Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-02-25
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES RIGHTS.
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RICHMOND WHIG.
THURSDAY mOnNING, FEB. as, 1854.
The Yankee Presidency.

dom, with referelce 70 tho APP'VSSH"6
election has fully arrived and though we are not per
utted to know much of what Is going on there, and
though for prudential reasons hese pottings may To
conducted more secretly than heretofore, VIC may be
sure at the workers are busy and that the fruits
of their hidden abors viii bscOme visible in due time.
thousand millions Of dollars year and imperial
Authority are the prizes to bs struggled for, and the
cupidy and ambition Of aspirants are at white heat
Lincoln is determined to be reelected if possible
aud TO hold on, whether reelected or not Seward il
probably content to forego the chArce Of promotion
or himself and remain practical head Of the Govern
ment In the post o. & subordinate He will, therefore,
undertake the manipulating and engineering for his
clumsy master, aud he viii do 1t we'll It requires i'm
mense eFrontery to propose the Gorilla for another
tsrm. but Stewards stock Of that commodity Is more
than equal to such a demand. True, Lincoln was to
save the Union and destroyed it-Wss to restore it,
and has rendered the breach forever iEeurAbevas to
CONQUER the South and has failed ignoninOusly but
Seward knows how to cOz,n, dslude. mislead and
mako asses Of people a. well as any one who ever
undertook tha. noble employmens-eise, he would long
since have experienced, in his own person. the VEN
gsanee which an abused aud Outraged public know how
20 e1ast when a. last their eyes are opened.
Lincoln has now held the Presidency for three mis-
srAble and disastrous years Upon what ground eau
hs reelection be asked for He has destroyed vast
mass of property and happiuess and scattered to the
winds the best hopes Of the people whom he rues
OF Tow many regions may it be said with truth that
Lincoln found them a garden, and has left them
sert; of how many furnishing Institutions that he
found them reality, and has made them but name
IL nftad nd
prosperous while they are now decimSted by and
divided by iaotiOs Toe eIchequer of his Government
was full and empty its credit high and is all but
eEinc; and the evil Of to-day regarded by those Who
m fcrssee and calculate the future altogether lght
ID endurabls compared with the disasters that are
looked for lo-ubrrOw. He and his cOlaOOrerS, Of
shom Seward is chief have destroyed everything thai
vas valuable in their system, yhng that was con-
eryative Of civil liberty and political morals everything
protective of individual rights every guard of the Ates
their Legislatures and fur ctonares all the sanctions OF
their Tribunals the inaeuable rights Of mnoriti's-n
ct everything that constitutes and distinguishes Free
ioverument They have destroyed their reputation as
people, and incurred the ,proach and DISCUS! Of the
sorld. They have rendered sill more eepraVed and
corrupt a character which alEays uuprineipled-
They have broken up habits Of industry and agencies Of
u elnl employment which we're anong the few things
t1ey had to recommend thea. They have carried death
and sfaodon to almost every household. They hlVs
scigbed themselves dOsn with public debt which
C. n,usy wSud hardly enable them TO discharge. They
ave overthrow their 6nsncial system lost their
m,ce ruined their manufacturer beggared their opera
ives, and 6l,d their land vish widows and orphans.
Fdsse are the credentials and patents Of merit upon
Vi eh LncOln's claim 10 reelection rests. They may
Prove too unmaaageable for Seward, but, if so,
d. re still remains the chAres of coup deta and Lin
, in may still rule BE will contradict all history and
belle the charac eristics he Las displayed if he willingly
avs down the scspre, throws of the purple and goes
aek to obscurty and nsg li6cAnee. His base origin
and coarse nature make his present elevation the
N of ambition and the aome of delight They make
im at the same time Indifferent to the means he may
nave TO employ to retain it. He has already shown that
tie Constitution Is barrier to him and his oath Of
Office 10 restraint He has disregarded constitutional
arrangements quite important as that which limits
t,rm Of service four years He has assumed and ex
rrcstd powers incompatible with the Republican form
of government as would be the formal declaration Of
% catorship The liberties that remain to his people
are simply nominal Il will only be lack Of courage
for tie sep that will prevent him. when the time comes
on taking the title after having arrogated the PserOga
ses of an autocrat. Seward could very readily fur
,sh an argument Of STATE necessity" that would seem
justify the aJt. Aud, indeed, We are ourselves con-
need beforehand that snyh is the only means
Nv which the unity OF their government be maintained
and We would be prepared look upon its adoption by
l. ncoln, as matters stand, with great tolerstion
e. o cally as we are fully convinced that the Yankee
race is incapable of ssf-government.
But the Yankee race does not itself yet know this
a ID would not be likely therefore, to aequiescs quietly
a such procedure. The many ambitious men who
agerly waiting for the Presidential slippers, and
tser countless adhercnts who look lOngngly for the
good things that will fa their lot when their matter
ha, come to his heritage, would be desperately unW
Ing TO admit such a necessity. Some, too, who are
get uine patriots Cor such may imagine there are
even among a people greatly destitute of redeem
ing qualii,sl would not stand by with folded hands
hen all they loved was about to suffer shipWreck.-
Aad from these eements-the disappointment Of the
bi.iOus the rage of the actious aud the indignation
the patriots tempest would be breWed that would
break with seven.fod thunders upon the head Of the
usurper But that worthy would not be without shell
ter and protection. The man who has thousand mil
ous Of dollars year at bis disposal aud places OF pow
,r honor, dignity and ease almost without limit, to be-
S oW, such man would never be without defenders
supporters fully as numerous those Who for any
cause could be brought to assai him. The army would
OF course have been secured at least thought to be
So before the step was taken; but other armies could
ased and the universal population it to be hoped,
souId not lack means for mutual destruction We have
always thought that it would have been great blessing
70 is continent and mankind if the ships that bore
the progenors Of the Yankee race TO New England had
no down wi their freight 10 the lowest depths Of the
Oecau So nov, If, in the.Ways Of Providence it may
be ordered that their descendants shall become, BY re-
eprOCa slaughter the instruments of thsir own excc
tsn from the earth we shall recognize in It The just