The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1869-03-20


more literally. sFoss ssTs
AbraAaA Llncoln and Or,r IEarav,lle Cor.
faFe'S - 80 ~ Fespondent. -
Our regular Earlville correspondent generally
writes a ably and accsptably that we have been
in the habit Of printing his Communications as
matter OF course, without Arst reading them
over We have done this also in pursuance Of .
general practice in most Newspaper offices, Of
publishing communications from we'll known
correspondents without close scrutiny or. pre-
tendins to endorse oil they say, bat with vii.
lingnsss to let any man whe can write end think
seenn,ibly TO vsntilate his, views On my proper
susjsct W. confess, however, had w read the
letter Of oar sEasfvills correspondent week ego,
in reference - Ar. Lincoln, before it met eur
sys in the printed oolumhsssf eur papsr, 10
should have taken the liberty either materially
to tone " down or exclude - entirely. The
name sf our EArlville eosrsspcadsat is well
known, - are the facts connected with m Incl.
dent in hts history during the war in connection
with the famous war order q Nr. Linools's ad.
ministrstieo absas "disoour.ging snlissms,ts.s >
1t is very easy, therefore, to account for the Bit
ter feellngs b cherishes for he memory Of Mr.
Lincoln. Having no such personal griefs our
selves, however, we claim to bs in . better post
ton to estimate. .eoolly, cslmly and jsusly the
character of Abraham Lincoln, and hat estimate
b Of sssrss radically different fron the estimate
Of sSr correspondent We osrsaialy never re-
gardsd Mr. Lincoln y cruel and bloody nisd-
ed man. Who oosld, "as in the times Of Salem
witchcrsft, stand calnly BY aad sss Aia .aigh-
bora hang without Judge os iazy, and discern
the finger Of God therein" Mr. Lincoln, ws re.
ligiously believe, vas 70 degree kindly and
humane in his fselinss and impulses, ana in all
his intestscns entirely honest The statemsnta
that he wAa |" Incapable, Of dsterminipg right
from wrong Or that he was . "tyrAnt," IN
"unslscsted man. and Asonspicuous for hia
wan. Of brains" arc simply 1unwazranted and
absard. The general democratic q conservative
estimate Of Mr.. Lincoln We believe is-lland in
this vs entirely agrss)- that while he was quite
capable. very honest, and in his feelings toward,
his personal or political, or his country's enc.
mics, leaning to the side Of mesoy and rsconsila.
tisn, he was possessed Of . gooa deal less thar
General Jackson Armnsss Of character, and va.
often ovsrborYst ~ his ssaieal - avai.gs inte
the ssnctiea = aeaauz ,es = least BY
the oons1 :, ~ ~ y hsrsh and
cruel u IN isvw wssks u as life. however
gave such hopsfai iisdicstions Of . determination
ON his part, I'd adopt mild and forsiving polio,
with view to the early reconciliation Of tn,
country, that We have slwsys believed, had III
Lincolnsliveds our, Union would long ago sitha
have heaH tfectly restorsd on 4 hssisS \ nntsa
ceaesSsicA snd forgiveness, or Mr. Lincoln woul,
have had precisely the same battle to fight Will
the radicals in socnsrssss that Andrew Johnse,
fought 20 unsuccessfully. saatgss ;
4 We make this explanation in justice to man
4 dsmosratie as&ell Is fepsblissn personalfrisnd
who have rsmonstrated with us for the publiss
ton Of what thsy with justice regard - . ghoul
like attack On one whs, whatever may have bee
his faults, was ssrtainly not bad man, and q
different - possible from the monster depiote
n BY our correspondents. lal4el5ac
FIRST SPIsNa GOODS DIRECT FROM NE,
YoRK.-Our Mr. Gridley il now East and wi
\ spend as many weeks as merchants usually spen