The Cecil Whig., 1885-06-20

MI. Lincoln was severely denounced
not only by the out and-out Abolition
lists, but by men less pronounced in
their anti-slavery views, such as Mr..
Wade and Mr.. Greely, for his delay in
emancipating the slaves, under his war
power, as it was called. This was
caused by his doubts as to whether the
public sentiment of the North, with
which he always kept abreast was pre-
pared for a measure so momentous and
far-reaching by his profound respect
for the Constitution which he had sworn
to maintain and especially by his fears
that emancipation would retard if it did
not prevent, the restoration of the Un-
ion. In his letter to Mr.. Greeley on
the ED of August, 1862, he said:
My paramount object is to save the
Union, and not either to save or destroy
slavery. If could save the Union, with
out freeing any slave, l would do it, if |
could save it by freeing all the slaves, l
would do it; and if l could save it by
freeing some and letting others alone, l
would do it.
1t must be admitted that this Ian
guage was hardly consistent with the
opinion he had SO frequently expressed,
before his election, that the United
States could not continue to be part
slave, part free, Or with his well known
adherence of slavery; but it was in
perfect harmony with his utterances
after he became president, and with
the avowed purpose of the Govern
ment in prosecuting the war. He did
however, subject himself to the charge
of inconsistency by exempting from
the operation of his proclamation West
Virginia and such parts of the other
Southern States as were in the posses
sion of the federal forces, by proclaim
ing freedom to the slave where his
authority could not be exercised, and
leaving, where it was felt and acknow-
lodged, many thousands in bondage.
IF LINCOLN HAD LIVED.
Whether Mr. Lincoln would have been
competent to deal with the questions
which were presented after the war, in
the reconstruction of the Southern
states; whether he would exhibited the
qualities of statesman, is l know, re-
garded by many as somewhat doubtful
but it is l think, only fair to infer from
the ability which he displayed as presi
dent, that he would have been equa
to the new duties which he would have
called to perform if he had completed
the term for which he had been elected
He was we'll versed in constitutional
law, his mind was well balanced, he was
free from viudictveness and he was emf
nently patriotic. He would not have
quarreled with his party, as his sue
cessor, Mr.. johnson, did. lie had the
confidence of the people, and could
therefore, have given direction to rec IN
structive legislation. In the plan fol
the rehabilitation of the South which ht
and his Cabinet had partially agreed
upon, and which Mr.. johnson and the
same Cabinet endeavored to perfect anG
carry out, no provision was made fo,
negro suffrage.
From some of his incidental expires
sions, and from his well-known opinions
upon the subject of suffrage and the
states to regulate it, my conclusion i:
that he would have been disposed to lei
that question remain as it stood before
the war; with, however, such amend
ments of the Constitution as would have
prevented any but those who were per
mitted to vote in federal elections from
being included in the enumeration fol
representatives in Congress-thus Undue
ing the recent slave states, for the pnr
pose of increasing their congressional
influence and power. to give the ballot
to black men as we'll as white.
Nor would Mr.. Lincoln have been win
dictive against the masses who had beer
in arms against the Government. Fdu
Gated, as the people of the South hat
been in the doctrine that the Union wa:
a confederation of states from whicl
aay state or lumber of states might
withdraw, he would not have regarded
the attempted secession as being treason,
nor would he have regarded as traitor:
any of the Southern people except those
who, while continuing to hold fedora
offices and to draw their pay from the
Federal Treasury, used the influence o.
their positions to overthrow the Govern.
ment whose servants they were. Fol
them he would have favored no forgive
ness; to them he would have granted NJ
pardons. They were guilty of Treason
for which there could be no palliation
These. however, were comparatively few
THE SECRET OF LINCLON's GREATNESS
|
The war on the part of the South was
revolutionary. 1t was not only SO con-
siderd by other nations, but by those who
admin ;stered the Government after the
war was ended. Officers of high stand
ing in the Confederate army were ap
pointed to federal officers by Genera
Grant. The Vice president of the Con
federacy, when subsequently in Congress,
was treated with great respect by both
parties. Two Of the members OF the
Cabinet, and nearly every one of the
Southern senators in the last and present
Congress, held distinguished civil or mill,
tary positions under the Confederate
Government. This would not, could not,
have been the case had they been guilty
of treason. They were revolutionists,
not traitors, and as such they would
have been treated by Mr.. Lincoln.
Nor would Mr.. Lincoln have appointed
to Southern offices such men as, unlor.
unately, were appointed, whose chief
nilsson seemed to have been to enrich
themselves, overload the states with
debt and perpetuate the sectional dis.
cord which had always to some extent,
existed, and which had been aggravated
and tensified by the war. His sympathy
was as broad as his patriotism. Devotcd
to the Union-not merely a geographical