Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Iowa) 1861-1864, 1864-05-12
T9e gnteuigentu,
From the Atlantic Monthly for May,
Why Mr.. Lincoln Should be Reelected.


Why Mr.. Lincoln Should be Reelected
As there should be no change made
in the political character of the Gov
eminent, so there should be none il
the men who compose it. To place
power in new hands ut time like the
present, would be as unwise as il
would be to raise new army for the
purpose Of lighting the numerous, we'll
trained and jealous force which the
rebels have organized with the inten.
ton of making desperate effort tc
re-establish their affairs. There is nc
reason for supposing that a change
would give us wiser or better men
and it is certain that they would be
inexperienced men, should they all be
as many Solomons or Solons. As We
are situated, it is men of experience
that We require to administer the
Government and out of the presen
Administration it is impossible to fine
men Of the kind of experience that il
needed at this crisis of the nations ca
roer. The errors into which we fell
in the early days of the contest were
the effect Of want Of experience and
it would be but 10 provide for their
repetition, were we TO call new Adj
ADMINISTRATION into existence. The peo-
pie understand this, and hence the
very general expression of opinion in
favor Of the reelection of President
Lincoln, whose training through four
most terrible years-years such as no
other President ever knew-will have
qualified him to carry on the Govern
ment during second term to the sat
isfaction of all unselish men. Mr..
Lincoln's honesty is beyond question,
and we need an honest man at the
head of the nation now moro than
ever.
That the rebels object to him is
recommendation in the eyes of all 10y
al men. The substitution of a new
man would not dispose them to sub
mission, and they would expect to
profit from the inevitable change of
policy which would follow from
change of men. AS to the " one term
principle" we never held it in much
regard and we are less disposed to
approve it now than we should have
been had peace been maintained.
Were the President elected for six or
eight years, it might be wise to
amend tho Constitution so as to pre-
vent the reelection of any man but
while the present arrangement shall
exist, it would not be wise to insist
upon a complete change of Govern.
ment every four years. To hold on,
the Presidency as prize to be strug
gled for by new men at every nation
al election is to increase the trouble
of the country. Among the causes
Of the civil war the ambition to bG
made President must be rGckoned
Every politician has carried term al
the White House in his portfolio, as
every French conscript carries Mar
shal's baton in his knapsack and the
disappointment Of 80 many aspirants
swelled the number of the disaffected
to the proportions of an army, count.
ing all who expected Office as the con
sequence Of this mans or that mans
elevation to the Presidency. Were
there no other reason for desiring the
reelection Of President Lincoln, the
fact that it would be the frat STEP
toward return to the rule that ob
tanned during the first half century 0
our national existence under the exist
ing Constitution should suffice to max,
us all advocates Of his nomination fUl
a second term .. %
That the Baltimore Convention will
meet next month, and that it will
place Mr.. Lincoln once more before
the American people as candidate
for their sufllrages, are facts now at
fully established as anything well can
be that depends upon the future, and
that he will be elected admits of no
doubt. The popular voice designates
him as the man of the time and the
occasion, aud the action of the Con-
vention will be nothing beyond a for
NAL process, that shall give regular
expression to apublic sentiment which
is too strong to be denied, and which
will be found of irresistible force.