The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1865-04-28


candidate for it's highest office. To
this Office, however, no was triumph
antly elected, and since that time his
life has run like a thread of gold
through the history of the most re-
markablc period of the nations exist
ence.
From the first moment of his in
PRODUCTION to national notice, he as
sumed nothing but duty, pretended to
nothing but integrity, boosted of moth
ing but the deeds of those who served
him. On his journey to Washington
he freely and unaiTectedly confessed to
those who insisted ON hearing him
speak that he did not understand
their interests, but hoped to make
himself acquainted with them. We
had never witnessed such frankness,
and it must be confessed that we were
somewhat shocked by it. SO simple
and artless a nature, in so high a
place, was so unusual, SO unpreced-
ented, indeed, that it seemed una
dapted to it--incongruous with it.
In the society which surrounded him
at the national capital, embracing in
its materials some of the most pol
ished persons of our own and other
lands, he remained the same unaffect-
ed, supplemented man. He was not
polished, and did not pretend to be.
He aped no foreign airs, assumed no
new manners, never presumed any
thing upon his position, was accessible
to all, and preserved, throughout his
official career, the transparent-almost
boyish--simphcity, that characterized
his entrance upon it.
| do not think that it ever occurred
to Mr. Lincoln that he was ruler
More empha,ically than any of his
predecessors did he regard HIM
self as the servant of the people--the
instrument chosen by the people fol
the execution of their will. He re-
garded himself as public servant nc
less when he issued that immortal pa
per, the proclamation of emancipa-
ton, than when he sat at City Point
sending Geographic dispatches to the
country, announcing the progress Of
Gen. Grants army. In all places, in
all circumstances, lie was still the
same unpretending, faithful, loyal pub
( lie servant.
Unattractive in person, awkward il
department, unrestrained in CONVEX
sation, story-lover and story-tell
er, much of the society held him ii
ill-disguised contempt. 1t was not t
be expected that fashion and COURT,
usage and conventional dignities anC
proprieties would find themselves n
g home with him; but these mad,
room for him--for nature snoblemen
with natures manners, springing di
rectly from kind and gentle heart
Indeed it took us all a long time t,
learn to love this homely simplicity
this artlessness, this direct out-speak
ing Of his simple nature. But we dix
3 learn to love them at last, and to fee
} that anything else would be out o
D character with him. We learned tina
! he did everything in his own way, an,
we learned to love the way 1t wa
: Abraham Lincoln's way, and Abra
4 ham Lincoln was our friend. We la,
: taken him into our hearts, and W
= would think Of criticizing his word
t and ways no more than those of on
: bosom companions, Nay, we ha'
0 learned to love him for these eccen
g tricities, because they proved to Ii
i that he was not controlled by conven
r ton and precedent, but was law I'm
y W nlluSttf.
l. Another reason that we loved hir
I was that he first loved us l do nc
It believe ruler ever lived who love
G his people more sincerely than he
|. Nay, do not believe the ruler eve
G lived who loved his enemies so we
{ as he. All the insults heaped upo
e him by the foes of the government an
n the haters of his principles, purpose
a and person, never seemed to general
Ii in him feeling of reyeng, or stir hi
" to thoughts and deeds of bitterness
If Throughout this terrible war, owe
n which he presided with such calmnei
lie and such power, he never lost sight (
lie golden day, far in the indefinite fl
d ture, when peace and the restoratio
ID of fraternal harmony should con
n as the result and reward of all h
re labors. His heart embraced in i
catholic sympathies the misguide
W men who were plotting his destru
n tion and / have no doubt that