Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1871-12-06

ChilSt Il speak with refercuce,) and
died for America. Lincoln, of whom
"milIions yet unborn will speak with
10y and gratitude" Lincoln, of
whom | have spoken in terms so vile,
&cr that even can't Ku Klux," dis
dams to repeat it, and in "gentle.
manly manner" and of course in imi.
talion of bis idea of a gentleman, SAYS
"this is q Iic." Brave language, wor.
thily spoken. | am feariully arraign.
cd for speaking disrespectfully of the
dead. Let me apologize by writing n
bit of history,
The maxim, TO speak well Of the
de2a, is as hoaiy with ago as tho Py.
thagorio symbols, especially of one
Judas lseariot, and Nero, and Tiberius,
and Caligulo, and Domitian, and Aris.
todemus, and Stanton, and John Brown
and Lincoln. Yes, speak well ofthem,
whatever the demands of truth and
history may be to the contrary This
is the senseless maxim of fools. Rath.
or let US say, speak justly and truly
of the doad and living. That is a
better maxim than the other, although
not handed down to MS over tho dirt
and gloom Of hundred generations
of stupidity. The one requires you to
lie-tho other commands us to speak
the truth. whether of the living or
dead, We said Lincoln, in one Of his
messages, or proclamations, "cannot
escape history" Terrible truth Froth
and fustan and bombast and lies of
partisan favorites weigh nothing in
the steelyards of history. If the
names Of Lord North and George the
Third are made forever odious in Amer.
lean history by their barbarous deeds,
what will be the place of Lincoln and
his supporters in that same history 2
Did Lincoln and his supporters en-.
trench themselves behind the charge
Of rebellion ? So did Lord North and
George the Third. Did Lincoln and
his friends justify the horrors of savage
warfare on the general plea Of fighting
and punishing traitors and rebels !?
So did Lord North and George tho
Third. Did Lincoln and his Congress
proclaim Davis and Lee TO be rebels
and traitors? So did North and King
George proclaim Washington and John
Hancock traitors and rebels We're
the whole Southern people rebels and
traitors in the drunken diction of Abe
Lincoln and his Congress 7 SO were
the whole American people in the in.
solent language of Lord North and
King George In all these instances
it was the blind and bloated idiot of
government rcbelling against the
rights and liberty OF tie people |
will not say that he was the architect
Of all the wrong and ruin which the
country suffered, but the tool. History
may not assign him the place of u
pIotler and conspirator. He was not
naturally so abundant in vice as lack
ing in virtue lie was too much a
joker to be deep ploltcr. | do not
charge him with that depth Of char.
actcr. He was q laugher or joker,
full Of smut aud obscenity, and when
| have said that | have acquitted him
Of any depth ofplot or purpose. There
was in him horrible simplicity Of
thought, n sort of inclination TO blood,
and cold and cruel conscience The
mind OF the man was painted upon
his terribly ugly face. twas the face
Of IL satyr rather than that OF Il man.,
His whole body was shapclcss and
distorted with supernatural! uglincss.
II seemed to be lying about loose, and
in that ii was onIya too faithful index
of his mind. Tibcrius possessed high
and imposing qualities. He had dis,
tiuguished himself by brilliant deeds
in arms aud by oloquencc in the forum.
CaIigula was Il Cesar and the only
surviving son Of that Germanicus,
whose images were adorcd 10y the Ro.
nan people. Claudius had honOrably
distinguished himself in the censor
ship, aud had constructed some Of the
most magnificent public works in the
capital OF the world Nero was the
last utisho0t Of the CGsdrs, and he had
in his youth attracted all hearts 10y his
muniiiconco and by the fascinating
beauty Of his person. And in latter
DAYS Rienzi and Masaniollo possessed
qualities suited to tho genius OF tho
Italians. Beaufort had gifts to carry
with him the wild populace OF Paris.
As mob orator he was without Il RI
val in his country. Mrabcau bad
genius which appealed to the passions
of the middle ranks. Danton had in.
telloet aud a terrible eloquence with
which to iascinate the rabbIe. Robes.
pierre had letters aud reputation in
defense of popular rights. But what
had Lincoln, the head of the if'shtiui
revolution in American Nothing
Without culture, without refinement,
without u single qualification which
ever sustained tymnts in their place,
bcfuro he headed u despotsm over the
American people such as was never
put upon free people in any age OF
the world. Behold him upon the battle
field of Antietam. When the fresh
blood of thousands Of his countrym men
was soaking the ground aud the groans
of the dying were rcnding the air, he
called for the singing Of II ribald song
Tho gravost matters Of State were in.
variabIy Illustrated by him with va
gar anecdotes and obscene jokes Such
was tho material OF his conscience
that he found it easier TO commit Il
crime than to resist the pressure OF hls
masters. His own words will stand
Us everlasting proof of that And he
was none the less u criminal because
he was the tool rather than the plot
ter of wrong. He was, perhaps! not
at any time, in any just sense OF th'
word, the President of a people, but
he was merely the tool OF Garrison
Phillips, Sumner, Seward, Stanton
Holt, &c. He not only grossly anC
impiously pcGured his oath OF office
p. but he lOreswore himself arraycd him
self against himself, was false to hi
own Judgment and his own conscience
such as he had, to make himself th'
slave of party. For his party he IN