Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1863-01-16
The Sentinel Repudiates President
Lincoln.


The SeaHn,I has once more found its posi-
ton in reference to President LINCOLN. Here
toforc it has been - unstable, sometimes on
one foot sometimes ON the other, facing one
way to-day and another way tomorrow, that
it. old friends the Courier and the Argus.
have been sometimes puzzled to say ON which
siic it was to be counted Hence one week
4. would be complimcnted as having come
hack from its temporary wanderings to the
fold of the true democratic party and anon
+. would he hercely denounced as n serEiie
follower Of the black republicans.
For considerable time the Sc'ltiHei claim
ed 70 be the only genuine supporter of the
President in this region. III other papers,
IN its view, wcre radical, stuffed to the
chin with ..aboIitionisrn The SeNlinei
was conservative, and the action of President
LlNcoLS in disallowing Fremont'a and Hun
ter's proclamations proved him to he conscr1-
ative too-thcrefore the SsatrHei was his
friend, his true supporter, the others being
only bogus ones. Il sung in this strain all
the Presidents proclamation OF 22d Septem-
her appeared That was a griof indeed to
thc Sufad T. have President Lincoln,
whom it had supposed TO be rapidly cutting
loose from radical and abolition influences,
show that after all be had settled down
into their cnbruces SO far as to warn the
rebels that If they persisted in their rebel
lion till Jan. ]. he would then, as an act of
w.r. declare their slaves 90 be free and en-
titlcd 90 the Government protection, a. irco
men. was herd. very hard, for the Sntiael g.
bear. Bat it dil MT als lutly give up an
hale of President Lincoln, even then. The
earnest repra-entai5ns Of conservative men
might after all prevail, and when the set
timc had come. Houca5 Abe might show
that he had recovered his sanity. by wild
holding the Threatened proclamation cit
gether. OF Mt least by making ii by its terms
worth no more than 80 much blank paper.
But the first of January came and with j
came the proclamation, fair and square, jus
a. predicted. All the conservative, anti
radical. anti-abolition hope. Of the S7'tne
were In an instant crashed like an egg-sheH
The last ounce had been laid on the oaneli
back. The S7lsiaers endurance broke dow
past OH recovery. After a preliminary Para
graph OF two on ,ho folly and uselessness O
shc proclamation, On how it viii unite th'
whites of the South against us and have nt
effect on the blacks, to the surprise an,
chagrin Of the abyIitionis.s, - it breaks on
in the following touching rcnunciation O
President Lincoln for all time to come
Taking it altogether, this last performano
Of Mr. Lincoln may be fairly set down th
climax Of the many weak aud foolish things b
has done since II was his misfortune +
have been raised from his previous obscurity t
the presidential chair. Although ourselves bit
terly opposed to his election, which We feare
would produce Just the evils it has to the eoun
try; vet once in the Chair, and that for tou
years, with the fate of the country apparena
hanging upon his course of action, We strove
think aud speak well Of him and to hope for tn
b5st. But it is Of no use. To hope for states
ulanship and wise action from him is vain II
can never rise to higher level, we fear, tha
that Of Honest Abe the easy good-nature
slory-ieller unfit nan to be President {
the United States as (thanks TO tie Republea
Cmcago Conyention), it could have been ou
misfortune to have had thrust upon us at a tim
like this. We must bear with him, we suppos'
s. We best can for couple Of years more Bu
when that tine shall have expired let him h Isl
en- back TO his original ohseurity 10 be f0rgoi
ten, if possible, the chief magistrate unde
whose weak and imbeeile administration HI
country was permitted TO go to ruin, Hhiie
himself could find pleasure ia disgraeiHg by h
smutty and iIl-timed jokes. the .dignity Of u
highest Office in the gift Of the American people.