, 1865-04-18

Of party IN which the hahtls and traditions
Of official Life did not exist. Fin ling himself
the object Of Southern abuse 20 fierce aud 50
foul that in any uau less pass'onlcss it would
long ago has c stirred up an imp aeablc a1imos-
iiy, mccked at for his otilcia1- awkwardness,
and denounced FIR bis steadfast policy By all
the Democratic eccl n Of the loyal States, !
tried By yea's Of failure before That p,hcy
achieved o single great success, fursher tried !
by series OF suceessea 50 rap d and brilliant
that they would have .puded up smaller
mind apd oTcrset its balance. embarrassed |
by the hosstfulness Of his people and |
Of his subordinatcs, no less than by
his own experience in his relations with
foreign States, bcset By fauatics of prfn-
ciple on one side who would pay no attention
to his obligations us a constitutional ruler, |
and By 1anatics Of caste on The other who |
were not only deaf to the claims Of Justice. I
hut would hear Of no policy large enough for
revolutionary etnergency-Mr. Lincoln has
perseyered through all without ever; giving
war to nnaer, or despondency. or exnltation,
or popular arrogance, or seeta1tan fauatlcism, |
or caste -prejudce, ,.Tisibly growing iu force Of /
character, In eetEpossesgfon, and In mayugn- I
unity. TIL in bis last short message to Con |
Cress On The b Of March We can detect no |
longer the rude md illiteratc mould Of vii |
lage lawyers thought, but flnd it replaced by |
grasp oflpriaciple, dignity OF mannsr,aud |
solemnity Of purpose which would have |
been unworthy neither Of Hampden nor OF |
Cromwell, while his gentleness und gener-
os,ty of feeling towards bis foes are alnost
erzater than we should expect from either Of
MS AHTI-sLAyERr GROWTH.
AS to the growth of his mind on the sub
Icct Of slavery, from the time Of his debate
with Dopglns 10 the breaking out Of the Wat,
The writer says:
He could not, hff. Lincoln said. lcok on
slavery as Mr. Douglas did, as 4 lucal matter
+ cArx tu.tr
Of Virginia or the cranberry laws Of Indiana
lie thought the slave 1aTs had more of az
r1ese.yrness and natural psosclytism about
them than either oyster laws OF cranberry
la~s, still that was only his opinion Us po-
l:ttcal wea,her-prcphet. AL he insisted on
.wns the duty. Of. resisting tue adya lcs and
/ l~giu~tA Of force whose power he t1afed as
n.align Tor. the whole Union- In tt5 then dl.
mvrs:ons be would protect and sanction it,
| unl accord It every constitutional guaranty,
Int lie did not believe it would bo content to
| keep within its then dimensions. He
looked at It as OIL AIcti: navigator would
! lcok on pacE-ice, nos as an English politi-
eiau locks ut the principles OF the oppo-
site party. Two years later, wien SO
! unt xIgcte51y s11lEmont d to assume the Pfcsf-
tlcpcy Of the United States, he reasons with
the 6ecessioniste in the s1rne tone, appealing
10 the great vell ct Of Political experiment,
Lot asking them to give up slavery, but, If
I IL.
confidence by leaving II to Its natural PEI
! kuasiyeness Over the mind Of the people, to
the natural strength which 1t would derive
from the prtv.dential care Of God. why
ehould there not be patient confidence in
the ultimate Justice Of the people? Is there
nuy better Or equal hope In the world? In
our present differences Is either party with
Almighty ruler Of nations, with bis eternal
truth and justice, be on your side o. the North,
or on yours Ct the South, that truth and thar
| Justice will snrely prevail BY the judgment OF
this great tribunal, tho Am :rican people
The plea was no unreal p5ctence Of argument.
/ deep in himself, that had he been in the
minority (as be was two 5earsbeto:c} would
have accepted the test. ii this thing be
not Of Gcd it will ceme to naught.' be hsd
said With profound sincerity In explaining
Lis own d!sapprooation OF slarery; and he
thought his opponenls might have f4tth
Enough to say 1t too. Aud for himself:
though he had now accepted the post Of pilot
10 The 8 ate, be was almost iudjcroualy will
ing to abide by his own slow, paint natuf-
alistic habit Of waiting for solution. AL
he could n.Ac up bis mind to do Was to say.
hold, occupy and possess the property and
places bclorging to the Government Hc
could 10 no less wishou. ,treaehety, for he
was trustee ior those p!acea. He could do
more without ptecipitatiog action, aud he
would not r:ccipitate action. BE wished to
DECIDE upon bis duty. It msgat even .5et
drift by II he did not do t,o mach TO
held, occupy and possess that was his only
| clear duty.
1.-THE war once declared BY bis opponents,
our readers know how be treated the slavery
question-not from any doubt that slavery
Nas the root Of The whole struggle. but from,
q profound doubt whether he was justified In
/ anticipating the divine moment for Its ex
t,nction. Ue WAS not placed there ns H3d'1
instrument to put down slavery, but as Hi
instrument for administering. the government
constitution, ,.aEd the question might SETTLE
itself far better thsn le could settle it
, Slowly be was forced. bit hy bit, to see thai
|, | The oue daty was involved In the other. and
as he saw. he accepted 1t but even then hi:
only fear VA isst be should interfere too mucl
, In the great forces which were working ou1
their own end. ue. was chosen, a. mer
usually are, to do That which he ma
/ u,ust fearful OF duing-not because he It
not see that It WIS 3 r eat WoT7-but Rccause
he only vtty gradually opened his eyes TO 1t!
Being work in which he, with Ills 1saasl
dut;ts, had any tight 10 lneddle. Aud now
| le speaks Of 1t In just the same spirit As
| great natural process, not 1ntFusted to bin
Or dependent on hun, Of which no one ca1
forcste the course and exact issue. Boil
| AQTtu hDQ EHukAt uE s33 METZ equally EIAll
dent in tue justice OF. th'ir cause, and appeal
| ! Cd to God to Justify that confidence. He ba
} | not. justified either Of them wholly. 'Th
prnyers Of both could not be answered; tina
If neither has been answered. fully. The Al
mighty has His own purposes"
Ills PuwER OF TRUST.
: Again, 1Ac writer analyses his moral con
: | 1ictions IN this wise:
"1ir Lincoln presents more powerful,
thsn any man that quality tu the AMercA1
| mind winch, though to weak men 1t becomes
t4mstfulnc.s, Is not really this In root, but
=, strange, an almost Inundated trust ia th'
! | structural power at that political Naturl
whicl, without any states1nau's cc-opaza.,o1
!, IL slowly building up free nation CT free na
| tious On that great continent, with I'm ad
rance as st.Ady as that Of lhe rivers Or ta
: tides. It is the phase Of political though
: most opposite to. thougnit ia sson!sttnes Gun
: pared With, the Cnsarism that ifgsoWug NJ
On the Euroran side Of the Atlantic. rh
8 Emperor Of The French thinks the fmperia
i organ OF the natftn almost greater than to-
\ nation certainly IN essential part Of i
= 1t is men like Air. Lincoln, who Teall!
: believe desoutly, indeed too ,pass!yaiy, II
the 'losic Of eEents,' but then they think th
logic Of c:ents the word OF God. The Case
:. thinks al:o Of the logic of events, but he re
! / Easds himself not as its serTa8t but Its pre-
!, | 3het. liz makes events. when the logi
: nculd not appear complete without his ali
9 eple,am, fts the uurol1ng history wit
: SNOWY. rhetorical dtnouensents, cuts tho knc
! Of raTelled provideucts, md stills the blrt
thtnes Of revolution with the .chloro'or;n
! dcspotisn. Alt. Lincoln Is much stupIdt
5 and slower sort Of politician, hut We don't
itrny politician has ever shown less person
: ambition and larger power Of trust"
d Homicide In Lincoln County.
1Fron the ST. Louis Republican, l5th.l