL he sbo men about lin, whose
nss1.tsnce he unhcsitadngly accepts, whose
powers he applies 70 the .ayaneennsnt q, Of
cabinct md in The field ho has consistently
could advance hi. cause. and hss Is nnhcsitadng-
timidit1. id IT, It imbecility o. fuEa. Force, energy,
brains, +arnestness, he has collected around him
il every Il Haskg1.rd ,h and oaaoon a.
untiring a an Indian. and singlene.s Of purpose
hat might almost be called patriotic. 1fhe we're
not m unecrupuious knaye In his end, and q fana-
ttc In lIe political views, he would undoubtedly
command our respect Is ruler, 80 far as we arc
concerned. Abroad and at home. he has ezer-
cisea alike the same ceaseless energy and etrcum.
We turn our eyes to Richmond, and the contrast
IL appalling, siclening to the heart.
The above is the testimony OF " Hebrew
of the Hebrews" Of rebeldom, y "south Car
o!iua seccss!onist. 4 voice from the doomed
nit Of rebellion, praising Lincoln in words Of
ilery hatrcd, surpassed in energy only By those
which Milton puts in the mouths Of the
fallen flends Of hell rs they look up At the
1,attlcmcuts from which they hare descended
and think Of the power that hurled them
thence. Such praise is but the responsive
echo Of the +" well done good and faithful SER
yant,' uttered BY the American people last
November, But Abraham Lincoln's merits
arr As much representative as personal. The
same contempt once felt for him be
cause he vas born poor, VAS felt equally
for {hc whole Northern people because
VIC earned our bread by the sweat OF our own
brovs. We we're *'mudsIlts" and orr Presi
dent "buf1oon." They were "chtyalry"
and their President "CHsar-" NoH they
pose, bold steady hand, vigilant active
cye.'' "If he were not an unscrupuious
knayc In his end, and fanatic in his political
views" (which being interpreted means simp-
ly "n wa were not under the despotism Of
Jefferson Dnvis") sshe would undoubtedly
command our respect rs ruler 50 far al wc
are concerned"
We, the "mndsills " Of former days-Grant
the tanner, Sherman, Sheridan, Terry aud
Faraeut-whom they once boosted they
would not coil their honor By fighting, but
would set their negroes to whip, we are now
found TO be possessed Of 4'learning, expert
ence and craftsmanship" Of "force, energy,
brains and earncs:ness "-of "ceaseless en-
r. L..
cut off all those who clog our path with
"weakness. timidity, imbecility or failure -
Let the Mcclellan papers make note Of it.
With all this the7 find in their Cesar" only
"a contrast which is sickening to the
heart" But Davis dement's, like Lin
coins merits, are more representative
than personal. lie is the ablcst
rebel Of them all, and has made the utmost OF
their resources. Ind he been so great man
as they now desire he never would have been
rebel. The weakness is in their cause, not
| in him. The appalling and sickenlng con
trast" is between an aristocratic dcspotisu
fighting for slavery, and democratic people
fighting for Union, true Democracy and Lib
crty. This, when the rebellion has been pm
ont Of it's misery, {for butdensome asit 1t ha
no power to die ofitself) the people Of Charles
ton will confess as freely as have those Q
Baltimore, Louisville, Nashville, New OF
leans and Savannah. De1iverancc Is coming
Light is breaking. We should not be sui
priscd to learn that the Charleston Aercur
within one month had become good Unio
emancipation journal. 1t now sees through
glass dnrk}y: J. will then see face to face.
now olr.ires-it will then emulate Us.