Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1864-03-05
From the N. rost.
Presidential Nominations.

Presidentia1 Nominations.
II has never been our practice TO take
part in the discussions OF The merits Of pro.
inent persons. or Of their claims to Office,
which are apt TO precede the National and
State nominating Conventions. We have
always thought that q Journal representing
cause aud not a man, is better employed
in Investigating the principles involved in
our public contests, or intoxicating what it
thinks to be the truth, than in dissecting
the characters of individuals. OF course,
when worthless, improper or corrupt men
are mentioned as candidates for place, it is
the duty Of The public press to expose the
hollowuess of their pretension; but when
several gentlemen equally capable, equally
honest, and in every way, indeed equally
deserving, but who happen to differ a mere
shade in their notions of the same general
policy, are presented to our consideration
by large numbers of earnest aud respecta-
ble friends, We do not undertake TO adjudi.
cate the question of their relative vaues.
Our preferences among them, though they
may be very decided, We submit to the
popular sentiment, which is pretty sure TO
indicate its choice, in spite of the newspa.
per OF Of all the political machinery that
may be set 10 motion.
We shall not depart from this practice,
now that ar agitation more or less lively
has arisen in regard 10 the suitable person
to be chosen 10 the next Presidency. or
The many eminent men, whose names are
brought forward IN connection with it, of
MIR. Lincoln, Mr.. Cba,e, Generals Grant,
Butler, Fremont, etc we hold such opin
ions that it would be an easy matter for us
to commend either cf hem o the couGd dence
and support of the people. Buts at the
same time, We deprecate the agitation itself
as premature aud likely TO lead 10 injurious
results. II seems to US that a great aud
important work is yet TO be done before
We can distinguish the man Who is likely to
be app owed by the people, or who is mos,
worthy to be entrusted with the adminslra
tion of the Government during the next
four Years
The determination Of both these ures.
tions rests opou the success Of the present
Spring campaign against the rebels If it
should be prosecuted with such energy as
10 bring he war TO a certain close; or if the
principal al mics Of the insurgents should be
so hampered or dispersed as to reduce the
war to a mere Glful spasm of guerrilas; il
Mr.. Lincoln coul1 say to the nation that
during the three years Of his management
this most formidable oul break has been sup
pressed We think it pretty clear that he
would be nominated almost by accamation.
But if The war should be allowed to drag
ii Snlf alNpSr IL tos dana at Ia,
and recruiting or drafting be the order of
the day all through the summer, while
tremendous debt is rolling up against us
every week the war is protractcd, the
probability is that the consequent disap
pointment or lassitude would bring about
such reaction OF public feeling, by mex
autumn. that not only would Mr.. Lincoln
not be accepted with enthusiasm, but his
own party would fail to retain his asceu
dency.
Thus everything depends, In our view of
the case, upon the vigor with which the
war is prosecuted; and for that reason we
should like 10 have seen the National Con
venton PIT IF to much later day than
the Que selected, the 7th of June the
longer we wait the better we shall be able
to discern he right man from tie lines. -
The pntlic opinion of The nation is by no
mt ans in se tied state; great fermenta.
tions are going on in the bosom not only
not only the Republican hut the Democrat /
&C parties; the complica' ed and important
ssnes involved in the ri,toraton OF the re-
'olted StaIes TO allegiance, and in the |
of four millions of slaves,
nave nowhere yet taken a definite shape;
md nothing is to be gained by the public
through precipitation ard hurry. The
welfare Of the future requires as to consid.
'r all these matters csrefuIly, deliberately
md Vi'h oil tie knowledge that We can
obtain from time to time, and no wise man
viii be in haste to comm; himself TO any
efniie line Of action until he sees the
ray more clearly before him.