Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-09-22

easily have taken advantage cf Mr.. Lncoln's re-
peated unnecessary avowals of responsibility for
the Objectionable acts Of his subordinates without
transcending the ordinary and justi6able usages
of party warfare But it seems to have been no
part OF his purpose 10 pursue a mere party adj
vantage. Mr.. Seymour directs his assaults main
ly against the radical Republicans and their Con-
gressional Representatives. If we regard Mr.
Lincolns acts not in the light of his official re-
sponsibility, but in the juster view afforded by
by the historical development of his policy, Mr..
Seymours consideration for the Pretident may
seem TO do more credit to his patriotism and can
dor than to his vigor as party politician.
Mr.. LiLcOln's spontaneous and voluntary ten
denotes have undoubtedly, from the first, been in
favor of prosecuting the war in a constitutional
way. His inaugural and both his messages were
satisfactory to conservative men. He has been
bounded on by radical press and Congress,
yelling what he has yielded only inch by inch,
and with great apparent reluctance
1t may indeed be said that he should not have
yielded at all, that he should have resisted the
radicals with firm hand. But it should be recol-
lected that the radicals form majority of Con-
gress, and that the President is dependent on
Congress for means to prosecute the war. Even
if our Government were directly under the
control of public opinion as that of England, Mr.
Lincoln would not yet be compelled to change
his Cabinet. If such a change were to result
/ from vote of Congress, such changes do in
! England from vote Of Parliament. the Pres-
dent would have to reconstruct his administration
of radicals. If he were unwilling to do this, and
he had the prerogatve, as the Chief Executive
has in England of dssolving the lower House
and ordering new election, there has been no
reason to suppose till recently that a new Con-
gress would be less radical than the old. Ii the
people desire the President to retrace the evil
IDENTIFY unwilling steps he has taken toward rad
icalism, the wish must be expressed in the au-
thentic form of an election before he is bound to
respect it. So long as all the elections are vr-
tually controlled by Republicans. Gas they were
last year, it can not be reasonably claimed that
the Presto ent ought. in obedience to public opin-
ion, to render his administration more conser-
vative.
Mr. Seymour tacity recognizes this doctrine in
directing his speech mainly against the Republi
can Congress. 1t is their Incorporate raving,
their meddlesome, dominee.ing spirit, their I'M
scrupuous playing upon popular passions, which
has caused a great share Of the mischief The
border States have been aenated and the resist
ance of the rebels redoubled by their indiscreet
legislation The war has been prolonged by
their compelling the President to interfere with
and upset the plans of our Generals There is
good reason to believe that. If Mr.. Lincoln had
had judicious Congress, one that would have
supported him in following his own Judgment
his Administration would have deserved and have
received the unqualified support of conservative
Constitution respecting men. The only effectual
check on the present dangerous tendencies is the
election of a conservative Congress. When the
radicals see that they have lost their power in a
number Of Congressional districts, and that it is
tottering in many more, they will he less AFRO
CANT and aggressive. The President must be
freed from radical coercion. and to accomplish
this the elections must not any longer be tamey
surI endered to radical control.