The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1864-03-02


by the patronage of office have subverte,
the liberties of the country by procurin.
his own election periodically for life.
The want of constitutional Limitation
to the number of terms to which Pres
ident might be eligible, was then felt tc
be serious defect
Washington participated in this senti
ment, and peremptorily refused to allow
himself to be elected for third term; anc
his decision furnished a precedent which
had all the force of constitutional re-
striction.
During the domination of the Repub-
| lican party, from Jefferson to Monroe, the
practice of the President nominating him
self for the second term, and then his
successor. through the. machinery of q
caucus, which virtually transferred the
power of election from the people to the
| Administration, was becoming precedent
which threatened the subversion Of Re-
publican liberty.
Gen. jackson, in order to maintain the
independence of the elective franchise,
became the candidate Of the people in
opposition to this caucus system, and
though defeated at first, was. in 1928,
triumphantly elected against the power
full patronage of the Government. From
that day no President until Mr.. Lincoln,
ever attempted to revive that odious sys-
tom of having himself nominated without
consulting the people in a National Con
vention.
Gen. Jackson was made candidate by
the people for a second term against his
will, and elected with unparalleled unan
unity. Yet, such was the unbounde.,
enthusiasm he inspired, that jackson saw
as did every rejecting man, that the dan
yer to liberty which occurred under Wash
ingtons administration was repeating IT.
self.
And so utterly opposed was that stern
patriot to the use of patronage for the
purpose of procuring ro election to the
Presidency, that he laid down the "n'
term principle as fundamental doctrine
in our democratic system, and it became
a part of the political creed Of the people;
so strong, that no President from that
day has been reelected, and probably
never will be by fair expression of the
popular will.
If President Lincoln, in defiance of the
teachings of jackson, in violation of the
great principle which undcrlies our demo
cratic institutions, and in the face of the
solemn warnings Of history, can now so
WELD his patronage as to secure his elcc-
ton for second term, who so blind as
not to see that four years hence he will
have less difficulty in securing his election
for third term! For with an army OF
more than half million Of citizen sol
diers under his command, and an an
nual patronage of a thousand millions
of money, he can, if he has one half the
brain attributed to him by his friends,
have himself elected from term to tern.
during his natural life.
If the . military necessity" supplies a
reason now for his nomination, and the
extraordinary patronage occasioncd by the
war furnishes the means of his election
as a mutter of course, his interest is then
to prolong the war as means OF perpetu-
ating his power.
n o man with the patriotism Of Wash
ington or a Jackson, would seek to place
himself in u position where his interest
and his personal ambition would be coil.
cident with the continuance of the rebel
lion and the perpetuity of the war.
But, aside from the consideration of the
second term principle, there is still an
other and more forcible objection to tL'
nomination of Mr.. Lincoln.
| The people have lost all confidence il
his ability to suppress the rebellion ant
restore the Union. 1t is impossible t.
put out of view the fact that there is
general feeling of disappointment in th
| loyal North, that after such wasting o
its precious blood, and such vast expen
diture Of treasure, the rebellion continue
unSubdued; and all the promises of TIL
| Administration time and again for it
speedy overthrow have been falsited.
The truth is that there is no man VIII
does not wear the livery of Office, or
not in the pay of the general Govern
ment, who does not feel mortified am
humbled that our nation with its twent
millions of loyal people in the North
with four millions of auxiliaries' in th
South, to say nothing of large host 0
Union men there, has not succeeded ye
in overthrowirg e the insolent slave oil
garchy, which does not number five mil
lions all told!
How is it that Jefferson Davis with hi
slender resources, without navy, with
out manufactures, is still defiant at Rich
mond, and has twice sent his rebel horde
across the Potomac. putting in leopard
even the personal liberty of MIR. Lincol
himself?
1t is impossible to prevent the Ameri
| can people from making humiliating com
parsons between the rebel chief and tn
President of the United States. The
will understand why this condition {
things exists; at the end of the third yea
lof Mr.. Lincoln's term. The fault is nc
in the want of intelligence and Drawer
on the part of our soldiers, or the skill {
our officers. For both soldiers and off
GERS have proven on many ba.tle fielc
that, in endurance and valor, and all tn
elements, which constitute the great so
dier, they are the equals, if not the supe
riors of the rebels.
/ It will not do to throw the blame upo
the country, for it has furnished all tn
men and all the money the President ha
asked.
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