The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-04-13
those who accuse Mr.. Lincoln of fragrant and

tnose who accuse Mr.. Lincoln of fragrant and
lnexeusable usurpation.
Few, even OF those who call him a tyrant
and an usurper, have ventured to charge him
with personal cruelty 1t is scarcely possible
to obtain his consent to the execution of
deserter or a spy. He had set his heart on
carrying through the revolution. il possible.
without shedding any blood except on the
field of battle. This is more creditable to his
humanity, since it is believed, anS he shares
| that belief, that an attempt was made to as
sassinate Linn at Baltimore immediately after
his first election.
That he has been mistaken in his choice of
men, especially military men, is not to be de-
MED. In fact, as regards the military an
pointments, nothing could direct him or any
one else to the right men, except the criterion
OF experience, fearfully costly as it was. 1t is
true tnat ne has, in some cases. appointed men
to military commands from political motives !:
but the political motives were connected. il is
Delieved, not with personal OF party jobbery,
out with the necessities, real or supposed, Of
the public service. Sigel, for example, was
appointed to the command in which he failed,
because the Germans, whose idol he was,
would not serve SO readily under any other
General. No soldier who had really proved
himself competent has been passed over,
though the Presidents good nature has delay
ed the removal of those whose Incompetence
has appeared. fa6 398s
1t is another current fiction that the Presi-
dent is excessively garrulous, and "always on
the balcony" Most American statesmen are
open to this imputation; but the President is
an exception. II am very little inclined on
any occasion to say any thing, unless hope to
produce some good by it." 10 this. maxim,
from the time of his election, he has very
steadily adhered; and perhaps it would be
fNo oh, hail 10
editor speech, or, when called upon to speak.
said more than the occasion required.
There is another great need of praise to
which the President is entitled as Chief of
party in one ofthe most desperate struggles
OF history; he has never, by anything that has
fallen from his lips, gratuitously increased the
bitterness of civil war. His answer to those
who came to congratulate him on his re-elec-
tion was thoroughly generous, chiYalrous and
patriotic. He "did not wish to triumph over
any man." He chad never wilfully planted
thorn in any mans bosom" 1t is true that he
has not. zHHtaN ArAH pis4h;
Our great public instructor, the Times, told
us the other day that Lincoln's reelection was
perhaps, on the whole, ''the best thing that
could have happened for this country, because,
having already said as much against England
as was necessary to secure to him the Irish
vote, he had probably exhausted his malignity
on that subject" All who know the simplest
facts Of American politics are aware that to
talk OF Mr. Lincoln's securing the Irish vote
is about as rational as it would be to talk of
Lord Derby's securing the vote of the Char
lists. But Mr.. Lincoln, it is believed, is one
of the few public men in America who have
never Joined, or affected to join, in the profit
gate denunciations of England which were a
part of the regular stock in-trade of the Dem ]
ocratlc party, and of the slave-owners who |
were its chiefs. Whether he is a great man |
or not, he is at least an honest one; he can
feel responsibility; and his reelection was to |
be desired, not only for the good of his coun-.l
try, but for the peace of the world. '9sI