Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1863-06-01
The LINCOLN Successorship.

The Lincoln Successorship.
TIE Yankee papers are beginning ready TO exhibit
svmp.oms Of being afflicted with their quadrennia
rse the Presidential election. LTcons service has
now run through 6ve-si1tetnths Of his term. The up
roar over the sponsorship will be much greater than
on former similar occasions the annual sum now dis
pepsed by the Administration thousand millions
l. greater than the sixty millions formerly dsbursed
Ties Presidential elections have been the great cimac
cries in the lie Of the Great Republic-the crises in
the yer which has always burned in the body polite
It WIS mainly through their ins,rumenality that the
ruu,ules which one after another broke through the
various national organizations Of Church and State and
finally Glove with assure to the bottom the Union il.
self were produced. The approaching election
viii not be without its phenomena, its spasms, its
tumus its COMMISSIONS violent and upurning, it
NAV b., than any that have preceded it. Never was
there N any land society disOrdered and discOrd
ant more ready for explosion and iniernecne masss-
ere, than that Of the United States The ncendary
dor with which the Presidency viii be struggled for may
IRE the magazine upon which they have stood for the
last two years aud shater into shapeless reck and ruin
al that remains of once magnificent structure Of gov
srnment
One possible sgency in producing such result may
be the attempt Of the Washington usurpsE to hold
TO power by a coup dstas Lincoln is now invested
with powers, which in the opinion of the London Times
make him "The most absolute autocrat on earth
That he is lot psensble the cha Of such situs-
ton, shown by the aAey snd unscruPuOusnsss with
which be has seized every opportunity Of Strengthening
and charging his Imperial functions, He viii contra
actsR story and belle the characteristics he has dis
plsyed he willingly lays down the sCeptre, throSs Of
she purple and goes back obSeurity aud nsgnfeaEce
His base origin and coarse nature make his present
elevation the summit Of ambition and the acme of de
light they make him at the same time Indifferent to
the mes IS he may have TO employ retain it. He has
already SHOWN that the Constitution is 40 barrier to him
and his cath Of office restraint. lie has disTegarded
constitutional arrangements quite important that
which limits term Of service 70 four years. He has
assumed and exercised powers Incompatible with TIE
Republican form Of government VOuld be the formal
declaration of Dictatorship. The liberties that re-
main to his people simply nominal 1. will only be
lack OF courage for the step that viii prevent him. when
the time comes from takicg the title after having ar
rogated the prerogatyes Of an auOcrat Seward could
very readily furnish argument Of ste necessity that
would seem TO justify the act And, indeed, We are
Ourse yes convinced beforehand that such is
the lly means by which the unity Of their government
can be maintained and would be prepared to look upon
lis adoption by Lincoln, as matters now stand, with
great liberation especially are fully convinced
that the Yankee is incapable of sefgovernment
But the Yankee race, does not itself vet know this
and would not be likely therefore, acquiesce quietly
IN such procedure. The many ambitious men Who
are eagerly wait ne for the President al slippers and
their countless adherents who look Ongngly tor the
good Lirgs that will fall Their lot when their mas er
has come 70 his heritage would be despera ely unWi
Eng 70 admit such necessity. Some, too, who are
genuine patriots (ior such We may imagine there ae
even among people generally de ttute of redeem
ing quail tes( would not stand by with folded hands
when al they loved vas about to suffer sbipUreck.
Aad from these tlements-the disappointment. of the
ambitious the rage Of the actous and the indignation
of,he PATRIOTIC tempest would be breEed that would
break with venfold thunders upon the head Of the
usurper. But that worthy would not be without shell
ter and protection. The who has a thousand mil
lions Of dollars year his disposal and places Of pow
err honor dignity and ease almost without limit to be
stow such man would never be without defend rs and
supporters fully numerous those Who for any
ause could be brought to assal him. The army would
Of course have been secured, at least thong to
be 80, before the step taken; but other armies
could be raised and the universal population it is to be
hoped would not lack for mutual destruc ion-
We have always thought that il would have been great
blessing to this continent and to mankind if the ships
that bore tie progeniors Of the Yankee race to New
England had gone down with their freight to the lowest
depths of the So now if in the ways of Provi
denee il may be ordered that their descendants shall
become BY reciprocal slaughter the instruments OF their
svf;rction earth paoo,,;-e
the just though long delayed vengeVnee of Heaven.