Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-02-01
A Rebel View ef the Coming United States


Presidential Election.
From the Richmond Enquirer, January 2s1
Leap year brings round again in the
United States the turmoil and excitement
Of presidential election. Events Of fear
full weight and importance have passed in
the interval which has elapsed since we Of
the South descended into that arena took
part in the struggle, They have made 6
hideous and bloody gulf, which blocks up
all return 10 the feelings and the interests
which swayed US then. Yet, as it bears
upon the prospects and the vicissitudes Of
this ruthless war, we must look with
wstchfulness and curiosity upon the recur-
renee Of that periodical struggle for place
and power. Although it is difficult to
penetrate the dark curtain Of the future,
and to discern exactly how our own well
fare may be affected by the political COM
plexion Of the United States, yet it is evil
dent that the whole solution of the mighty
question which agitates the continent may
hang upon 1t, and scarcely possible that it
will not be essentially concerned by it.
Linooln's term draws rapidly to close.
Already it is counted by months instead
Of years. The political cauldron is begin
ming to bubble, and expectation is aroused
to see what form will emerge from its sg-
itated depths. Csucusses, conventions,
resolutions, platforms, and all that para
hernalis which is Rdroitly managed to
form and guide popular will, and which, in
representative governments, takes the
place Of courtly pomp, raree-shows and
military display in monsrchisl countries,
are in full vogue. The Democrats present
resolutions of patriotic adherence to the
Constitution, and, initiating the Black Re-
publicsns in their foRdness for aDniYersa-
ries, fix their national convention for the
Fourth Of July. Chicago is the place, per-
hsps, under the idea that it is lucky. Lin
coin is by no means disposed to give place
to any other candidate. At one time it
might have been supposed that he would
dispense entirely with the formality of
an election, and retain his seat on the pre-
text Of the necessity Of 80 doing until the
termination Of the war. To do this would
require the cordial support of the army,
and the soldiers will naturally be dispos-
ed to resist the exclusion Of their own ia
vorite chief. The United States have
reached that stage in the grogress Of war
when military talent asserts its suprems-
cy over all others. The fsvorite of the ar
my is, therefore, Lineoln's probable sue.
cessor. In his own cabinet, too, there are
rival claims to hisoWn. The subtle intrig.
uer, Seward, seems TO have had his day
Though powerful agent in exciting the
war, his is not the temperament fixed tC
" ride on the whirlwind and direct The
storm" Chase is the most powerful Of the
civilians, and he is the faVorite Of Greeley
and the radicals. Official influence and
corruption will, of cource, be brought tC
bear in favor of the different politicians
yet military popularity is likely to over
ride them all.
1t is hard to forecast the effect of this
election upon the progress of the war. II
is safe to infer, however, that any change
will be beneficial to the South. Lincoln
and his party are go irre7ocsbly commit
ted to, and indissolubly linked with the
continuance Of the war, that we can hope
for no peace from them save by utter ex.
baustion Of the means Of prosecuting it. Il
they are driven from power, they will be-
come embittered opponents of their sue.
eessors, even if they should adopt q war.
like policy, and will prove q formidable
obstacle to its successful maintenance.
Although a military President might
be supposed to be naturally wsrlike, it by
no means follows. Unwilling to i'm
peril his reputation, and, like most sol
diers, more sensible to the evils of wal
then blOodthirsty politicians, a general
in peWer would probably geek an accom-.
mediation. At all events, the evlevation Of
new man would remove the medley oil
fanatics and rogues who now close every
outlet from the present calsmitous war
IfnOtimmedistely operative, it would, sl
all events, give some ground for the hope
that both the oonfederscy and the United
States, as well as humanity in general
might be relieved from the misfortunea
which the most shameless and obstinate
Wickedness persists in hesping upon them