Year: 1864

people. In simplicity, tranknsss, care
lessness of conventional manners, accom-
panied by a sincere observance of the
essentials of good breeding, in his intuitive
knowledge of men, his keen sense of the
humorous, his clear perception of the com
mon sense relations of things, he is one of
the finest specimens of the Western man.
It is simple nonsense to deny him great
capacity. The Whig party, of Illinois,
comprised too many able men to be led by
"third-rate politician" and he was long
it's acknowledged leader. The Republican
party of that State was too we'll aware OF
the necessity of putting the best reprsseu-
tative in the United States Senate to con-
sent to the nomination of one of its ordi-
nary members. And there is the record.
The speeches speak for themselves, as does
that great address before the Cooper In


stitute. In no political debate ever
held in this country was greater
ability displayed than in that memoir
able contest between Illinois greatest
sons. For compact statement, terse vigor,
homely presentation of abstract truths, so
as to seize hold OF the popular spprehen


sion, Mr.. Lincoln is unsurpassed by any
public man. Look at mis- Inaugural
There is nothing ahead of 1t among the
many able papers of his predecessors.
Jacksons's iron neVe and passionate pa
triotism give no greater stamp of indiVi-
duality to his work than do the homely
earnestness and terse O quaintness of Lincoln
to his. There are sentences in that inau-
gural that deserve to stand in golden let
ters in the high places of public resort all
over the land. We instance but one: "Can
aliens make treaties easier than friends can
make law" So, too, with that we'll known
letter to Horace Greeley, and the famous
letter to the Springfield Convention. In
regard to this last we we'll remember how
excited and feverish and discontented the
public mind was at the time. The RepubH-
cans we're abusing "Old Abe for being too
Slow and the Democrats were complain
ing of his "tyrauuical disregard OF the
Constitution" That letter silenced both
for time at least, and gave universal
satisfaction to the moderate men of both
parties; and in all our acquaintance with
the effect of the documents of public men
on the public mind, We never knew a more
instantaneous and decided impression made
than by that Springfield letter.


There are two qualities of Mr.. Lincoln's
character that have most remarkably fitted
him for this crisis. He is an "intellectual
pugilist"-bound to see the other side, aud
support it, if there is no one else to do it.
He is incapable of combining himself eX
cIusively to one side of the question. Hence
his remarkable moderation and freedom
from passionate bitterness. Had he been a
violent or self willed man, the nation, in
all probability, would have been plunged
in the very vortex of destruction. The
other is his freedom from mere personal
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT We do not believe Wash
ingtou himself was less Indifferent to the
exercise of power for powers sake. Though
concentrating in his hands a more despotic
authority, in many respects than Napoleon,
be has never used it for his personal ends,
and we believe the verdict OF history will
be that be has far less frequently abused
it than he has failed to use it as terror to
evil-doers, despite the clamor about arbi-
trary arrests.


Mr. Lincoln is not without his faults.
No man is more conscious of them, or more
ready TO acknowledge them. He has made
mistakes in his Administration. He would
be something more than man TO have
avoided them. But with all his faults, and
despite his mistakes he has administered
the government wisely and we'll. He has
borne himself nobly in his high office at a
most trying epoch in our national life, and
has honestly sought to ascertain, and ener-
getically labored to fulfil the public de-
mauds of the government. We have no
doubt that, having been once elected to
preside over a nation threatened with dis
mem berment and torn by civil dissensions,
he will be called to preside over it when
the clash of arms is silenced, and the mad
projects of rebellion hopelessly buried.
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