The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-02-07


1t was with no feeling of elation CT
confidence that Lincoln found himself
president-e1ect. He was not permitted
to enjoy even a moment OF his Welt
earned success The period that inter
vened between his election and his m
auguration witnessed a spectacle whlch
had no parallel in the history or the
country, and which it is to be hoped
may remain unique. A great po1tlcai
party had triumphed at the polls, but
al the first threats of dissolving the
Union its supporters not only rendered
back the fruits of victory, but sought
peace from their opponents at eny
price. ana il is no wonder that the rep
resentatfves of the south turned from
them with distrust and disgust. Every
form of Weakened compromise from
sentimental sop to abiect Surrender had
its nervous advocate, and Lincoln,
watching the pitiful exhibition, might
we'll have felt himself betrayed in the
house of his friends. Yet he displayed
no personal resentment and uttered no
complaints. Indeed, he sympathized
with the anxiety which was disturb
ing the judgment of public men and ap-
precisted the feeling OF panic which
Wracked the general community Fool
ish as were many of the measures urged
to insure the national salvation, he
neither despised their sponsors nor sus-
pected their motives. Distrustfui of his
own abilities, he put himself in the
place of those who felt that the world
was out OF joint, and, conscious Of no
mental superiority, weighed all their
hopes and misgivings-
But Lincoln, though modest to the
point of timidity." was not timid. In
the midst OF wild runOrs, nerve-shak-
ing possibilities, tracing advice and
a babel of confusion, government fairly
crunbiing and no help in sight. he
found refuge and support in no virtues
Or talents which are denied the ordi-
nary man, but in that calmness and
courage which every one who is born
into the world may acquire if he will.
A Patient Listener.
To the swarm of the distracted who
buzzed about him. some urging him to
adopt their policies. others to antici-
pate his own, and others to send mes
sage of reinsurance and goodwill to
the olisaffected states. he listened pa
tiently, but gave no sign. Schooled to
solve his own problems and do his own
thinking, he did not feel helpless when
confronted by new questions. and re-
fused to allow himself to be diverted
rot vet occurred. From his earliest
youth he had lived one day at time,
and he saw no occasion TO reverse the
habits Of a life. Sure of the mandate
that he had received from those who
had elected him ard fixed in his pur-
pose neither to betray nor abuse It, ne
reduced the problem to it's simplest
form, as if for presentation to jury of
his peers, and faced the issue unafraid.
Out of this stress and storm and of
this modest but unterrified deliberation
there came the first inaugural-a mas
terpiece of pleading to whose findings
of fact no exception could be taken.
and whose conclusions of law were
never CVerTuled- Conscious of his own
inexperience and difident of his own
powers, he surrounded himself by coun-
selOrs whose training and ability had
won the confidence of the nation, and
TO them he applied the simple tests
which had long served him 20 gauge the
characters and know the hearts of men,
Without guide and with the sincere de-
sire that the country should benefit
by their services, he allowed them full
scope in the performance of their sew
erai duties. even permitting encroach-
ments on the dignity of his own office
and laying aside his personal feelings
FOR the furtherance Of the trust COM
mitted to his charge. It was no COM
plaisant weakling. however. who thus
effaced himself, but q man whose daily
training In the workaday world had
brought him into touch with all sorts
and conditions of men-men whose
business 1t was TO inveigie. persuade,
and coerce others to their way of think
ing, and who employed every device
from legitimate argument to brutal ter
rorizing to accomplish their ends His
constant practice I'm the courts had
thoroughly familiarized him with the
bGlldozers and the ''roarers" of his
profession. and long before he encoun-
tered them in his cabinet he had met
the prototypes Of Stanton and Seward