The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-07-25
President Lincoln In This Crisis-IIis Cou-
rage and Capacity.

eminent and our republican institutions, u very
great and extraordinary budget of responsible
ties is thrown upon the shoulders of President
Lincoln. If he has the capacity to comprehend
the grandeur of his position, the exigencies of
the day, the spirit of the loyal States, and the
expectations of the loyal twenty odd millions of
our people, and if possessed OF that high and
unshrinking moral courage which this crisis de-
mands, his task of supprcsslng this Southern re-
bcllion will be comparatively easy. But here
the question is suggested, has President Lin
coin the intellectual capacity and the moral
courage fully and fearlessly TO grapple with
these great responsibilities?
How shall we answer this question? All who
know Mr. Lincoln concur in pronouncing him an
honest intelligent humane patriotic and ex-
ceedingy amiable man. We know, too, from
his proclamations calling out great army, and
strengthening the navy, from his embargo of
the ports of our revolted States, and from his
suspension, in case or twO of the writ of ha-
bcas corpus, in advance of the authority of Con-
gress, that he is q man who can assume the
responsibility when instant action is required
to save the government from q revolutionary
armed occupation. In these acts he stands not
only justified by Congress and the country, but
applauded by every intelligent loyal citizen in
the land In assuming these responsibilities he
saved our capital from q revolutionary coup
detat; for, had he hesiiated to act from consti-
tutional technicalties and delicate bubbles of
law, we all know, from the astounding deve-
opponents of the last six months, that the govern
ment of the United States would have been
forcibly elected from Washington by the armed
followers of Jefferson Davis.
Thus far, then, Mr. Lincoln is entitled to the
confidence of the country and he has obtained
it. But since the assembling of Congress, and
especially since the late disastrous affair at
Bulls run, our people are beginning to inquire:
Who is responsible for these misadventures of
our armies? Are the Marplots of Congress the
guilty parties or does the difficulty lie in an
imbecile and sluggish Cabinet? or is the Presi-
dent possessed of the moral courage and capa-
city which the crisis demands? We cannot
satisfactorily answer. We have seen enough,
however in the history of the eighty five years
of American independence to recognise the
fact that with a President possessing a good
degree of moral courage and intelligence the
government may be safely borne through any
domestic troubles or dangers, because of the
unfailing devotion of the masses of our people.
1t was the moral courage of Washington which
carried us through the terrible ordeal of the
Revolution, and through the dangers incident
to the establishment of our federal system upon
a national basis. 1t was the moral courage of
General Jackson which nipped in the bud the
South Carolina notification and secession move.
ment of 1882, and it was the imbccility of Mr..
Buchanan that failed to nip in the blossoming
the secession movement of South Carolina in
1860.
We have had no later President up to the
standard of Old Hickory in the important mat.
ter of assuming the responsibility against active
treason. Indeed, from the time of Jackson
down to the advent of Pierce, there was no very
pressing necessity for the strong hand of execu-
tive Intervention to maintain the integrity of
the U ZION. But, selecting their time and their
INSTRUMENTS, Jefferson Davis and his rcvolu-
tonary confcderates turned the adminstra-
ton of poor Pierce and the democratic
party to their purposes in the repeal of
the Missouri Compromise. That repeal was
the initial act to the bloody chapter ofthe
our present Southern rebellion. Then com
menced the active development of Yancey's
programme for ''precipitatng the cotton States
into revolution" This work, thus opened
went on so prosperously under the administra-
ton of Mr.. Buchanan, that in December last it
became doubtful question whether our South
ern traitors and rebels would drive him igno-
miniously from the White House, or graciously
permit him to remain to the end of his official
term.
The future historian of our country will be
embarrassed in his efforts to form dispassion-
ate Judgment concerning the laundering and
disastrous policy Of Mr.. Buchanan towards this
Southern rebellion. OF the three arch traitors
of his Cabinet-Cobb. Floyd and Thompson
we cannot undertake to decide which was the
worst; but all the world knows which was the
most remorseless and magnificent thief All the
world is well aware, too, that these three con-
icderatc rebels gained such Il complete mastery
over Mr. Buchanan, and his amiable and crcdu-
lous nature, that they had beggared the treasury
and with their Southern confcderates had stolen
or boldly appropriated hundreds of millions Of
federal property. and had brought the Union
itself to the very verge of destruction, before
the weak old man at the head of the government
could be brought to realize his humiliating and
critical position.
Now, if history is philosophy teaching by ex-
ample. we pray that Mr.. Lincoln may not lapse
into the silly vanity and imbccility of poor
Pierce, nor sink into the credulous and caam-
tous weakness and folly Of Mr.. Buchanan, in
trusting everything to bis Cabinet to his party
and to Providence Let Mr.. Lincoln endeavor
now TO strengthen the good impression created
in his favor, rs a man who is not afraid Of as
Stunning the responsibility, where action is de-
manded by vigorous course Of action for the
strengthening of our armies. Let him ferret
out the responsible parties for the late disaster