Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1864-03-25

Mr.. CHASE AND THE PRESIDENCY The
recent letters of Mr.. Chase in reference to the
Presidential candidacy, which through inad-
vertence did not appear in our columns at
the time they were made public, will be found
on the first page. They speak for themselves,
and need no explanatory comments. The
country does not contain an abler man or
purer patriot than the distinguished Secretary
of the Treasury. The course he has pursued
is such as under the circumstances might
have been. expected, and will tend to still fur
ther exalt him in the estimation of his numer-
Gus friends. Accepting the action of the
UHion members of the Legislature as indica-
tive of the sentiment of the people of the
State, he. cheerfplly acquiesces in that decision
and gracefully withdraws from the list of can
didates, thereby removing all danger of serious
dissension in the Union ranks, so far at least
as our State is concerned. The country will
doubtless continue to reap the benefits -
his invaluable services as a member of the
Administration, and it may reasonably be
hoped that the future has in store for him the
highest honors to which an American states
man can aspire.
The reasons which operate upon the people
of the country, and in all the loyal States so
Enthusiastically indicate their desire that Mr..
Lincoln should continue at the head of the
0o,,arnr,ent for ~notbar PrasiSanFioI 4ar,.
are clearly and forcibly set forth by cotempo-
ry in the subjOined extract
"But as Mr.. LincOln's. reelection seems to
us infinitely more possible and probable than
his original election; as his ADMINISTRATION can
by no impartial spectators be said to have i'm
periled the country, or to have injured human
liberty; and as the imputation of corruption
no more cIeaves to him than to Washington,
we must look for other reasons before sympa-
thizing with any effort to expose the country
to the consequence of all the changes that fol-
low a change of the President. It is not
that Mr.. Lincoln has any other "clain." than
his record that we so earnestly wish his re-elec-
ton. Ability and honesty are the only
claims to the Presidency which we recognize.
j w nuO UOLH III uAAIJ WHi4O we C5TldI0ly 20
not deny them to others. But this is no ques-
tion of ''claims." 1t is question OF national
policy and good sense. How can the country
be carried through the necessary excitement of
Presidential election in the midst of civil war
with the least danger and distractiou?-that
is the question. Is it likely to be done by q
general wrangle among Union men as to
whether Mr.. Chase, or General Fremont, or
General Butler, or General Grant, or some
body else, are more likely to carry out the
present policy of the war, and secure peace by
liberty; or by the general assent of the friends
of all these gentlemen that the man who is no
less lover of liberty than they, who has Of
fcially initiated and pursued that policy, and
who has borne himself with marvellous sagac-
| ity in his difficult post, is the man to pursue
that policy to the end? We know not what
either of the gentlemen named would do; but
we do know what Mr.. Lincoln has done. Is
it perfectly clear that any one of them-and
no man can respect and admire them more
than we-would have achieved nobler results
for the country and human liberty than be
And is the chance that they might do SC
worth the inevitable risk ?"
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