Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-03-06

Iperpetuity of the war.
But, aside from the consideration of the
second term principle, there is still another
and more forcible objection to the nomina-
tion of Mr.. Lincoln.
The people have lost all confidence in his
ability to suppress the rebellion and restore
the Union. 1t is impossible to put out OF
| view the fact that there is a general feeling
| Of disappointment in the loyal NORTH, that
after such a wasting Of its precious blood
and such vast expenditure of treasure, the
rebellion continues unsubdued; and all the
promises of the Administration, time and
again, for its speedy overthrow, have been
| falsified. 5i.f
The truth Is that there is no man who
does not wear the livery of office, or Is not
in the payof the General Government, who
does not feel mortified and humbled that
our nation, with its twenty millions of loyal
people at the North, with four millions OF
auxiliaries in the South, to say nothing OF
the host Of Union men there, has not sue
ceeded yet in oyerthrowing the insolent
slave oligarchy which does not number five
millions, all toldi n = ss''4s
How is it that Jefferson Davis With his
1 slender resources, without navy, without
manufactures, is still defiant at Richmond,
and has twice sent his rebel hordes across
the Potomac, putting in jeopardy even the
personal liberty of Mr.. Lincoln himself.
I 1t is impossible to prevent the American
people from making humiliating compari-
sons between the rebel chief and the Presi-
| dent of the United States. They will un-
derstand why this condition of things ex-
ist at the end of the third year of Mr.. Lin
coins term. The fault is not'in the want of
intelligence and bravery on the part of our
soldiers, or the skill of our officers. For
both soldiers and officers have proved on
many battlefield, that in endurance and
valor and all the elements which constitute
the great soldier, they are the equals, if not
the superiors of the rebels.
1t will not do to throw the blame up
on the country, for it has furnished all the
men and all the money the President has
asked.
1t will not do to charge it upon the rebel
sympathizers at the North, for they have
had no means of interfering with the or
ders Of the President. The responsibility
rests alone upon him. He has been weak
and vacillating throughout, seemingly in
capable of settleing upon any definite line
of policy in regard to The rebellion.
Two theories in regard to it have divided,
and now divide the American people. One
Is that the Southern States are still States of
the American Union; that their several
Constitutions and laws-though silentin the
presence of the rebel power-will, upon the
suppression of the rebellion, revive, and the
people return to their former rights,
The other theory is, that they are no long
er States in the American Union, in the
sense of the Constitution, but the rebellion
having acquired the strength and consisten-
cy of belligerent power, the status of the
entire population has been changed from
citizens to aliens, and they do not return to
their rights upon the suppression of the re-
bellion, but only to such as the supreme leg
islative power may give them.
Had Mr.. Lincoln adopted either one of
these theories and adhered to it vigorously,
he might long since have ended the rebel
lion. SiE&
Had he chosen the first, he could, before
this, have brought back the States, with
their institutions and laws, slaves and all.
Had he adopted the other, and sustained
Fremont and Hunter, the friends Of free
dom know that the rebel armies mightlong
ago have been overthrOwn, and the whole
rebel territory be now in possession of the
United States with the manacles of every
slave stricken of, from the Susquehanna to
the Rio Grande.
This vacillation and indecision of the
President, have been the real cause why
our well-appointed armies have not sue
ceeded in the destruction of the rebellion.
He has constantly been going between
these two theories, taking no positive
ground for either, but holding on to the
skirts of both.
= Whether from the feebleness of his will,
which has been unequal to the alternate pres
sure of the respective leaders ofthese theo-
ries, or whether from the want of intellect
Z ual grasp, he has really been unable to COM
prehend their philosophy, or from the want
of political principle and indifference to
truth, he has with that species of cunning
which characterizes certain class of law
yers, sought to ride botll theories. for the
purpose ofsecuring his re-election,we know
not " oWo.itiil h $50 .i.i .al 3
The cant about 'cHonest Old Abe" was at
first amusing, it then became ridiculous, but
now it is absolutely criminal.
+yl Honesty signifies nothing unless there is
q capacity to WELD the power. In the Ian
guage of Wendell Phillips-who cares for
the honesty Of the President, unless he be
capable; tits not honesty but capacity that
isiwanted. NJ .fe ra fta,isr
When the nation again places in the hands
of the COMMUNICATIVE Chief the lives of all
Its ,able-bodied men, and all its material
wealth, 1t will want better guarantee than
the antecedents of our jocular President,
furnish, that the power will be welded ably,
efficiently, and surely, for the perpetuity Of
the Union.
Should Mr.. Lincoln be forced upon the
country In defiance of the better Judgment
of the Republican party, and the Democrat
ic party be judicious In planting a capdi-
date for the prosecution Of the war upon
the first theory above indicated (Which Is
their theory), Mr.. Lincoln will be most un-
questionably defeated, unless he should be
tempted, in an evil hour, to use the military
power in his hands by suppressing the free
dom of elections in the loyal States. A
victory won by the sword would be no vic
tory, but lamentable defeat to the friends
of liberty. ~ .5.Ta Is
+ A convention of patriots, if wise, will
never nominate for the Presidency a mill
tary leader in actual command of an army,
much less the commander-in-chief, who,
has more than half a million soldiers under
his command, and, if necessary to success,
might have a million before the next Presi-
Dental election. ft5y .a VI ..giI
The temptation to a military candidate to
use the sword to secure his own election is
too great, the warnings of history are too
Impressive for the American people ever
voluntarily to consent to so hazardous an
experiment. s
Never before in our history has such a
combination ofhigh qualities been required
as will be needed In the administration of
the Government for the next four years.
I The war has created debt, the magnitude
of which Is astounding to consider. The
interest alone will 0ppress the people for