The mountain Democrat., 1864-04-30

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aOds millions of money, be can, If he has
one-half the brain attributed to him by
SFiHfriendS, have himself elected from teyyN
to term during his natural life
II the military necessity" supplies Q
reason now for bis nomination, and the
extraordinary patronage occasioned BY
the war furnishes the means Of bis elec.
tion, as . matter Of course his interest is
then to prolOng the war as q means Of per-
petuating his power.
No man with the patriotism of Wash.
ington or jackson would seek to place
himself in . position where his interest
and bis personal ambition would be coin
cident with the continuance of the rebel.
lion and the perpetuity of the war.
But, aside from the consideration Of the
second term principle, there is still another
and more forcible objection to the nomi-
nation Of Mr.. Lincoln.
The people have lost all confidence in
his ability to suppress the rebellion and
restore the Union. tits impossible to put
out of view the fact that there is a general
feeling Of disappointment in the loyal
North, that after such q wasting Of its
precious blood, and such q vast expendi-
ture Of treasure, the rebellion continues
unsubdued; and all the promises Of the
administration, time and again, for its
speedy overthrow have been falsified.
The truth is, that there is no man who
does not wear the livery of Office, or is
not 10 the pay Of the General Government,
who does not feel mortified and humbled,
that our nation, with its twenty millions
Of loyal people in the North, with four
millions Of auxiliaries in the South, to say
nothing Of large host Of Union men
there, has not succeeded yet in overthrow
Jag the insolent slave oligarchy, which
does not number five millions, all told
How is that Jefferson Davis, with bis
slender resources, without q navy, with
out manufactures, is still defiant at Rich
mond, and has twice sent rebel hordes
across the Potomac, putting in jeopardy
even the personal liberty Of Mr.. Lincoln
himself?
1t is impossible to prevent the Ameri.
can people from making humiliating COM
PARSONS between the rebel chief and the
President of the United States. They
well understand why this condition of
things exists at the end Of the third year
Of Mr.. Lincoln's 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 proven, on many battle field, teat,
in endurance and valor, and all the ele-
ments which constitute the great soldier,
they are the equals, if not the superiors,
Of the rebels.
1t will not do to throw the blame upon
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
orders Of the President The responsible
ity rests alone upon him. He has been
weak and vacillating throughout SEEM
ingly incapable of settling upon any def
mite line of policy with regard to the re-
bellion.
Two theories in regard to it have and
now divide the American people. One is,
that the Southern States are still States Of
the American Union that their coeval
constitutions and laws, though silent in
the presence of the rebel power, will, up.
on the suppression Of the rebellion. re-
viVe, and the people return to their former
rights.
The other theory is, that they are no
longer States in the American Union, in
the sense Of the constitution, but the re-
bellon having acquired the strength and
consistency of belligcrent power, the
status of the entire population has been
changed from citizens to aliens, and they
do not return to their rights upon the sup
preston Of the rebellion, but only to such
as the supreme legislative power may give
them.
Had Mr.. Lincoln adopted either one Of
these theories and adhered to it vigorous
ly, he might long since have ended the
rebellion.
Had he chosen the first he could, be-
fore 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 might
long ago have been overthrown, and the
whole rebel territory in possession of the
United States, with the manacles Of every
slave stricken off from the Susquehanna
to the Rio Grande.
This vacillation and indecision Of the
President has been the real cause why our
well appointed armies have not succeeded
in the destruction e 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
pressure of the respective leaders Of those
theories, or whether from the want of in
telectual grasp, he has really been unable
to comprehend their philosophy, or from
the want of political principle and indif'
ference to truth, he has with that species
of cunning which characterizes a certain
class of lawyers, sought to ride both theo-
ries, for the purpose Of securing his re-
election.
The cant about " Honest Old Abe" was
at 6rst amusing, it then became ridicu.
lous, but now it is absolutely criminal.
Honesty signifies nothing, unless there
is capacity to WELD the power. In the
language of Wendell Phillips, "who cares
for the honesty of the President unless he
be capable; it is not honesty but capacity
that is wanted"
When the nation again places in the
hands of . commander. .in-chief the lives
of all its able bodied men, and all its ma
terial wealth, it will want q better guAran-
tee than the antecedents Of our jOcular
President furnish, that the power will be
welded ably, efficiently, and surely, for
the psspstuitE Of the Union. .-
Should Mr.. Lincoln be forced upon the
country in defiance Of the better judgment