, 1864-02-27
OPENING THE EpREsIDENTI CAN.
TASS FOR 1861

OPENING THE 1IErREsIDENTIAL CAN.
TASS For 1864.
The n. 7. 1riduisc has taken ground agsinst
the reelection of Mr.. Lincoln. Passing over.
it's preliminary remarks as Of no particular
account, being merely the flourish Of Greeley's 4
knife before he stabs, We give the reasons ad- i
dnced against Mr.. Lincoln's denomination.
~ We propose here to conelder briefly
+he main reasons urged In the State resolves
and letters herewith given for renominating
Sir. Lincoln. They vim be found substanti-
III. Iiueon los ,eeN discharged the rs.p9n.
si5ilities q his ezalted station
This il truc.-, We are among those who
worked hard to elect Mr. Lincoln, and we
are satisfied with the manner in which his
public duties have been discharged. LIE has
been patriotic, honest, and faithful He has
done his utmost to serve and save his country.
True, he has sometimes erred ~ lndsment ana
made mistakes who has not? Hcts not inial-
ible-uot genius-not one Of those rare,
great men WHO mould their age Into tho SIM
ifffudo Of their own high character, m1sslve
abilities md lofty aims. But, considering
bis antecedents, and his experience Of public
affairs-consideting that few Or none Of Us
anticipated the terrible war which he has
been compelled to wage and the reasonable
factiousnees which has confronted and resist
cd him even in the loyal States, We are sure
the verdict Of history In his case WILL be.
swell done, good aEd faithful SERVANT"
outliye the memory Of his mistakes and
faults. To this extent, then, we agree With
the Legislatures and Conventions that have
presented him Us their fayoEite for rcaflec-
ton.
DENTAL term, b. zaiya ngjority Of those echo
ha,r thns far supported his administration and
Mc TVdr-We consider this, also, quite true:
Il would be strange indeed If It wero not. In
the fearful ordeal through which nc have:
passed, his place bus necessarily and uniform
lions; his name first, after Gods, In their
prayers. To sny that, knowing far more
! they think more Of anl feel q warmer attach
ment to him. than to any. other
living man, is only saying that he has not
proved IN utter disappointment and failure.
But we dissent altogether from the deduc-
! ton that hIr Lincoln ought to be re-nomina-
| ted before the loyal masses-not having be-
! run seriously to think Of the prospective
! Presidential contest-have not yet fixed upon
| some one else to succeed him In bis high po-
| aition. And we consider the signatures of
members Of Legislatures to letters to the
| President, commencing his official course,
and asking him to run again, as anything bpt
| decisive Indications Of an unbiased choice. !
No doubt, great majority Of those who
| together triu1nphed as Unionists in the State
elections 6f 1865, If required to vote for
President Tomorrow, seoa'd s'ofe for ~. Lia.
eol,t. They would have no taIr opportunity
| to mike Another choice. {s} But SO the great
body Of ttczTeleralists Of 1900 undoubtedly,
preferred John Adams, for President; yet,
running him defeated and broke down their
Instead, they would have trinmphed, and had
before them long years of power and use
| fnluess, So great majority Of the Ma
tioual Republicans Of 1S2s preferred John
q. Adams for . second term; but they were
beaten with him nevertheless more disas-
trouslY than they could have been had he
| gfyen place to Henry Clay. So Martin Fan
| Gurcn was the unloubted first choice Of the.
| great body Of the Democrats in 1S40; while
Gen. Harrison was not the first choice Of the
Wings; yet Harrison beat Van Duren more
overwhelmingly than Clay could have DONE.
| routed; the party that sacrificed Its prefer,
cncc Y1s swccpilgly triumphant. And SO in
the ELECTIONS respectively Of Polk and Pierce.
But VIC need not pursue these illustrations. !:
! III. 1t has. been 6cttled-wc think, we'll
ecttled-by the deliberate action ofboth'.po-
litica1 parties, that President In Office Is not
| to be reelected unless under the pressure Of
extraordinary circumstan:cs. 1t was for over
forty years the general rule to elect tor Sec
ont1 term; for the last thirty years NO Pfcsi-
dent has been re-chosen. An amendment of
the Constitution, making Pre5llaa; inelisi-
|
/ nc think not wisely. p-..4er leare the mat
ter where 1t is-ir 10 hands Of the people.
They will, - 4ong intervals, decide TINT
! uecess'.., LOT reelection exists; when none
J .-en is obvious and pressing; tho win decline
| TO re-elect. We do not see how this could be
improved. =:
The practical question, then,. is this Has
Mr.. Lincoln proved so transcendently able
and admirable a President that all considera-
ton OF the merits, abilities, and services Of
others should be postponed or forborne In
favor Of his re-election2 This Is d question
whereon, pending, the definite selection of
eur candidates, there should be the utmost
freedom Of opinion and expression We m
swer In the negative. Heartily agreeing that
Mr. Lincoln has done well, we do not regard
Gen. Fremont, Gen. Butler, or. Gen. Grant,
cannot do as well. We freely admit aIr. Lin
coins merits; but VIC insist that they arc not
such es to eclipse and obscure those of all the
statesmen and soldiers who have aided in the
great work Of saving the country from
disruption and overthrow And, if others
have done rs well in their respective spheres,
then We hold that the genius OF our institu-,
tionE, the salutary One Term principle,
which has been established By the concur
renee Of each of our great parties, and by
the aciion Of the people, overrulfng either in
turn, counsels the choice Of another from
among our eminent Unlonlsts for President
from and after March 4, 1865.
before our readers In company with those
Of the Legislatures and Conventions which
have indicated an opposite conclusion, and
ask that Judgment be rendered In accord
with the prepondcrance, not of authority,
| but Of reasons.