Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-03-06
The Chase War ON
"HOmeSt Abe"
A SOATHING CIRCULAR FROM
THE CHASE COMMITTEE.
jeff. Davis Elevated by Comparison
with Honest Old Abe."

Jen' Davis hleVated Dy comparison
with Honest Old Abe.".
Imbecility, vacillation, SEC.
The effort now making to forestall the
action of the Republican National Conven-
ton by procuring the nomination of Mr..
Lincoln in State Legislatures and other
bodies is deeply to be deplored.
The more so, because this movement orig
mates with the recipients of Executive IA
yor and patronage, some Of whom hold
Lincoln, whose object is to perpetuate their
own power and means of pecuniary adj
vancement, without any regard whatever to
the welfare of the country. While these
nominations are made to appear as though
they emanated from the spontaneous will
: of the people, their animus in reality Is to
defeat their will altogether, by producing
such public clamor In behalf of Mr.. Lin
coin, as to prevent the assembling of the
National Convention at all; or, if it should
assemble, to force his nomination upon the
country, irrespective of the popular will.
In time of civil war, with all its attend
ant calamities, the attempt to advance the
personal interest and ambition Of any one
man, or number of men, without regard to
the public good, deserves and should re-
ceive universal condemnation.
To the proper discussion Of Mr.. Lincoln's
claim to be made candidate for the next
Presidential term, there can be no reasona-
BILE objection; but it is the people, and not
Mr.. Lincoln and his dependents who should
decide upon this claim.
While the great body of the American
people have everything at stake upon the
right administration of the Government
they have really no personal interest in its
disinterested party to select the Presiden-
tial candidate without interference from
Executive Influences.
But now it is too early to commit the peo-
pie to the fortunes of any Presidential as
pirant. The issues of war are ever uncer-
tain, and though we have every reason to
hope our gallant armies may have destroy
ed the rebel power before the meeting Of
the convention, they may not. At all events
the people will be better prepared to decide
this question three months hence than they
can possiblybe to-day.
Already has this premature action alien
ated many of the friends of freedom, who
believe that even with a fair nomination in
full convention, Mr.. Lincoln can not be re-
elected to the Presidency. 3,
There are many solid reasons in the very
philosophy of representative government,
against the election of a President for a sec
ond term. ' IS "a
The unbounded popularity Of General
Washington during his administration, con-
WINGED the American people that had he
been less than Washington, he might by
liberties of the country by procuring Ills
own election periodicaliy f6riife.
The want OF a constitutional Limitation to
the number Of terms to which a President
j. mipht; he eligible. was then felt 10 be a Sc
rlo,ls defect '9Ill VflS % 'tll
g Z Washinqton participated In this septi-
ment, and peremptorily refused to allow
himself to be elected for a third term; and
his decision furnishes O precedent which
had all the force of a constitutional restric-
Z tionrsal6 s5lsa ea ls fig 6sla q s s9gl5 ~
During the domination Of the Republican
tice Of the, President nominating himself
for the second term, and then his successor,
through the machinery of a caucus, which
virtually transferred the power of election
from the people to the Administration, was
becoming n precedent which threatened
! the sl,bversioIl of republican 1ibertv. ~
General jackson. III order Co maintain the
independepce Of the elective franchise, be-
came the candidate Of the people In opposi-
tion to the caucus system, and though de-
feated at first, was, In 1928 triumphantly
elected aqainst the powerful patronage Of
the Government. From that day no Presi-
dent until Mr.. Lincoln, ever attempted to
revive that odious system of having him
self nominated without Consulting the peo-
Die IN National Convention. M
General Sac lSon was made candidate
nv the neonle for a second term AGAINST his
will, and elected with Unparalleled unanimi-