East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1864-04-06
Mr.. Lincoln's Honesty ana Capacity.

of Athens who banislsed Aristides
solely because il annoyed him to hear
the cpithet the just constantly
coupled with his name. We have all
been struck 10y this strange specimen
of political liberty, and by the lack Of
judgement in its application. 1t was
not because this undue notority given
To the name of citizen OF tho repub-
lie might after time, prove danger-
Gus, nor because the opithct of Just
was questionable, that the worthy cit
izen of Greece banishcd Aristidcs.--
He would not evon discuss the matter,
the epithet annoyed him, and this was
enough to ostracizing the unfortunate
bearer. In this wo SEQ an excoss Of
liberty and lack Of political cduca-
ton.
Now, we are annoyed and irritated
at hearing thewords of Abraham lin
coin and honesty always coupled to-
gethcr; but being more generous than
the excellent Athenian citizen afore-
said, wo propose, before ostracizing
honest Abe from the White House, to
consider his right TO tho surname of
"Honest." To call one man honest
out of population of thirty million,
is not so much Of q compliment to him
rs sarcasm upon all the rest. Let
Tvs look into his honesty and eapabili-
ty. After three yenrs of. patient ST.
lence We have right, and it is moro.
over our duty, Mr. Lincoln, to cxam-
inc your acts and show them to the
nation. You commenced by confding
tho fate Of our cause, the honor of our
arms, and the lives Of our sons to men
having no higher claim TO such trast
than host of voters at their COM
mand, whose support You coveted in
order to advance the welfare of the
nction.
We have allowed you to further
your politics and personal interests,
and to transform into heroes men
whose inelliciency has swallowed up
thousands of livesand millions of treas
urc, so that you might be able to daz-
zle the eyes of tho people with victo-
RIGS far more apparent than real We
have permitted you to sacrifice tried
patriots, whose popularity alarmed
you, and whose energy disappointed
your calculations.
We have allowed YOU to deceive tho
roerla; we have let you transform dis
graceful defeats into victories And
oven then we made no cutlery when
you wers n lrc d 10 beg exonorstion
for acts which have eternally disgrac-
ed the honor Of our arms. You have
been unable either to forosco or fore
stall anything. What has become of
the nations enthusiasm What have
you done with the immense resources,
unprecedented in history, that the ma
ton have layishly given you?
You are now appealing to conscrip-
ton and we will not enter into dis
cussion of tho principle itself, but we
will tell you that youshould have for
seen that the day must como whom
you would need these men, and that
you were to blanc in not calling for
them when the peoples enthusiasm
was first aroused, when they certainly
would not have been refused you.--
You are to blanc, inasmuch asthough
your incapacity and personal schemes
the necessity for such an appeal has
become question Of public safety
You are to blame for depriving us of
the services of men whose popularity
stimulated that enthusiasts.
You have told the country that both
the rebellion and avery were dead
you have told the pc ,ple that the for
ces of the rebels we-o reduced by de.
sertions, and that they could not be
recruited, fed nor clothed; and yet you
are forced to act on the defensive, be-
ing threatened at oil points.
Whenever you have directed the ae-
ton Of our troops, they have been uni
formerly unsuccessful you have per-
petually offered us the wretched spec
tncle of splendid resources and excel
lent chances of success sacrificed to in
capacity. The only success which you
came near attaining, but the credit of
which we intend to take from you, is
due to the incroditable naginativensss
that you have played in describing
facts. Changes of base, mastery re-
treats, and rsconnoisances have sue
ceeded each other with a rapidity
worthy Of the greatest Snowman of
modern times. The immense variety,
of circumstances is only equalled by
tho identity of the results. We have:
Sherman's reconnaissance.
Smiths reconnaissance.
Thomas reconnaissance.
Kilpatrick's reconnaissance.
Seymour's reconnaissance.
Gen. Gilmore's Charleston recon
noisance.
The result is everywhere the same,
ridiculous and disastrous. The sole
concession we can make to your hon
esty, is that you have improved upon
the changes of base in 1862; you do
stroy fewer soldiers and burn less Of
the nations property.
How is it, that after throo years of
Incompatible victories, according to
Halleck's facetious expression, sun
precedented in the military history of
nations" you are still bordering how
to preserve the National capital and
your basis'of operation
1t is reward for such success, for
the achievement of such results, that
you now ask the nation to pass a vote
of confidence, and re-clect you for an
other and perhaps another term +?
In your inaugural address you gave
very striking illustration of your Pc
culiar honesty by virtually pledging
yourself, in accordance with the we'll
known principles of the party which
had elected you, not TO serve a second
term; you said this in amanner which
! uono af vour e,,pr,arfors then undor-