The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1866-02-23


wild. At tweuiy.throo he was a Captain OF
volunteers in the Black Hawk war lie
kept shop; he learned something of sur
vcyig; but of English literature he added
to Bunyan nothing but Shakspeare's plays.
Al twenty-five he was elected 20 the Legis-
latnre OF Illinois, where he served eight
years. At twenty seven he was admitted
to the har. In 1887 he chose his home OF
Springfield tho beautiful center SE the
richest land in tho State. In ie47 ne was
q member OF The national Congress. where
he voted about forty times in ia Sor of the
principle OF the Jefferson proviso. In 1854
he gave his influence to elect from Illinois
to the American Senate Democrat who
would certainly do justice TO Kansas. In
1883 as the rival of Douglas, he went be-
fore the people of the mighty Prairie State
saying: This Union cannot permanently
eudure, half slave and half flee, the Union
will not he dissolved; but the house will
cease to he divided;" and now in 1861, with
no experience whatever as an executive
officer, while States We're madly flying
from their orbits, and wise men knew not
where to find counsel, this descendant of
Qunkers, this pupil Of Bunyen, this child of
the great West was elected President of
America.
lie measured tho difficulty Of the duty
that devolved on him, aud was resolved to
fulfill II.
iiE GoES To wAsuiNGToN
As on the llth Of February, 1861, he left
Springfield, which for quarter OF a century
had been his happy home, to the crowd of
his friends and neighhors whom he was
never more TO meet, he spoke solemn
farewell; "I know not how soon shall
soe you again. A duty has devolved upon
me, greater than that which has devolved
upon any other man since the days of
Washington. lie never would have sue
cccded, except Tor the aid Of Divine Provi-
dcnce, upon which he at all times relied
On tho same Almighty 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 Indiana he said: :" am but
an accidental, temporary instruments it is
your business to rise up and preserve the
Union and liberty" "At tho capital of
Ohio he said: "Without name without
a reason why should have a name there
has fallen upon mo a task such as did not
rest even upon the Father of His Country"
| At various places in New York, especially
at Albany, before the Legislature, which
rendered him the united support Of the
great Empire State, he said awhile
hold myself the humblest Of all tho iudivd-
uals who have ever been elevated to the
Presidency, lave more difficult task to
perform than any of them. | brin Z q truo
heart to work. must rely upon the peo-
pie of the whole country for support; and
with their sustaining aid even |, humble rs
am, cannot fail to carry the ship OF state
safely through the storm" To the Assembly
of New Jersey, at Trenton, he explained:
| az 81, AL. Al I
to the North, the East, the West, the South
aud the whole country, in good temper,
certainly with no malice to any section, |
am devoted to peace, but it may he neces,
sary to put the foot down firmly" In the
old Independence Hall of Philadelphia he
said: al have never had feeling polit-
ically That did not spring from the senti,
ments embodied in the Declaration of In.
dependence, which gave liberty not alone to
the people Of this county, but to the worl,l
in all future time. If the country cannot be
saved without giving up that principle, |
would rather be assaSs mated on the spot
than surrender IT, have said nothing hat
what am willing to live by aud die by
IN WHAT STATS lie FOUND THE COUNTRY.
Travelling in the dead of night TO escape
assassination, Lincoln arrived at Washing
ton nine days before his Inauguration. The
outgoing President at the opening session
Of Congress had still kept as the majority
OF his advisers men Engaged in treason;
had declared that in case OF even an Vi i'm
aginary" apprehension Of danger from no.
tions of freedom among the slaves, dis
union would become inevitable" Lincoln
aud others had questioned the opinion OF
fancy; such impugning he ascrbed to the
factions temper of the times" The favoriie
doctrine of the majority of the Democratic
party on the power Of territorial legisla.
ture over slavery he condcmIcd as AN
attack on "the sacred rights Of property
The State Legislatures lie insisted, must re
peal what he called their unoonstituti tional
and obnoxious enactIneuts,' and which, il
such, were "null aud void or 'it would
be impossible for any human power to save
the Union" Nayl if these unimportaut
acts were not repealed, 'the injured States
would be justified in revolutionary resist
anco to the Government Of the Union." II,
maintained that no State might secele al
its sovereign will and pleasure; that tho
Union was meant for perpetuiiy; and that
Congress might attempt to preserve, but
only by cancellations; that "the sword was
not placed in their hands To preserve it
by forcei' that the last desperate emedy
of desparing people" would bo IAN ex
planatory amendment recognizing the de-
cision Of the Supreme Court of the United
States" The American Union he called q,
conlederacy" of States, and he thought ii a
duty to make the appeal for the amendment
"beiore any of these States should separate
thoms, Ives from the Union The views
Of the Lieutenant General, containing some
patriotic advice, I" conceded the right o
secession" pronounced quadruple rup-
ture OF the Union "a smaller evil than the
reunting of the fragments by the sword" ("
and eschewed the idea of invading a
seeded State" After changes in the Cab
met, the President informed Congress that
matters were still worse;' that the South
suffered serious grievances, which shoul
be redressed in peace" The day after the
message tho flag OF the Union was cred
upon from Fort Moultrie, and the insult
was not revenged or noticed. Senators in
Congress teegraphed to their constituents
to seize the national forts, and they were
not-arrcsted. The finances Of the country
were griovousy embarrassed, Its little
army was not within reach--the part of it
in Texas, with all its stores, was made over
by it's commander TO the seeding insur-
gents. One State after another voted in
convention TO go out Of the Unoin. Peace
Congress, so-called, met at the request of
Vlrginia, to concert the terms OF capihla-
t on for the continuance of the Union.
Congress 10 both branches sought 10 de-
wise coucilatory expedients; the territories
| nf tie .Nnnnft.v xvara orssansvnn IN n manner