, 1864-08-26
From Brownson,s Quarterly Review

The following extracts from political article
in Brownson's Review denote quite a change
in the political complexion of that publication.
Formerly the Reviea0 supported Mr.. Lincoln's
Administration ..r.
The Ne,o York Herald of June 10 has some
remarks on the nomination of Mr.. Lincoln for
reelection, which strike us as so just, so spirit
ed, and so much to the purpose, that we cannot
deny ourselves the pleasure of inserting them in
our pages, and making them part of our own
essay.
"The question of the re-elector or president
Elncofr is tho most important issue presented
to democratic people during the pres ent CEN
tury. 1t is issue which is to decide whether
not the people have sufficient intelligence to
preserve their own rights and liberties from the
encroachments of ignorant and despotV, rulers.
This issue has been determined in the negative
by the history of past republics. Now it is to
be reargued, and 6nal decision rendered by
the citizens of this country the last and the
greatest of democratic governments
We do not object to Mr.. Lincoln because he
was once railsplitter, nor because his associate
nominee was once tailor, one of our cotem-
poraries did yesterday. We know that some of
the greatest men in the world have risen from a
low origin and in a nation like this mans oc-
cupation, provided it be honest is no bar to his
future advancement. But we object to Mr.. Lin
coin because he has been tried and found want
ing, and because his reelection would in all
probability seal the fate of republican institu-
tions. We concede every thing that is true in
regard to his personal character, his good in
tentions, and his honesty, so far pecuniary
matters are concerned. But mans personal
character does not excuse his official misdeeds
mans good intentions do not remove the eff
fects of his blunders and his folles and
mans honesty in regard to money matters is no
offset to his dishonesty in regard to nearly ev-
cry thing else Such weak palliations of Mr.
Lineeln's conduct, therefore, do not weigh with
us, and ought not to weigh with the people,
president Lincoln has protracted this war
for four years, when he could have ended it in
one. He has committed the criminal error of
allowing questions of political expediency to
interfere with his management of military af-
fairs. He has removed generals for party rea-
sons, when such removals gave great advantage
to the Rebels. He has issued proclamations
with the same motives, when his better judg-
ment as expressed in private conversations,
dsapproved of his official acts. He has sur
rounded himself with Cabinet notorious for
incapacity, and containing some of the most inn
beclle men In this country, as an example of
whom we may instance Gideon Welles He has
retained this Cabinet in defiance of the univer-
sal remonstrance of the people, and in spite of
the criminal blunders his Secretaries have COM
mitted. He has permitted political squabbles
to so disorganize and distract his Cabinet, that
no Cabinet councils have been held for weeks
at time during this great crisis of the coun-
try, thus leaving himself, practically, dictator,
and each Secretary at liberty to blunder un-
checked in his own department He has out
ragged the liberty of the citizen and of the press
He has arrested thousands Of loyal Americans
and incarcerated them in dungeons, without
warrant, judicial procedure, or reasonable cause
for so doing He has instituted the forms of
martial law in loyal cities of the North without
proclaiming it, and without the slightest pre-
text for enforcing it. He has truckled to England
and to France, thus soiling the national honor
almost irretrievably. Upon these grounds we
shall oppose his reelection
The ReUiew in the same article, says:
"Mr. Lincoln cannot in our judgment, carry
on the war longer than during his present term
of office, not because our resources are exhaust
ed but because the people will be disneartened,
and in seeing millions on millions of debt con-
tracted, and hundreds and hundreds of thou
sands of the very elite of our population sacri-
feed, all to no purpose, will tell him: SIN
Gods name make peace; make peace on the
best terms you can, but at any rate make peace,
before every thing is gone" Let no man who
insists.on prosecuting the war till the Rebels
lay down their arms, give a vote for the re-elec-
ton of Abraham Lincoln. And even were Mr..
Lincoln to succeed in the military suppression
of the Rebellion, nothing of our glorious old
Republic would remain. Our old nag, II 1T
continued to wave, would wave no longer Hover
the land of the free and the home of the brave,
but over a mouldering Constitution, and the
blackened ruins of civil and religious liberty
So we honestly believe, and hence we sincerely
and earnestly deprecate the reelection of the
present incumbent of the Presidential chair
We prefer to all others General Fremont; but
we place before every other consideration, the
defeat of the Baltimore nominees,