The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1865-05-12
The Latest English Estimate Of Presi
dent Lincoln.

mehuCu II, ana 80 nave lhe OthCt shpC'S
which hnve sympathzcd with the Rebellion.
This praise, cxturlcd from an enemy who,
bu; few months ago, was scurrilous IN bis
depreciation of our Chot Magistrate, is sig.
nfcant, aud, being notod, proves usciui
feet. But wo would look, of course, with
most intcr.et to those Journals, il any such
thoto be, that have remained spectators"
ia the true sense of tho word--impartial, as
between North aud South, although, OF
course, with prcdjudlcos in favor of justice,
and right. and liberty
Such a journal, on tho whole, has been
the London Spectator. In its number OF
March 25th, appears an attc,o headed MIR.
Lincoln" which is such an advance upon
former expressions of British opinion that
We cannot but regard it with wobdcr.
WASHINGTON AND LINCOLN.
Tho article opens by quoting Macauluy't
eulogium on Washington, occurring in the
essay on John llampdcn. when he speaks
Of timo when England missed tho sobr.
ETY., the soli'command, tho perfect sound.
ness OF judgment, the perfect rectitudo of
intention, to which The history OF revolution
furnishes a parallel in Washington alone"
Tho Spectator continues
"lt that high eulogum was fully earned,
as 1t was. by the first great President of the
United States, We doubt il it has not been
as woll earned by the Illinois pcasaut.pro.
priotor and village lawvor, whom, by scmo
divine inspiration or providence, the Re.
publican Caucus of 1850 substituted for
Mr. Seward as their nominee for the Prcsi.
dents chair. No doubt he has in many
ways had lighter task than Washington,
for ho had not at least to produce a gov.
ernmcnt out OF chaos, but only to express
and execute the purposes of q people far
moro highly organized for political life thnn
that with which Washington bad to deal -
But, without the advantages OF Washing.
tons education or training, Mr.. Lincoln was
called from hun6ie station n. the open.
ing Of a mighty civil war to form II govern.
ment out of party in which the habits and
traditions of official life d d not exist. Find
ing himself tho object Of Southern abuse
80 fic,co aud so foul that in any man lcso
passioncss it would long ago have stirred
up an implacatto amnesty 4; Knocked at for
his official awkwardnoss and denounced for
his scadtast policy by all the Democratic
section of the loyal States tried by years
of failure before that policy achieved sir
gle great success further tried 10y series
of successes so rapid and brilliant that they
overset its balance; embarrassed BY the
boasttuluess of his people and of bis sutor.
dinatcs no less than by his own inexperi
enco in his relation with foreign States be-
set by fanatics of principle on one side, who
would pay no attention to his obligations as
constitutional ruler, and by fanatics Of
caste on tho other, who wcie not only deaf
to tho claims of justice but would hear of
no policy large enough for a revolution
emergency, Mr.. Lincoln has pcrsevered
through all without ever giving way to an
ger, or dependency, or exultation, or pop.
ular arrogance, or scctarian fanatlcisn,, or
caste prejudice, visibly growing in force of
character in self possession, and in mag
nauimity, ill, in his last short Message to
Congress on tho 4th of March, we can do
tcct no longer the rude and iliterato mould
of a village lawyers thought. but find it re.
placed by grasp of principle, q dignity OF
manner, and solemnity of purpose which
would have been unworthy neither of Hamp.
den nor Cromwell, while his gentonoss and
generosity of feeling towards his foes are
almost greater than VIC should expect from
either of them"
MR.. LINCOLN ANALYzED.
What follows contains all that need be
American people, from tho charge so often
made in England of Inconsistency" Be.
cause we began tho war to preserve our in
tegri,y, and afterwards, discovering Slavery
to bo our foremost foe, turned to strike it
down out of tho way, We have been incon-
sistent!
"If any ono would apprehcpd truly the
character of Mr.. Lincoln, he should com.
pare the growth Of his mind from tho time
of bis Illinois campaign against Judge
Douglass in 1859, through the period of his
first Presidency to the present time. What
forces itself upon any ono who will do so, is
the curiously strong habit Mr.. Lincoln has
OF looking on political forces of the wind
and soil-wlh a certain pre.sccnco of what
is coming, but without tho slightest wish to
hasten its arrival by u day, or any desire in
deed, except 10 stand aside and watch till
tho moment for inevitable action is forced
upon him. Even in tho personal part of
his political strife you can SEQ tho samo
spirit. The inyectiye of his opponents af
fects him only as sort ofbail-storm, which.
in the state of the political weat ather, was to
bo expected, and must be endured. You
feel at once
"As if tho man had sot his face
In many a solitary place
Against tho wind and open sky;"
and as if ho had thus got into tho habit of
treating sunshine and storm natural or
political, rather as one who knows that
this is part of his appointed lot, than with
tho personal restlessness of hope or fear -
Thus. in his controversy with Mr. Douglass
in 1859, all his efforts arc devoted to i'm
pressing on that eminent politician the
wide difference between his own pre.science.
his own instinct that tho American Union
could not long hold out without either tho
slave power eucroaching on the free, or the
FREQ unOn tho slAye. and any wish 10 nra.