Year: 1864




Hon. William Whiting, Solicitor Of the War
Department. in his speech at the Boston Music
Hail. on Monday evening" sketched President
Lincoln as follows:


Perhaps you win expect me to say word upon
the personal qualifications Of our candidate for
the Presidency. It has been nay good fortune to
see much of the President. He is one of the
most industrious, hard-Working men in Washing
ton. His manners and style Of dress, and ofliying
are simple and nnostentatious. He puts on no
airs He is kind, tender-hearted. and generous
man. He opeAs his house to the public. He
hears the complains Of the humble He is the
friend Of the people, He is not pufed up by the
distinction Of foice, and assumes no superiority on
account Of his station. He has great love Of wit
and humor, aud does tell stories Perhaps this
peculiar quality of humor may have saved him
from being broken down by the weight Of his cares
and immense responsibilities.


Having observed his conduct under trying cir
cumstances, he has seemed to me to be one of the
most conscientious public men have ever known
His honesty, as you all know, is incorruptble and
unfinehing His ability-his intellectual powers
have, 1 think, not been sufficiently appreciated



jeet he examines. He looks at all its bearings
He is cautious IN getting at The facts. He breads
mistakes which might mislead him, or do injustice
to the absent His reasoning powers seem to me
to be ola high order His discourses, and wri-
tings are but powerful They are loaded with
| common sense.


10 many he seems too slow and too cantious.--
lie may be so. But we must remember that
what is too slow for New England may be 700 fast
| for the Western States; and the States must go
together, or they cannot go at all. He has been
called facilitating. But no President has eyer
trod his onward path with irmer steps. He has
never looked backward nor has he ever broken
his word nor taken back what he has said
| While he holds question under consideration he
listens to ali opinions IN or out Of his Cabinet
When he has fully made up his mind he is inmo-
vable I do not hesitate to say that General Jack
son had not more 6rinness than President Lin
coin; but the former was guided to his conclu-
sion too often) by will and temper; the latter is
only guided by conscientious conviction Of duty.


1t has been eaid that the President is over
borne by the influence Of che members of his Cab
met, and is thus swayed one way and the other =
The instance most relied on is that of Mr. Blair
Yet it Is fact, that on most of the great quesr
tons Of public policy relating to slavery the Pres
ident has gone directly against tie views Of Mr.
Blair, and finally requested him to resign his seat
in the Cabinets Beyond al question: Mr. Lincoln
is now and always has been the controlling mind in
the Government They are greatly mistaken who
suppose that frnness of purpose, decision of char
acter, and gentleness of manners are not combined
in him. He wins constantly upon. the respect Of
all who know him WE'LL and, whatever faults he
may have, whatever erfors of judgement he may
have committed under the unparalleled difficulties
of the Government, in new and untried situation.
yet those who know him best believe that he is the
man for the hour and that he has been
raised up by the Providence OF God to save this
people,