Year: 1860

acter that no one imputes TO him evil
designs against the country, nor imag-
ines that when he becomes President he
will attempt any great wrong to the ma
ton, or any section Of it. But cunning
tacticians suggest, and some timid pa
triots fear, that certain truculeut poll
ticans in tho South will seize upon Lin
coins election as a pretext for rising in
rebellion 10 put down a President con-
stitutionally aud lawfully chosen.


If you have any such idle fears I
beg you to dismiss them at once, lest
they lead you to the gross injustice Of
imputing to the Southern States, or even
to the body of Southern Democrats, tho
purpose to commit a crime at once so
wicked and so foolish.


We oil know that there are in the
South few self-conceitcd egotists, who,
whenever they End the votes and the
arguments all against them, appeal to
our fears, by threats Of indefinite mis-
chief-hoping TO win a triumph over


justice, reason, and public will, by sheer
bullying.


1 tell you, my friends, that tho South
ern people are not guilty of that wicked
crime and stupid folly; they know, as
well as we can tell them, that armed re-
-istance to a lawfully-chosen President
is treason; they know that a Govern


ment that has not the power and tho
will to protect itself and enforce the
laws is a poor, contemplate Govern
ment and they especially need Govern
ment strong enough to protect al its
people. They know that armed resis-


tauoe to a lawful President is but the
beginning Of civil war; and civil war. as
our people are now divided would bo
sure to run into social war; that is a
war In States, counties, neighboTh5Ods;
and then what human power could pre-
vent the horrors of a servile WARP How


ever much. may differ from many of
our Southern brethren upon certain
points Of Governmental policy, I rely
upon their wisdom and patriotism TO put


down the few desperadoos among them,


and thus prevent the initial crime which,
if allowed to be successfully committed,


would imperil the worlds last hope Of


republican Freedom, and would not fail


to draw in its train the complicated


horrors Of civil, social, and sorvile war.


rely, / say, confidently upon the


virtue and patriotism Of the Southern


people; but even if these were wanting,


[ would still rely upon their plain rea-


son and common sense, for none but


madmen would teach their slaves, by


their own bad example, how to rise, in
| bloody rebellion against lawful author
| ity.


Knowing our earnest devotion to the
| Union, and our willingness TO make
great sacrifices to preserve il, the plan


of intimidation is still pursued, and ap-


peals are still made to our fears, and


men do it who ought to know better,


and do know better; but acting upon tho


maxim of moral philosophy, as taught


in the Court Of King Charles the Sec


ond, they assume as true that


"NIost men arc towards; an mon should be Iuayc5,


Aud ull the subject matter of debate


Is, only who's the knayo Of the first rat"'


And they act as if they expected us to


believe upon their interested testimony,
two very false and debasing PROPOSE
P tons. First, that if Lincoln is elected,
} there will be rebellion in the South,
p and second, that our Government is 50
D weak and cowardly that it cannot main
D tain itself and execute tho laws--and
all this is done as a clever trick, to
s frighten Lincoln men from the conclu.
e sions Of their own Judgment and con-
science, and drive them to vote for some


other candidate to whose support they
S could never be brought by any motive
. more respectable than Fear, which at
O. best, even when genuine and honest, is
: a debasing passion and makes men do a


great many mean things, which when
the fit is off they are ashamed Of But
9 fear, unreal and teigned, simulated only
o. as a cover and excuse for some mean
, action, is despicably vile. Hypocrisy
e even when it pretends to be virtuous
q and brave is bad enough, but the hypoc.
70 risy Of fear and cowardice is the last
h. poor artifce of conscious imbeciity.-
,, You suggest in your letter that there
- may be a class Of men who really desire
e the election Of Mr.. Lincoln, but are de.
TERED from his support by fcar-th,
p fear that passionate aud unjust men
,, will impute to them bad motives -th,
e vague fear engendorcd In weak minds
e by the persistent ISLANDERS against Mr.
s Lincoln, imputing TO him not bad act
. nor bad professions but secret bad in.
C tentions, at war with his acts aud pro
i fessions, and with the tenor Of his life
u and you seem to think that my views of
f the subject might be helpful to suct
.- men. / doubt it, for 1 have little syn
b pathy with men who lack the mora
2 courage to act out the honest conclu
d sions of their own minds I advise
It every man, however, to do what TRY
.e to do myself-carefully make up hi
l. mind which Of the candidates, unde


all the circumstances, he would rathe
d have for his President and then frankl,
NJ support that candidate against al op
at posers, let who will carp or ecnsure =
r That is certainly the course Of honesty
is and, / think, as certainly the onl
p course Of safety. For the man who B,


gins by forfeidug his own solf-respee
il. by unmanly yielding to the dioiation O.
to others, viii be seen 10 the end to g,
be what he deserves, the contempt Of Oh
to very men who oowed him into submii
lo sion


is, Let every man, then, who really pr