The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1864-03-09
Our Candidate for the Next
Presidency.
From the New York Independent

pcrs are protesting that something else,
Just now, is moro important to be thought
of--that is. unnuko the rebellion first. say
they, and mako the presidency afterwards.
But the appointed time to remalic the pres
idcncy may come before wo have unmadc
the rebellion. TO be preparing now for the
next presidential issue is one thing to be
experimenting with candidates for il is
quite another. IL is too early, we agree, to
be insisting upon the names of men, but
not too early to be establishing the ground
work of principles, Tho candidate is the
mere ball upon tho fountain; the principle
is the perennial stream that tOsscs il w or
tumblrs ii down.
Tho presidency of George Wathinsson
was not, and of Abraham Lincoln is
not, of equal Importance with that of
the next four years. Washington en-
tered upon his office Just after great
storm had ended Lincoln, Just before
q greater storm had burst; the next
president will go to his office while the
tempest RACES over his head Or, arc we,
as some predict, to have peace before next
summer? No; we may not have war, but
we shall not have peace. For though mil
itary hostilitics may cease, (Which we
doubt, vet, when the war Of bayoncts has
ended, the war of diplomacy will begin.
The collision of armies will give place to
the collision of parties. On the next NOR
ming after peace, u strife OF cunning qucs-
tions will open. The enemy, throwing
away his worst weapon the sword, W Ill
resume his boat the tongue. So that, even
il-tho battlc-smokc shall be blown away hy
the breath of the next June rOscS danger
will still remain.
"A nation tired of war" said De Tocquc.
ville "wil submit to bo duped for the
sake of peace This nation, now confront.
ing such peril, seeks in advance to mould
"a government ablo to ward of tho cheat.
TO settle civil war is usually n harder
task than to wage it. 1t is, i'll fact, the
most difficult duty that can dcvolNc upon II
government, and one almost never well
dono-tho proof of which is, that almost
every civil war in history has ended IN u
compromise. Shall ours? God forbid
Hut how to avert it? To be iorcwarncd is
To bc forcarmed. l.ct us hc wise in time,
that we may not be dupcd for the sake OF
peace" TO keep out the almost inevitab lc
compromise, we must now begin to build
the barriers.
The next administration, if It shall he
gin under peace, will have its hands more
fun of various labors' than under contin-
ued war. Government has cohesive
power during war greater than during
peace. a national emergency, such rs the
| American Revolution, or the present Rebel
| lion. consolidatcs all loyal intorcsts--iusihe
all mems minds into single purpose, anu
compactng the Government into terrible
strength. But peace, with its diversity o
interests, dividing aud scattering popular
sympathy, uncentralizes the governing
power. 1t will he Il harder task to unit,
! parties under the next administration thar
il has under this. 1t will require fine
craftsmanship to conduct the next admins
tration than il has for this Great states
men are few in any Countrywide great po
cts. But, few as they are, we must max,
diligcnt search to find one for the mex
Presidency.
What a complication of problems vii
the next four years bring! Nothing less
than the CT tdblishment and security of llu
man Liberty; the reconstruction CT a broker
Republic the rcadiustmcnt of the rght
of the States, and of the Federal Govern
ment; the status Of the negro, and his con
version into citizen the punishment o
treason the rc-owncrship Of Southern
lands the Mexican question; the Monro,
doctrine the national finances; the re-ab
sorption of II disbandcd soldiery back int
citizenship the fixing upon standing
army large enough to defend liberty, all,
not largo enough to menace it; these an,
many other problems, forcscen and unforc
seen, are the unparalleled difficulties whicl
tho next administration must meet an,
master.
That administration therefore, facing il
advance such an unaccounted multitude o
"s.,v-, uust 10 ouuaI 10 the emergency
The country can not afford to risk any sec
I ond-ratc committee, chosen at hap hazard
to be its President and Cabinet. 1t need
iirst-class mcn-cvcry one pure diamond
If Cromwell and Milton themselves coul
return from their graves to serve us wit
their own genius, they would not bring an,
ability superlluous for the occasion. Whe
one stops to think how the immediate fu
ture of this country shuts fast in its bu,
the whole worlds hope-that by our vic
tory or defeat the happiness of all mankin
is to be helped or hindered- so solemn ant
serious becomes the question of the nation
al leadership that sober men may well as
themselves, even three short months in ad
vance," Who is sufficient for these things?
The man, therefore, who comes bearing
in his hand credentials for the LeXt presi
denCy, must demonstrate, ~ his first tokel
of ftcss, a sublime allegiance to God, Lii
erty and Human Rights--a reverent mine
frightened to the nobest conception of tn
function of Government, the grandeur o
Justice and the nobility of Man. The chic
object Of government stops short OF nothing
loss than the uplifting of humanity ant
Coleridge ought to be once more alive I
teach statesmen their forgotten functions
A government like ours, in which the ger
cral principles Of equality, liberty, an
charity give spirit to the laws, needs, as il
! true administrators, men Of profound reig
. ious convictiOns-men upon whose heart
are craven the two tables Of the law, Low
to God aud love to Man.
, A friend of ours lately came back froi
Washington saying, The great lIck Tier
is dpoSiHpe |duh in GOdi" But what ii
ness have men, lacking such faith, to az
minister What ought to be a Christian gov
ernmentY No man is fit TO stand at tn
head of men who does not sit at the feet {
;; God. The only ruler who rules sublimely
is he whose soul is touched Of the Ilol
, Ghost, and who so borrnws greatness iroi
Heaven. And a nation in a life-anddeat
struggle for liberty needs for its leader
, man with wlom liberty is not only a poll
cal idea, hut q religious faith--who carrie
u III MS breast ah an uIlueHCuaolo cnlHl
Siasm, as holy and purifying fire In til
% time Of our trial-of our baptism in blood
not yet ended-let all devout hearts pra
that God may grant us the gift Of such
man.
As another requisite, let the nation. i
electing a man to preside, take one VIII
was born to command The capacity I
, govern is native With its possessori it ga
not be loaned TO him because hu happens I
bo president. Genius for administration