LINCOLN, ABRAHAM. 



413 



eminent hnve been adjusted. Let the people 

 on both sides keep their self-possession, and 

 just as other clouds have cleared away in due 

 time, so will this, and this great nation shall 

 continue to prosper as heretofore." 



He then referred to the subject of the tariff, 

 and said : 



" According to my political education, I ara 

 inclined to believe that the people in the va- 

 rious portions of the country should have their 

 own views carried out through their represen- 

 tatives in Congress. That consideration of the 

 Tariff bill should not be postponed until the 

 next session of the National Legislature. No 

 subject should engage your representatives 

 more closely than that of the tariff. If I have 

 any recommendation to make, it will be that 

 every man who is called upon to serve the 

 people, in a representative capacity, should 

 study the whole subject thoroughly, as I intend 

 to do myself, looking to all the varied interests 

 of the common country, so that when the time 

 for action arrives, adequate protection shall be 

 extended to the coal and iron of Pennsylvania 

 and the corn of Illinois. Permit me to express 

 the hope that this important subject may re- 

 ceive such consideration at the hands of your 

 representatives, that the interests of no part 

 of the country may be overlooked, hut that all 

 sections may share in the common benefits of 

 a just and equitable tariff." 



Mr. Lincoln, upon his arrival in Cleveland, 

 also made a speech, in which he adverted to 

 the same subject in the following terms : 



" It is with you, the people, to advance the 

 great cause of the Union and the Constitution, 

 and not with any one man. It rests with you 

 alone. This fact is strongly impressed on my 

 mind at present. In a community like this, 

 whose appearance testifies to their intelligence, 

 I am convinced that the cause of liberty and 

 the Union can never be in danger. Frequent 

 allusion is made to the excitement at present- 

 existing in national politics. I think there is 

 no occasion for any excitement. The crisis, as 

 it is called, is altogether an artificial crisis. In 

 all parts of the nation there are differences of 

 opinion in politics. There are differences of 

 opinion even here. You did not all vote for 

 the person who now addresses you. And how 

 is it with those who are not here ? Have they 

 not all their rights as they ever had ? Do they 

 not have their fugitive slaves returned now as 

 ever? Have they not the same Constitution 

 that they have lived under for seventy odd 

 years ? Have they not a position as citizens of 

 this common country, and have we any power 

 to change that position? What, then, is the 

 matter with them ? Why all this excitement ? 

 Why all these complaints? As I said before, 

 this crisis is all artificial. It has no founda- 

 tion in fact. It was ' argued up,' as the saying 

 is, and cannot be argued down. Let it alone, 

 and it will go down itself." 



On Saturday he proceeded to Buffalo, where 

 he arrived at evening, and was met at the door 



of the car by a deputation of citizens, headed 

 by Ex-President Fillmore. 



The crowd surrounding the depot numbered 

 not less than 10,000 people. But one company 

 of soldiers and file of police were detailed to 

 act as escort to the party, and it was with the 

 greatest difficulty that they could protect them 

 from being crushed. While passing from the 

 train to the carriages, in the jam, Major Hun- 

 ter, of the U. S. Army, one of Mr. Lincoln's 

 suite, had his shoulder dislocated. The passage 

 of the procession up Exchange and Main streets 

 to the American Hotel was a perfect ovation. 



Arriving at the American Hotel, Mr. Lincoln 

 was welcomed in a brief speech by acting 

 Mayor Bemis, to which he made a brief reply, 

 as follows : 



" Mr. Mayor and fellow-citizens : I am here 

 to thank you briefly for this grand reception 

 given to me, not personally, but as the repre- 

 sentative of our great and beloved country. 

 Your worthy Mayor has been pleased to men- 

 tion in his address to me, the fortunate and 

 agreeable journey which I have had from home 

 only it is rather a circuitous route to the 

 Federal Capital. I am very happy that he was 

 enabled, in truth, to congratulate myself and 

 company on that fact. It is true, we have had 

 nothing thus far to mar the pleasure of the trip. 

 We have not been met alone by those who as- 

 sisted in giving the election to me ; I say not 

 alone, but by the whole population of the 

 country through which we have passed. This 

 is as it should be. Had the election fallen to 

 any other of the distinguished candidates in- 

 stead of myself, under the peculiar circum- 

 stances, to say the least, it would have been 

 proper for all citizens to have greeted him as 

 you now greet me. It is evidence of the devo- 

 tion of the whole people to the Constitution, 

 the Union, and the perpetuity of the liberties 

 of this country. I am unwilling, on any occa- 

 sion, that I should be so meanly thought of, as 

 to have it supposed for a moment that these 

 demonstrations are tendered to me personally. 

 They are tendered to the country, to the insti- 

 tutions of the country, and to the perpetuity of 

 the liberties of the country for which these in- 

 stitutions were made and created. Your worthy 

 Mayor has thought fit to express the hope that 

 I may be able to relieve the country from the 

 present, or, I should say, the threatened diffi- 

 culties. I am sure I bring a heart true to the 

 work. For the ability to perform it, I trust in 

 that Supreme Being who has never forsaken 

 this favored land, through the instrumentality 

 of this great and intelligent people. Without 

 that assistance I should surely fail : with it I 

 cannot fail. When we speak of threatened diffi- 

 culties to the country, it is natural that it should 

 be expected that something should be said by 

 myself with regard to particular measures. 

 Upon more mature reflection, however. and 

 others will agree with me that when it is con- 

 sidered that these difficulties are without pre- 

 cedent, and never have been acted upon by any 



