The mountain Democrat., 1864-04-30
The Chase Manifesto Against
Lincoln,

Lincoln.
Tie following is the circular issued by
the Chase committee at Washington anC
circulated through the Legislature aud a
the capital Of Ohio:
The efforts now making to forestall th,
action Of the Republican National Con
vention, by procuring the formal nomina
ton Of Mr.. Lincoln in the State Legisla
ture and other public bodies, is deeply tc
be deplored.
The more so, because this movement
originates with the recipients Of Executive
favor and patronage, some Of whom holC
high stations in the administration Of Mr.
Lincoln, whose object is to perpetuatt
their own power and means OF pecuniary
Advancement, without any regard what
ever to the welfare Of the country. While
these nominations are made to appear 4:
though they emanated from the sponta
neous will Of the people, the animus ir
reality is to defeat their will altogether
by producing such public clamor in be-
half OF Mr. Lincoln as to prevent the as
sembling Of the national convention at all
or, If 1t should assemble, to force his nom
ination upon the country, irrespective o.
the popular will.
In time Of civil war, With all its atten
dant calamities, the attempt to advance
the personal interest and ambition of any
one man, or number of men, without re
gard to the public good, deserves and
should receive universal condemnation.
To the proper discussion Of Mr.. Lin.
coins claim to be made q candidate for
the next Presidential term, there can be
no reasonable objection but it is the
people, and not Mr. Lincoln and his de
pendents, who should decide upon hi:
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 patronage. Therefore, they are the
only disinterested party to select the Pres
idential candidate without interference
from Executive influences
But now it is too early to commit the
people to the fortunes Of any Presidential
aspirant. The issues Of war are ever un.
certain, and though we have every reason
to hope our gallant armies may have de.
stroyed the rebel power before the meet
ing OF the convention, they may not. Al
all events. the people will be much better
prepared to decide this question three or
four months hence than they can possibly
be to-day.
Already has this premature action alien.
ated many Of the friends Of freedom, who
believe that even with fair nomination
in a full convention Mr.. Lincoln cannot be
reelected to the Presidency.
There are many solid reasons IN the
very philosophy Of representative govern.
ment, against the election Of President
for . second term.
The unbounded popularity Of General
Washington during his administration,
convinced the American people that had
he been less than Washington, he might,
BY the patronage of office, have subverted
the liberties OF the country by procuring
his own election periodically for life.
The want Of a constitutional limitation
to the number of terms to which Presi.
dent might be eligible was then felt to b.
q serious defect.
Washington participated in this senti-
ment, and peremptorily refused to allow
himself to be elected for third term; and
his decision furnished precedent which
had all the force Of constitutional re.
Striction.
During the domination of the Republi.
can party, from Jefferson to Monroe, the
practice of the President nominating him.
self for the second term, and then bis sue.
cessor, through the machinery of q eau.
Gus, which virtually transferred the power
Of election from the people to the admin
istration, was becoming precedent which
threatened the subverSion of republican
liberty.
Gen. Jackson, in order to maintain the
independence Of the elective franchise, be.
came a candidate of the people in opposi.
ton to this caucus system, and though
defeated at first was, in 1912, triumphant.
Iy elected against the powerful patronage
Of the Government.
From that day no President, until Mr..
Lincoln, ever attempted to revive that
odious system, Of having himself nOminA.
ted without consulting the people in q
national convention.
Gen. Jackson was made a candidate by
the people for q second term against bis
will, and elected with unparalleled una
nimity. Yet, such was the unbounded
enthusiasm he inspired, that jackson saw,
as did every rejecting man, that the dan.
ger to liberty which occurred under Wash.
ington's administration, was repeating
itself
Ard so utterly opposed was that stern
patriot to the use of patronage for the
purpose Of procuring q reelection to the
Presidency, that he laid down the one
term principle as a fundamental doctrine
in our democratic system, and it became
. part Of the political creed of the peoples
so strong, that no President from that
day has been reelected. and probably
never will be by . fair expression OF the
popular viii -----------------------
II President Lincoln, in defiance Of the
teachings Of jackson, in violation Of the
great principles which underlie our Dem
ocratic institutions, and in the face OF the
solemn warnings Of history, can now Sc
WELD bis patronage as to secure his cleo
ton for q second term, who is 90 blind o.
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