The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1869-04-01
Two Great Americans--Abra-
ham Lincoln and Gener-
al Grant.

cd as an example of a ready-made
ruler. But no case could well be
less in point; for, besides that he
was a man of such fair.mindGdness
as is always the raw material OF
wisdon N, he had in his profession q
training precisely the opposite OF
that TO which q partisan is subject.
His experience as a lawyer COM
PEELED him not only to see that
there is principle underlying
every phenomenon in human af-
fairs, but that there are always two
sides to every question. both Of
which must be fully understood in
order to understand either, and
that it is OF greater advantage to
an advocate TO appreciate the
strength than the weakness of hh
antagonists position. Nothing is
more remarkable than the un>
erring tact with which, in his de-
bate with Mr.. Douglas, he went
straight to the reason of the ques>
tion nor have we ever had more
striking lesson in political tactics
than the fact that, opposed to a
man exceptionally adroit in using
popular prejudice and bigotry tv
his purpose, exceptionally unscru>
pulous in appealing to those baser
motives that turn a meeting of
citizens into a mob of barbarians,
he should yet have won his case
before a jury of tho people. Mr.
Lincoln was as far as possible from
an impromptu politician. His
wisdom was made up from a
knowledge of things as well as of
men; his sagacity resulted from
clear perception and honest ac-
acknowledgement of fdifiiculties, which
enabled him to see that the only
durable triumph Of political opin.
ion is based, not on any abstract
right, but upon so much of justice,
the highest attainable at any Civ.
en- moment in human affuirs, as
may be bad in the balance of mu.
tual concession. Doubtless he had
an ideal, but it was the ideal of a
practical Statesman-to aim at the
best, and TO take the next best, if
he is lucky enough to get even
that. His slow, but singularly
masculine intelligen &c, taught him
that precedent is only another
name for embodied experience, and
that it counts for even more in the
guidance of communities of men
than in that of the individual life.
He was not a man who held it
good public economy to pull down
on the mere chance Of rebuilding a
better. Mr.. Llncoln's faith in God
was qualified by "a very welI-fouud-
ed distrust of the wisdom of man.
Perhaps it was his want of self
confidence that more than any
thing else won him the unlimited
confidence OF the people, for they
felt that there would be no need OF
retreat from any position he had
deliberately taken. The cautious
but steady, advance of his policy
during the war was like that of the
Roman army. He left behind him
a firm road on which public conf
dence could follow; he took Amer
lea with him where he went; what
he gained he occupied, and his ad
vance posts became colonies. The
very homeliness of his genius was
its distinction. His kingship was
conspicuous by its weekday homo
spun. Never was ruler so absolute
as he, nor 80 little conscious of il
for he was the incarnate commo
sense of the people. With all
that tenderness of nature whose
sweet sadness touched whoever
saw him with something OF It's own
pathos, there was no trace of sen.
timcntalism in his speech or ac.
ton. He seems to have had but
one rule OF conduct, always that of
practical and successful politics,
TO let himself be guided by events
when they were sure to bring him
out where be wished to go, through
by what seemed to impractical
minds, which let go the possible to
grasp at the desirable, longer
road.
We look forward with well
grounded confidence to the ad>
ministration of General Grant.
elected, it may be truly said, in
spite of both parties, but in sym
pathy with the more judicious of
the party of progress, he will be
independent of the extremists,
whether OF blind advance or blind
reaction. Knowing by the most
thorough experience the men he
has conquered and the men he has
led, he will know how to de0l
firmly with the one side and 10
moderate the other. Asa soldier,
he has been schooled to look for
remote results rather than 10
bo over-confdent in immediate
success. He has shown an indom-
table persistency in plans well
considered and justified in good
fortune. He has chosen his Lieu,
tenants with instructive felicity,
and done justice to their merit
with most unexampled magnani.
nifty. He possesses beyond most
men that virtue of moderation
which so many American politici:
ans eschew as popular. Above all
he has an almost heroic gift of si~
lcnce, which prevents him from
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