New-York tribune., 1885-09-13
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
rus PRESIDENT AND HIS ADVISERS.
avcorfrcT1oNs OF Ex-sEcRErARY USHER
Copyrfqhi 1855.

w,,,out doubt the greatest Of rebellion times
.n one matchless among forty millions % Ior Tue po0''
diniculties OIL inc ps''''' JANIS LoNGsrREEr.
n, r;ncolu,s greatness was founded upon his de-
..;on ,o truth, his humanity, and his innate sense
of Justice to all. - ,r;de
In his career as a lawyer, he traversed VIDE
..noe of territory in Illinois; he attended many
.ourts and had many professional engagerheh'S'
.ome remunerative and Others not. In all MS COLI
acts nj the bar. wherein it may be said no was snc
.essful In every case that he ought 10 nave ooon'
be never inflicted unnecessary wouno upon III
adversary, and no ono ever thouehs Vi u''o'.
false word to him. He affected no superior "i'oon
over his fellows. vet he often appealed to by
~ ,.,oa to sav what rule of law ought to be ap-
sI,sd IN a given case andpwh hat disposition the par
t,es ourht to make of it, and his opinion when ex-
ossed ALWAYS seemed to be so reasonable, fair ana
,,s, that the parties accepted it. He was never
Lnown To rebuke any one for intemperance, pro-
fon;tv. or other violation of social doty. Whle he
,rofessed nothing in these respects. people ala ho1
drink immoderately in his presence. nether wore
thew vulgar nor profane. When he appeared every
one seemed to be happy; they wanted 10 near nun
.aIk he always had something to say that would
omuse or instruct them something that they had
not heard before He argued great causes IN "hion
nrnciple and property we're involved loglcauy' ana
with wonderful ability. Triling causes he met Win
r;dicule and often by an anecdote. IN the use o'
which he was UNSURPASSED; the cause woui" oe-
abandoned in gale of merriinent the losing parry
heinz neither provoked nor angry.
A man endowed with such qualities was bound
.o he n successful politician, and If he turned MS
attention in that direction. none who knew MN
cou,d doubt upon which side he would be, or VITA
,rb;ch marty 'be would unite He was w hig De-
copse he believed the principles of that party pest
eoulnced to the welfare of his fellow man lie oo-
ieyed that the true principles Of government were
those which Mr. Clay advocated He believed IN
the protection of American industries. lie DeneVeo
tl.t the slavery of men was wrong in principle aud
mnossible of Justification and he held in profound
veneraton and respect the founders OF the State OF
Illinois, who had by constitutional provision lor-
ever prevented the existence of that INSTITUTION IN
the State. His opinions upon this subject would
have renamed a sentiment only. for he manifested
no disposition by word act to Interfere with
.lavsrv where il existed but for the violent at
tempt to introduce slavery in Kansas and Ne
braska upon the repeal of the Missouri con-
promise.
Tho masterly debates between Douglas and LIN
colin made Lincoln the nominee of the Republican
party for President at the Chicago Convention IN
1890 to the great disappointment OF Mr. Seward
and his supporters. lie election came on ana
resulted in the election of majority OF Republican
electors. but these electors did not receive
majority of the public vote by nearly million oil
votes. which fact Mr.. Lincoln often referred 10
during his Administration. The Republican party
as such. stood pledged to the maintenance. IN
violate OF the rights of the states. aud especially
the Ieht of each State to order and control IT'S own
domestic institutions according to its ownjudg-
ment exclusively. To that pledge Mr. Lincoln
determined vigorously to alhere, and IL during has
Administration there was any seeming DEPRESSION
from that resolve, 1t was brought about and COM
pelled by the ex:gcncies of the war. In his irSt
inaugural address s expressed himself rs follows:
II have no purpose. directly or indirectly. to
interfere with the institution of slavery IN the
States where it exists. / believe have no lawful
right 70 do So and have no inclination TO do So.
This he said, was quotrd IRON one OF his former
ypeechas. AMI further that the same sentiment
wsnld be found in nearly all his public speeches
In the course of his address he SAID " No State
upon Its own mere motion can lawfully get ont oil
the Union; resolves and ordinances to that elect
are legally void and that acts OF violence, within
any State or States, against the authority OF the
Untel States, insurreetionary or revolutionary,
according to circumstances" Then followed
declaration that in his view OF the Constitution and
he laws, the Union unbroken, and that to the
xtent of his ability h, wonlo take care that the
avs OF the Union be faithfully executed in all the
States that there need be bloodshcd or violence
n doing this and that there would be none unless
was forced upon the National authority. 1t is
needless to say that these pledges were kept.
The frankness Of this inaugural address, and the
,cdges contained in it, inspired the deyotee3 of the
Union in the North with the hope that peace would
inally prevail It is plain that Mr.. Lincoln enter
;ained such hope and he had ample reason for IT, II
he considered the popular vote. 10 was but fair to
assume that the votes cast for Messs. Douglas aud
Bell. with the fusioa vote of Pennsylvania for
Breckenridge, were, with but few exceptions the
votes of Union men. They. with the votes cast for
him. amounted to nearly 100000 votes. leaving
only 6OO. 900 or 100000, who voted for Brecken-
ridge who were for the most part disunionists. II
was incredible that these Union votes would join in
A rebellion for the dissolution of the Union the
express pledge in the inaugural address that. the
Government will not assaIl YOU. You can have no
conflict without being yourselves the aggressors.'
Upon the closest scrutiny Of the Administration
of Mr. Lincoln Ii will be found that his paramount
object was the preservation of the Union. and to
enforce in all the States the laws of the United
States he found it necessary to assault the inst tu
ton of slavery, 1t was because he deemed it neccs
sary to carry out his principal object all which
was tersely expressed in his letter to Mr. Greeley,
that he woald preserve the Union If it could be
done, without freeing any slaves, and If could
save it by freeing all the slaves would do it-and
if could save it by freeing some ana leaving Others
alone, would also do that"
Mr.. Greeley was evidently dissatisfied with the
explain atiop of Mr.. Lincoln. and THE TRIBUNE
teenied with complaints and criticisms OF his
Administration. which very much annoyed him j
NO much % that he requested Mr. Greeley TO come TO
I'D Epn IN hsu
plants to the end that they might be obviated if
possibie The managing editor of THE TRIBUNE
came Mr. Lincoln said: sYou complain of me
What have done or omitted to do which has
reply was: q Yon should issue proclamation
abofishing slavery Mr. Lincoln answered "Sup-