Weekly national intelligencer., 1864-03-10
EDITORS CORRESPONDENCE.

NEW YORK, MARCH 4, 1854
To the Editors of the National inteAigemosr
As an old friend and subscriber of your paper OF course
have read with great interest your two articles on tue
Presidential Question and especially that OF yesterday
in which you undertook to assign the grounds on when
men Of conservative opinions may reconcile themselves 70
the candidacy Of Mr. Lincoln or Mr. Chase at least so far
as to practice in discussing the points on Whch
we differ from them. But confess to feeling OF dsaP
pointment when came to that part of your article 10
which you hold out the hope of conservative Ad
under either Mr Lincoln Mr. Chase for the
next term than had during the term that now
drawing to close Let us look title at your argument
All that you can say support of this hope IN reference
to Mr. Lincop is that he has quarrelled with those
who put upon him the pressure tt at has made his Ad
minatration sncb failure both in military and civil at
fairs or as ey have quarreed with hun, he VIII be key
in bis second term be exempt from such pressure
aud from the men who put it upon him This, think
Won mu.t admit "a but poor comfort for the country. II
Mr. Lncons frs. term has proved as you have SHOWN IL
has that he nan capable of yielding his Judgment
his instincts and his conscientious convictions 10 the
pressure" of faction what reasonable assurance have
wa the conservatives that some other faction may not be
eousIv able To control bis of what right and ex
uedant ip his second term the Greeley faction have
done in the frst7 Surely you would not recommend TO
LIS To support Mr. Lincoln upon such trust you mean
to ssk us only Ito practice moderation 10 discussion
accept the advice the readily thsLbeeve fHeser
offend in that particular But if you ask me to be recon
ced to the .des If Mr. Lncolns reelection IN the belief
that he is capable Of satng with the WISE the able and
the distinguished Of the land that there is prospect
of seeing him resort TO conservative and healing counse
must for one reply that this is simply impossible
Your ground for predicting conservative Admnlstra-
ton under Mr. Chase less radical than would
10 ha indicated nv known opinions and OF
hi. sunpor,ers seems to be hardly more reliable
than that which you suggest for Mr. Lincoln To express
II in your wn words it is 10 be found in the hopes that
nav be ways founded that modification Of theoretics
which is to in the practical admIus
.,;n II the Government in the hands OF statesman :
T. .ub modification sure, do yon think, to ensue =
I,;, IN .ucb bish Gfgree probable that men ought to
eous,e their votes or political action by snch an eKpee
tatiou. when they differ toto cotO frcm the Theoretical
opinions Of a candidate How many thousan"S OF con
seryatye men, all the North, gave thelr votes 70 MT
Lincoln and by those votes put the Repuohean party no
mower upon this theory And what is our situation
pow7 What have become Of the hopes that radical
party or a radical candidate will be to become con
servatve in the practical administration Of the Govern
meut7 You did use to counsel US n this wsy in times
that past
1t seems to Inc that the conservatives far as they
look to Gen Mcclellan candidate, have ground on
which they stand with far higher hopes than those to
which you have ssded attending the possible election
of either Of the other persons named In the first place
as you have very definitely shown Gen McCleAans opn
ions on the military aud civil policy Of the war are moi
only definite and precise but they the opinions Of all
those classes who now generally denomnaed as the
conservatives In the second place, he is man Of great
frmnsss quite incapable Of being led, or swerved, OF
driven by any pressure from his own convictions
This think will be conceded by all who have read abou
and considered his from the Re he upon the
theatre Of the war, and who will remember the nature
and amount of the pressure TO which he subjected
Perhaps it would be quite legitimate to add TO this tn
opinions formed in personal intercourse with the man
But your senior editor is well aware that the writer
these lines has had Of forming opinions of publ
Of mark in this country and be has no hesits
ton in saying that he has man less likely iha
Gen Mcclellan to be n danger Of going wrong throug
any external pressure Of any kind.
While therefore, the conservatives may well accep
your advice to pracse moderation IN dscuss the point
on which they differ from Mr.. Lincoln and Mr. Chase
respectively they will STILL think find in The opinion
and character Of Gen Mcclellan il he should be seecte
as their candidate, far higher hopes" for the coubtr!
than can be prodicated Of the election Of Mr. Lincoln
Mr. Chase j remain yours