Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1866-02-23

wise men knew rot where to find counsel, this
descendant of Quakers, this pupil Of Bunyan,
this child of the great West was elected Presi-
dent of America.
He measured the difficulty of the duty that
devoved on him, and was resolved 10 fulfil it.
HE GOES TO WASHINGTON.
As on the llth of February, 1861, he left
Springfield, which for a quarter of century
had been his harpy home, to the crowd of his
friends ard neghbors whom he was. never more
TO meet. he spoke solemn farewell: "I know
not now soon l shall see you again. A duty
has devoved upon me, greater than that which
has devoved upon any other man since Wash
ington. He never would have succeeded, ex-
cept for the aid of Divine Providence, upon
which he at all times relied. On the same Al
mighty Being place my reliance. Pray that
may receive that Divine assistance, without
which cannot succeed, but with which success
is certain" To the men Of Indiasnslie said
81 am but an accidental, temporary Instrument;
It is your business to rise up and preserve the
Union and liberty" At the capital of Ohio he
said: without name, without a reason why
should have a name, there has fallen upon
me task such as did not rest even upon the
Father OF his Country" AT various places in
New York, especially at Albany before the Leg
islature which rendered him the united support
Of the great Empire State, he said "While /
bold myself the humbest of all the individuals
who have ever been elevated 10 the Presidency,
have more difficult task to perform than any
of them. bring true heart to the work.
must rely upon the people of the whole coun-
try for support; and with their sustaining aid
even |, humble as | am, cannot fail to carry the
ship OF State safely through the storm" To
the Assembly of New Jersey at Trenton he
~ m lain pd hall aka ha I
most just 10 the North, the East, the West, the
South, and the whole country, in good temper,
certainly with no malice to any section. | am
devoted TO. peace, but it may be necessary to
put the foot down FIRMLY" In the old Inde-
pendence Hall of Philadelphia, he said al have
never had feeling politically that did not
spring from the sentiments embodied in the
Declaration of Independence, which gave lib
erty, not alone to The people Of this country,
but to the world in all future time If the
country cannot be saved without giving up that
principle, would rather b. assassinated on the
spot than surrender it. | have said nothing
but what | am willing 10 live and die by"
IN WHAT STATE HE FOUND THE COUNTRY.
Travelling in the dead of night to escape as
sassination, Lincoln arrived at Washington nine
days before his Inauguration. The outgoing
President, at the opening of the session of Com
gress had still kept as the majority of his ad-
vsers men engaged in treason: had declared
that in case of even an ''imaginary" apprehen-
sion of danger from. notions of freedom among
the slaves, "disunion would become inevitable"
Lincoln and others had questioned the opinion
OF fancy; such impugnng he ascribed to the
"fac,ous temper of the times" The favorite
doctrine of the majority of the democratic par
ty on the power OF territorial legislature over
ela ha 1an nd IL
cred rights of property" The State Legisla-
lures, he insisted, must repeal what he called
"their unconstitutional and obnoxious enact
ments" and which, If such were "null and
void" or sit would be impossible for any hu-
man power to save the Union" Nay if these
unlmportaat acts were not repealed, "the in
jured States would be justified in revolutionary
resistance to the government Of the Union."-
He maintained that no State might secede at
its sovereign will and pleasure; that the Union
was meant for perpetuity; and that Congress
might attempt to preserve, but only by concil-
alton that ''the sword was not placed IN their
hands to preserve it bydorce !" that "the last
desperate remedy of despairing people" would
be ian explanatory amendment recognizing the
decision of the Supreme Court of the United
States" The American Union he called "a
confederacy' Of States, ard he thought it duty
to make the appeal for amendment "before any
of these States should separate themselves from
the Union" The views of the It.. General con-
tanning some patriotic advice conceded the right
of secession, pronounced quadruple rupture of
the Union ga smaller evil than the reunitng of
The fragments by the sword" and "eschewed the
idea of invading seeded State. After chang
es in the Cabinet, the President informed Con-
gress that "matters were still worse !" that
1.-THE South suffered grievances" which should
be redressed sin peace" the day after this
message the flag of the Union was fred upon
from Fort M0ultrie, and the insult was not re-
venged or noticed Senators in Congress tele-
graphed 10 their constituents TO seize the ma.
tional forts, and they were not arrested. The
finances of the country were grievously embar-
rassed. Its little army was not within reach
the part OF it in Texas. with all its stores, was
made over by its commander to the seeding
insurgents. One State after another voted in
convention to 20 out Of the Union. A peace
Congress, so-called, met at the request of Vir.
gira, to concert the terms of capitulation fol-
the continuance of the Union. Congress in
both branches sought to devise conciliatory ex
pedients the territories of the country wert
organized in manner not to conflict with any
prelensions of the South, or any decision OF tn,
Supreme Court and, nevertheless, the sece
ding es,formed at Montgomery provision
al government. and pursued their relentles
purpose with such success that the Lieutenant
General feared the city of Washington nigh
find itself "included in foreign country" ant
proposed among the options for the considers
ton of Lincoln, to bid the seeded States "de
part in peace" The great republic seemed I,
have its emblem in the vast unfinished capitol
at that moment surrounded by masses of son
and PROSTATE columns never yet lifted int
their places seemingly the monument of higl
but deusive aspirations, the confused wreck O
inchoate magnlfcence, sadder than any ruin @
Egyptian Thebes or Athens.
HIS INAUGURATION.
; TIE fourth of March came. With instinc,
i've wisdom the new President, speaking TO tn
people on taking the oath of Office, put asid
, every question taat divided the country, an
, gained a right to universal support, by plant
e ing himself on the single idea Of Union. Tha
| Union he declared to be unbrokep and perpe,
| ual and he announced his determination I
f fulfil "the simple duty of taking care that th
a laws be faithfully executed in all the States
4 Seven days later, the convention OF confederal
States unanimously adopted a constitution
their own and the new government author
tatively announced TO be founded on the id,
that slavery is the natural and normal cond
ton of the negro race. The issue was mad
x up whether the great republic was to mainlal
its providential place in the history Of mankin
. or rebellion founded on negro slavery gain
/! recognition of its principle Throughout, the ei'
" ilised world To the disaffecled Lincoln ha
said: "You can have no conflict without beir
= yourselves the aggressors." To hire the pa
= = sions of the Southern portion OF the people Il
y confederate Government chose to become al