The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-02-14

the press as well as of the camera of the period,
we know Lincoln better far than Washington
could be known, even to his contemporaries; and
We love linn because he was q man like our
selves. II is one of the privileges of the time in
which We live to know men they are. And
! love that is stronger than hate seeks knowl-
edge, thrives upon iJ-and grows and blooms
| with what it feeds upon-and bears the fruit
! that is purple and golden.
Lincoln had what We might call press facili-
| ties superior to those enjoyed by Washington.
/ lie wrote paragraph for a newspaper about
! himself, and Washington never did that. He
! was less sensitive about the newspapers than
! Washington, and the newspapers that assailed
| Lincoln were to those that abused Washington
! as hornets TO guats Lincoln never got swear
| ing mad about the papers that StuDg him. and
| Washington did, and he had thousand provo
| cations TO Washington's one. He used the news
| pauerS. When he wanted to proclaim thar
| his object was to save the Union with or with
| out slavery, he wrote TO Horace Greeley His
most trusted adviser was an editor Thurlow
! Weed-a maker of Presidents, welding power
office could neither give nor take.
GEN. BUTLER's ATTITUDE.
Ben Butler has been unsupported, il he has
| not said several times that God, and not the
newspapers made him, but Butler, fear, had
! a prejudice against the press, for he told me
| that. in his judgment, the war should not end
! without hanging at least a dozen editors and
! there an intmation that there was a chance
| to save the country by striking ceremony of
| the sort then and there.
think Gen Butler was in some degree mis-
taken in his estimate of the subordinate part of
| the newspapers in his makeup, but the remark
he made of himself could with the conpletest
| Justice be applied to Abraham Lincoln The
| newspaper keeps the record of deeds that are
| great-and does well if it does fairly The great
creates is for day, while the goodness that
| it DlightS is tender plant. 1t lends ten thou
sand torches to the fierce light that heats upon
| high place. but there is no hight SO burning that
it is not wholesome to the greatness that is true,
| that does not give finer temper to the iron
| f-sa
of hostile contact but becomes polished steel,
| and is fashioned into sword that shines for
| ever.
1t was not in the nature of things under the
| circumstances of the war, that President Lin
| coin could escape the utmost violence of crti-
| csm and detraction; that in the midst Of the
stormy excitementS of the times his conspicu-
Gus head should not be showered with a
| fiery hail of fierce objurgation,
frenzied suggestion and wild admo.
nitions. He was a. quaint figure, too, and
! there were many shallow enough to belittle him
| because he was verbally one of the people; be
| cause he told stories laughed and was dismal
| by turns used homely familiar phrases, and got
| in a different way. He was ike Shakespearean
| dramatic tragedy and the comedy-the NOR
tai and the eternal-in the same leaves,
1t was not all at once that the people recog
| nized their leader-the clear brain, the strong
hand, the tender heart, the SingleneSs of purpose
the rare combination for our deliverance from
| tribulaton. Not indeed until the hour of tri
umph--so swiftly followed by the hour of mar
| tyrdom-was it given to millions of his country
| men to see that his stature had become colossp
| and that his name was radiant with immortality
that he was like Goldsmith's tall cliff,
| ''That lifts its awful form.
| Swels from the vale, and midway leaves the
| storm,
| Though round its breast the rolling clouds ART
| spread,
Eternal sunshine settles on its head
| ~. ~,
| that he was al the end of the race. Hi
| growth was constant up to his last days
| Events educated bin, He grew great witt
| great occasions His associations were gigantic
| and he was not dwarfed by them one whC
walks in the midst of Alpine or Andean noun
| tains He took upon himself the complexion
| the atmosphere and the measurements of hi'
! stupeudous surroundings. This language ha;
| exact application to Cen. Grant.