Year: 1864

wAsnIsGroS. Thursday. Nov. 10 1864


The several Lincoln and johnson
Clubs of the District Of Clumbia called
on President Lincoln tonight and gave
him a serenade in honor Of his reflect.


There was in addition an immense
concourse of spectators Of both sexes
in front Of the Executive Mansion. The
firing of field-piece was of frequent oc-
currence, adding to the excitement of
the occasion. The President appeared
at an upper window, and, when the
cheers with which he was greeted ceas-
ed, he spoke as follows; ''It has long
been grave question whether any Gov
ernment not too strong for the liberties
of its people can be strong enough to
MAINTAIN its own existence in great em-
ergencies. On this point the. present
Rebellion brought our Republic to a
sever test, and a Presidential election
occurring in regular course during the
Rebellion, adding not little to the
strain. If the loyal people united were
put to the utmost of their strength by
the Rebellion, must they not fall when
divided and partially paralyzed by a
political war among themselvs? But
the election was necessity. We cam
not have free government without cleo
tons, and if the Rebellion could force
us to torego or postpone a national elec-
ton, itmust fairly claim to have already
conquered and ruined us. The strife of
electionis but human nature practically
applied to the facts of the case. What
has occurred in this case must ever re-
cur in similar case. Human nature will
not change. In any future great ma
tional trial, compared with the men of
this, we sha have as weak and stroc g,
as silly and as wise, as bad and as good.


Let us therefore study the incidents
of this. as philosophy to learn wisdom
from, and none of them as wrongs to be
rcvenged." TCheers. But the election,
along with its incidental and undesirable
strife, has done good too. 1t has dem
onstrated that a peoples government
can sustain national election in the
midst ola great civil war. Renewed
cheers.) Until row it has not been
known to the world that this was pos
sibility. 1t shows also, how sound and
how strong we still are. 1t shows that
even among the candidates of the same
party, he who is most devoted to the
Union and most opposed to treason,
can receive most Of the peoples votes.
(App'ause.) 1t shows also to the extent
yet known that we have more men now
than we had when the war began.


Gold is good in its place, but living
brave and patriotic men are better than
gold. [Cheers and other demonstra-
tons of applause. But the Rebellion
continues, and now that the election is
over, may not all having common in
terest reunite in common effort to save
our common country? Cheers. For
my own part, l have striven and shall
strive to avoid placing any obstacle in
the way, [Cleers So long as l have
been here / have not willingly planted
a thorn IN any mans bosom. While l
am duly sensible to the high ccmpG-
ment of n reelection, and duly CRATE
ful, as 1 trust, to Almighty God for hav-
ing directed my countrymen to n right
conclusion, as think, for their good, it
adds nothing to my satisfaction that
any other man may be disappointed by
the result. Cheers. May ask those
who have not differed with me to join
with me in this same spirit toward those
who have? And now let me close by
asking three hearty cheers for our brave
soldiers and seaman and their gallant
and skillfil commanders -


The three cheers were enthusiastically
given, accompanied by music and the
sound of cannon.


The crowd i'll part proceeded to the
residence of Secretary Seward, who, in
the course of his remarks, said he came
=, the stage Of action some years after
the Revolutionary War, and used to
hear his parents talk about the vast num-
Der of Tories who were opposed to the
war, and what surprised him was that
after twenty-five or thirty years, there
was not Tory found in the United
States. He could not Exactly Under
stand where they had gone to. Laugh
ter. During the war of 1912 the Fed
eralIsts used to carry the intervening
elections just as the Democrats carried
the election in New York in 1862; but
when the war came to a close and end
ed i'll victory, we had the era of good
feeling, and fror that time till now we
cannot find an old Federalst. His sjudg-
ment was, when we all come together
and when the stars and stripes wave
over Richmond, in two or three years
you will have to look mighty sharp to
lind secessionist or a Rebel sympathi-
ger. Laughter and Applause. After
refuting that the war is failure, he
said during the first year Of the war the
African slave trade in the United States
was suppressed; in the second year ne
groes were brought to be soldiers OF
freedom; in the third year Slavery was
abolished in the District of Columbia
and in the fourth Slavery was sbolished
in Maryland. If the Democrats think
the war is failure thus far, when Con
gress comes together they will adopt a
Constitutional amendment to abolish
Slavery throughout the United States.
Cheers, If Slavery shall not cease,
It will not be the fault of the Admins
tration Then we shall have an era OF
good feeling and harmony, and resume
our bright career among the nations,
and advance the interests of the ooun.
try and freedom, self.government and
humanity. All men win come to Gee
the President, thorough, loyal, devo.
ted patriot and benevolent man, and he
will take his place with Washington