Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1864-11-03
Incompetencr Of Lincoln.
From the Plain Dealer.
I pt1 III ,,u,ntu,,;a,, -, I,.e. L.. e.,


being insufficient, inadequate and unequal
70 the great and trying crisis Of the nation. /.
The y. Y. MdepoDdcBt Mr.. Beecher'
paper said before the Baltimore Convention |
met, and therefore, in opposition 10 Mr. !
Lincoln s denomination:
~ Government like ours. IN which the gen
eral principles Of equality, llD.rty. aud charity
istfators. men Df profound religious convictions
-incn upon whose hearts arc craven the two
lately came back from Washington saying:-l
the great lack there is ofa ppsi I've fath In Godv
, But what fitness have men, hacking such faith,
Wohininistrr what ought 70 BE- Christian Cow
crnncnt? No man T. ft to stand at the head Of
/ is touched Of the Holy Ghost and who so bor-
rows greatness from Heaven"
Mr. Lincoln's coarse and vulgar style Of
life, his indecorous manners, disgusting Jokes
and general incapacity were keenly felt to
be inadequate as they have proved sadly
unequal TO the grave responsibilities Of his
Office.
He had exhibited no force Of character,
no decision Of mind, no frmness of conduct,
no craftsmanship. The sport Of circum-
stances, he bent his ear to one set of men
one day, and another set the next. One
week he gave assurances Of a certain line Of
policy which he as readily changed the fol-
lowing month. The IndepcHdeh speaking
Of him about this time said
/ I'VE have no doubt whatever that Mr.. Lincoln
means well, and tasks himself to do well for the
4 cannot carry the Government ia its great ex-
, igcncy. How comes that? Blame him. Docs
; any man believe Mr.. Lincoln less than honest
= But affairs are too mighty for him. He wishes,
he almost resolves, hc turns back. He inaugu-
: rates apollcy Like snow, he melts In handling.
' His advisers clash. His Generals quarrel. He
is half crazed with pursuaslons on this side and
counter pcrsuasions on that. one exhorts; and
} another warns. He is threatened by radicals.
= and threatened by conservatives. What shall
? Generals 70 their own course till some wisdom
p or some folly runs against his peace, when he
resorts to the first eNpcdent to alay the trouble.
The device that qulcia one trouble raises another.
The man is good; ii j. the President that is over
taxed But there is a country as well as a Pres
ident. There Is causeas weil as an administra-
tiOn. Every prudent man forsecs the utter ex-
: haustioh u the county If we have one more
, such year as the last.
i What was true then is true nop. Mr.
: Lincoln cannot cdrry tie Government IN II,
c great eregeHcL He is incompetent and un
:, equal to the gigantic task, affairs are to-
q ntighty for him He turns everything ant
e every body into ridicule. He jests in seasoi
:, and out Of season when he should neve
e lest in the weighty affairs Of state. In tn
At White House, the mon,ion once graced b.
it Washington Adams, Jefferson Madison
IT and Monroe, he turns away the serious an,
)t >ad By his scofing iests and profane jokes
y On the battle field, while the dead an,
N wounded yet lie in their gore before his eye
D he calls for ribald song. No place, n,
'e time has its sacredness for him. He grieves
$ he shocks, he angcrs he mortifes. he drive.
1t desperate his best friends and the trues
patriots of the country. He i to-day wha
e he was four years. three years, two years
II one year ago. He has perhaps: grown more
n cunning but wisdom and ,agacty are his nc
80 l,t- than tbat- tr-ar fvp apn
st He is even less wise. And above all thing,
: he is consistent IN nothing bit las tnconststen
= ciies
e What assurances have those who now sup
y port him that he will remain true to the
l. pledges given in his acceptance of the Bal
II timore platform. Did he not tell Mr.. Gree
q ". that If he couid sdre the Cnion WITT
j, SLAVERY he ,could do It, II he could sane i
d ,oithoa It he ,c0uld do IT. What reliance i
) TO be placed upon a man who has so repeat
<, edly forfeited his word, soconstantly violates
H. his pledges? In his Inaugural message 0
ep the 4th of March, 1851, he said II d
clare that / hare no purpose DIRECTLY O
IS INpIRECrIY to interfere with the institutic
le Of slavery in the States where it exists.
ay,; believe ] have No LAWFUL RIGHT TO I
all So" If he had no LAWFUL right to do
M hep what LAWFUL right has he to do
no nor? And yet he says in his reply to I
IN rebel Commissioners as late as July Ia!
ooh July 18th, 1864, no proposition of pea
,he will be accepted WITHOUT THE ABANDo
he MENT OF SLAVERY! Has he changed
ere opinion of the law since he took his oa
lei to support the Constitution on the 4th
en- March, 1861? Or does he now set asi
Sc the Constitution-the Supreme lrIr Of I
ne laRd-as obsolete? And if So, wherein
he he better than Jefferson Davis?
ID Countrymen. consider these things.
member that Lincoln fully endorsed Ge
ne u Mcclellan in his several orders and address
Is, to his subordinate Generals and his army.
nj Remember that in his order, Gen. McClell
nj said to Gen. Halleck, Nov. llth, 1861:
1--WE are fighting solely for the integrity Of 4
ne Union, to uphold the power OF our Nation
cd Government, and to restore to the nation Il
- blessings OF peace and good order
~ To General Buell. November 7th, 1861
49, you will please constantly to bear in mir
! the present issue for which we are fighting; III
lie issue is the preservation of the Union and Il
he restoration of full authority Of the Gener
90 Government over all portions OF our territory
- To General Burnside. Jan. 7th, 1862:
"The true issue for which we are fighting is 4
= preservation of the Union and upholGlng II
OF laws OF the General Government"
&C. And these instructions were 'sanctione
h. and approved by the President Compa1
US the objects Mr.. Lincoln is now carrying {
ry the war for and those he solemnly pledge
of- himself to in 1872, and ask yourself if yo
* can vote for such man? \ man who h;
sts proved fathless and false and who vi
prove equally faithless and false the momer
IN he secures the position he now holds for
lot second term. Is he not likely to do this 2
ge Will any man, in the light Of Mr.. Lincoln
re- past record, say that he is not likely to prov
he equally as unreliable and inconsistent in tt
Tor future as he has in the past? The avowe
object of the continuance Of this terrib
e. sanguinary and devastating war is, now, II
liberation Of the slaves. abandon Slarer:
SAYS Mr. Lincoln, and will meet YOU wit
on 'liberal terms" Give up your Constitr
IL tional rights. and on all other collater
- points will give you liberal terms. Gene
nw ous man he would have the people of Il
ms South give up their liberties, their reserr,
of n'QhtS-rcserved by the Constitution of Il
th United States-and then he will listen
We terms of peace And yet he said in his
te- augural Message-before quoted from
NJ THE right of each State to order and co
in troll its own domestic institutions accordir
is toits own Judgment EXCLUSIVELY, is EssE
nd TIAL to the balance of power, on which b
to perfection and ENDURANCE Of our polite
fabric depends"
,c- And he fully indorsed Gen. Mcclellan
Dr. letter to Gen. Buell., dated November II
ge 1861, wherein the General says:
TO 1--WE shall most readily suppress this rcbcllio
he and restore the authority of the Government
tral uip