Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1884-05-22
Character of Mr.. Lincoln.

From Blaine's Twenty Years in Congress
Mr.. Lincoln had been some time in the
Presidency before the public estimate of
him was correct or appreciative. The peO-
pie did not at first understand him. In the
glamour of the Presidential canvass they
had idOlized him, -attributing to him some
traits above and many below his essential
qualities. After his election and before his
Inauguration there was general DISPOSE
tion to depreciate him. He became asso-
ciated in the popular mind with an inl-
pending calamity, and tens of thousands
who had voted for him heartily repented
the act and inwardly execrated the day
that committed the destinies of the Union
to his keeping. The first strong test brought
upon Mr.. Lincoln was this depressing re-
action among so many of his supporters.
A man with less resOlute purpose would
have been cast down by it, but Mr. Lincoln
preserved the mems ;Bgud in arduis
Through the gloom of the weeks preceding
his Inauguration he held his even way.
Perhaps in the more terrible crisis through
which he was afterward called to pass a
frmer nerve was required, but not so rare
a cOm bination Of qualities as he had shown
in the dismal months with which the year
1861 opened.
Mr. Lincoln united firmness and gentle
ness in singular degree He rarely
spoke harsh word. Ready to hear ar
gument and always open to conviction, he
adhered tenaciously to the conclusions
which he had finally reached. Altogether
modest, he had confidence in himself
trusted to the reasoning of his own mind,
believed in the correctness of his own
judgment. Many of the notions concern
ing him are erroneous. No man was
further than he from the easy, familiar
jOcOse character ill which he is often paint
ed. While he paid little attention to form
or ceremony, he was not man with whom
liberties could be taken. There was but
one person in Illinois outside of his house
hold who ventured to address him by his
first name. There was no one in Wash
ington who ever attempted it. Appreciat-
ing wit and humour he relished good
story, especially if it illustrated truth or
strengthened an argument, and he had a
vast fund of illustrative anecdote, which
he used with the happiest effect But the
long list of vulgar, salacious stories attrib-
uted to him were retailed by those only
who never enjoyed the privilege of ex-
altogether serious one-inspired by the
noblest spirit devoted to the highest aims.
Humour was but an incident with him,
partial relief to the melancholy which
tinged all his years He presented
an extraordinary combination of men
tai and moral qualities. As a
statesman, he had the loftiest ideal, and it
fell to his lot to Inaugurate measures which
changed the fate of millions of living men,
or ten millions yet to be born. As a mana
ger of political issues and master Of the art
of presenting them, he has had no rival
in the country unless one can be found In
Jefferson. There was never the slightest
lack of candOr or fairness in his methods.
He sought to control men through their
reason and their conscience. The only art
he employed was that of presenting his
views so convincingly as to force conviction
On the minds of the hearers and his read
ers. The executive talent of Mr.. Lincoln
was remarkable. He was emphatically the
head of his own administration, ultimate
Judge at all points, and on all occasions
where questions of weight were to be de-
cided There has been discussion as to Mr..
Lincoln's religious belief. He was silent
as to his own preference among creeds.
Prejudice against any particular denOmi-
nation he did not entertain. Allied all his
life with Protestant Christianity, he thank
fully availed himself of the services of
an eminent Catholic prelate - Arch
bishop Hughes, of New York-in
a personal mission to England
of great importance at crisis
when the relations between the two coun-
tries were disturbed and threatening.
Throughout the whole period of the war
he constantly directed the attention of the
nation to dependence on God. 1t may, in
deed, be doubted whether he omitted this
in single state paper. In every message
to Congress, In every proclamation to the
people, he made it prominent. Throughout
his entire official career, attended at all
times with exacting duty and painful re-
sponsibility- never forgot his own de-
pendence, or the dependence of the people,
upon higher power In his last public
address, delivered to an immense crowd
assembled at the White House on the 18th
of April, to congratulate him on the vic
tories of the Union, the President, stand
ing, as he unconsciously was in the very
shadow of death, said reverently to his
hearers: I'm the midst of your joyous
He from whom all blessings
flow must first be remembered"