Weekly national intelligencer., 1864-03-03
THE PRESIDENTIAL QUESTION.

In referring, few days ago, to the several can
didates who have been named for the Presidency
Of the United States in the preliminary discus
sions that have already taken place under this
head, we stated that we would soon undertake to
show how far the identity Of views which Gen.
MCCLELLAN, President LINCOLN, and Mr.. Secre-
tary CHASE hold in common should teach the ad-
herents Of each to practise moderation in dis-
oussing the points of difference between them.
At the same time we added that we thought we
should be able to state the grounds on which this
duty may be commended to men Of conservative
opinions, whether President Lincoln or Mr. Chase
shall be the candidate of the Republican party.
We to-day proceed briefly to consider the topics
thus suggested.
If candor and moderation are at all times virtues
which should be cultivated and practised 10 poiti
cal discussions, they are .peoally incumbent on
all good citizens in period Of civil war and dis
traction. When the times are out of joint it
should be the aim of the Christian patriot to have
his mind "move in Charity, rest in Providence,
and turn on the poles of Truth" elimination
and recrimination, unseemly at the best, then be-
come fraught with added dangers to the peace as
we'll as dignity of the State, because they tend to
fan the flames of political phrenzy, and thus to de-
stroy the conditions of calm and sober Judgment on
topics Of the first Importance.
And the points of agreement between the re-
spective friends of Gen. Mcclellan, Of President
Lincoln, and Mr.. Secretary Chase sufficiently
essential if not to procure unity of political action at
least to commend the proprety of observing reci-
procal charity in the construction of those points
to which they differ from each other All three
of these distinguished personages concur in the
rghtfulness and necessity of prosecuting the war
which has been brought upon the country by tie
Southern disunionists. The points of difference
relate simply to questions of administrative policy,
as to which Mr. Chase differs somewhat from Pre-
sident Lincoln, and Gen. Mcclellan somewhat
from both Mr. Lincoln and Mr.. Chase. The views
of Gen. Mcclellan on this subject have been dis
tinctly announced in bis letter addressed to the
President from Harrison's Landing on the James
river, under date of July I, 1862. In that letter
he wrote as follows:
at should not be looking to the subugation of
the people Of any State in any event 1t should not be
war pOpuatons but against armed forces and pOi
cal organizations. Neither confscations of property,
political executions of persons territorial organizations of
Stes iorcibe abolition Of slavery should be contem-
should not be dispersed expeditions, posts of occupa
ton and armies but should be mainly collected
into and brought to bear on the armies Of the Con
federate States Those armies thoroughly defeated the
political structure which they support would soon cease
to exist"
In the course of the same letter Gen. Mcclellan
"a hat N 10 he for
cible abolition of slavery" he alludes to the policy
of making such abolition an object Of the war, and
its consummation the condition of dessting from
the war To the employment and emancipation Of
slaves, as far as they may be made subsidiary to
the just purposes of the Government while en-
gagged in the prosecution of the war; he interposes
no objection. On the contrary, he expressly re-
oognises the right and expediency of SO doing, but
always as means Of restoring the Union, and not
as m end without which restoration of the Union
is to be resisted.
The views of President Lincoln are SO well
known and SO distinctly revealed by the policy of
his Administration, seen in his several procla-
nations, in the management ard disposition of our
forces and in his act of amnesty, stating the terms
and conditions on which he will adhere to or
abandon the confscation of property authorized
by Congress and the emancipation Of slaves as
ordered and declared by Executive decree, that We
are under necessity to recapituate them for the
information of our readers The record of his
Administration is the exposition of his policy in
the conduct of the war. He believes IN confsca
ton of property, for he signed the confscation act
He believes in the forcble abolition Of slavery, for
he has proclaimed all the slaves Of certain districts
to be free, and has engaged to uphold and main
tain that freedom by the army and navy of the
United States. But he is willing to suspend the
operation of the confscation act in the case of all
with certain designated exceptons) who will lake
the oath Of allegiance he has prescribed, and he is
willing to make the validity Of his procamations
emancipating slaves dependent on the will Of Con-
gress or on the judgment of the Supreme Court
He does not regard his policy under these heads
ss irrcversible; for he is ready to reverse the
operation Of the confscaton act in tho interest Of
repentent rebels, and is ready to abide by the
action Of Congress or of the Supreme Court should
either reverse his edict of emancipation.
In the matter of the military disposition of our
l.. ~ n