The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1865-04-22
BURLINGTON, SATURDAY APRIL % 1865

possess the property and places belonging
ITO the Government he could do no iess
without treachery, for he was trustee for
those places. He could do no more with.
|out precipitating action, and he would not
precipitate action. He wished to see the
storm burst before he was willing to decide
upon his duty. 1t might even vet drift bv
|cupy and possess, that was his only clear
duty"
1.-THE war once declared by his oppo.
.nents, our readers know how he treated
the slavery questioE--nOt from anv doubt
that slavery was the root of the whole
struggle, but from a profound doub,
whether he was justified in anticipating
the divine moment for Its extinction. He
was not placed there as Gods instrument
70 put down slavery, but AZ His instru-
ment for administering the Government of
the United States ON the basis of the CON
stitution,' and the question might settle IL.
self far better than he could settle it,
Slowly he was forced, bit by bit, to see
that the one duty was involved in
the other, aud "a he saw he accepted it +;
but even then his only fear was lest he
ces which were working out their own
END. He was chosen, "a men usually are.
Ito do that which he was most fearful of do.
|ing-not because he did not see that il was
IL great workout because he only verv
gradually opened his eyes to its being y
work in which he, with his defined duties.
had any right to meddle. And now he
speaks of it in just the same spirit - q
Igreat natural process, not entrusted to him
|or dependent on him, Of which no one Z can Al,
toresee the course and exact issue. Both
North and South, he says, were equally
confident in the justice Of their cause, and
appealed to God 10 justify that confidence.
He has net justified either of them wholly.
The prayers Of both could not be answer
led; that of neither has been answered
fully. The Almighty has His own purpo.
|ses.'".
HIS POWER OF TRUST.
Again, the writer analyses his moral
convictions in this wise:
"Mr. Lincoln presents moro powerfully
than any man that quality in the Ameri-
can mind which, though in weak men it
becomes boastiulness, is not really this in
root, but y strange, an almost huAliliated
trust In the structural power of that polit-
lcal Nature which, without any statesman's
|co-operation, is slowly building up free
nation or free nations en- that great conti-
|nent with an advance as steady as that of
the rivers or the tides. It is the phase Of
political thought most opposite to, though
yit is sometimes compared with, The Caesnr-
(lsm that ID growing up on the European
|side OF the Atlantic. The Emperor Of the
French thinks the Imperial organ of the
nation almost greater than the nation
an essential part Of it. II ismen
like Mr.. Lincoln, who really believe de-
|voutly, indeed too passively, in the logic
|of events, but then they think the logic of
leventS the word OF God. The Caesar thinks
also Of the logic of events, but he regards
himself not as its servant but as it's prOph-
al n h vuho fta1r yiAS
the slow logic of the Almighty with epi-
gram, fits theunrolling history with showy
rhetorical denoxments, cuts the knot ofrav-
|elled providences, and stills the birth
|throes Of revolution with the chlor0form OF
|despotism. Mr.. Lincoln Is Q much stupid
Ter and slower sort of politician, but we
doubt It any politician has ever shown less
personal ambition and larler power OF