The daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1863-1864, 1864-02-09
From Wilkes Spirit of the Times for last weel
: fa7 AEOne.Term President.

,fJ From Wilkes Spirit of the Times for last week
P- AgOne.Term President.
I lfithere is one feature which more thar
another defines the width between republi'
canism and monarchy, it is the constant
inclination of the former to disperse the
fconsolidatlng tendencies of power, by
changing the occupants of office as frequent.
ly as possible; if there is one lnstirct which
! is paramount with monarchy, it is the de-
sire to absorb, control aud to perpetuate
power in itself. A too ardent democracy,
or perhaps greedy faction, may carry the
former system to wild extreme. 1t may
direct its suspicious or its selfshness un-
wisely against merely ministerial servitors,
but it cannot make mistake in resisting,
with tine most determined spirit, the undue
retention of those potential placemen who
dispense the federal patronage, and who,
distending with ambition, are but too apt
| to consider themselves the very essence OF
the Government.
Deeply impressed with this belief, and
taking their cue from the unseltishness of
Washington, the people have, with the ex-
ception, continually refused to repeat a
President upon the nation. That exception
was the offspring of peculiar circumstances,
and being projected in tranquil time, car
ried within it no special elements of danger;
but we doubt if there will be many unbias-
ed persous to assume, that even the prestige
and integrity Of Jackson, would warrant
the extension of his term, through the
stupendously accumu ating power Of such
period as the next four years That princl
pie of prolongation, always dreaded and de-
nounred in the simple days Of the Repub-
lie, becomes intellectually dangerous in view
| of the enlarged attributes of the Executive.
While VIC might have faith in an ordinary
stretch of human virtue, it would require
a trustfulness due only to the Savior, to
expect an ordinary nature to withstand the
undermining influences of such vast temp
tatlon. When the officers of the Army
and the Navy Of the United States might
have been gathered into lectureroom, and
the patronage of the civil list was confined
to few judges postmasters, and custom
house officers, the Presidential power was
scarcely to bs feared; but now that the
Executive has under his orders half mil
lion of men; now that the assessor and the
tax -gatherer swarm in every town and ham
let; now that commissaries, quasi diplomats,
and supervising agents, are constantly ap'
pointed at Washington to overrun foreign
countries and our own, it is no time to
venture again on an experiment which leads
directly to despotic power. Justify it once
and it takes the attitude of precedent, and
supported by continual accumulation, may
easily be made too strong to be uprooted
by anything short of new revolution
We do not apprehend there is any danger
of Mr.. Lincoln aspiring to absolute power,
even should his term of Office be renewed !;
indeed, we would be rather ashamed to feel
such apprehension from man Of his pecu-
liar stamp; but we know that his powers
as President, under such endorsement, would
be despotic, and we do not care to take the
risks of their perversion in the hands of so
plain a man even as he. We have already
seen what transformation his political
ideas have undergone through the desire to
be re,elected; and from that, we are justi-
fed in broad margin of suspicion for the
| future.
Mr.. Lincoln was elected % republican,
and in direct hostility to all the instincts
and dogmas of the South. Had he not been
eligible to a reelection, he would have re-
manned true to his party and its doctrines,
and have sought 70 build up an enduring
reputation by pressing war upon the rebel
lion to the bitter end Unfortunately, how
ever, no sooner was be settled in his seat,
than he began tointrigue for the succession,
and so palpabIe were his "departurcs" to-
ward that end, that as far back as fifteen
months, We could not refrain from address
.ng an inquiry to the republicans whether
their party was not again on the brink OF
being Tylerized? 1t must now be clear to
everyone that we were right. Mr.. Lincoln
had evidently been taken possession OF by
Mr.. Seward at once on coming into Office,
and had been told by him, that the only
way to gain enduring capital was to make
friendship with the South, by dropping for
a season those radical doctrines which had
inhamed it to rebellion. To adopt, in short,
what might be termed conservative I"
course, and withdrawing from the ultraisms
of Eastern politics, lay the foundations OF
well-balanced, steady and decorous party.
through which he would be returned to Of
flee in 1864. He was further assured, by
Seward doubtless, before his naturally ir
resolute nature gave itself up 20 this short
sighted plan, that Thurlow Weed could Sc
crstely manipulate the opposition journals,
so as to constantly spare him from coppers
head attack, while the radicals, forbearlng
from unkind criticism, out of considerations
of sheer loyalty, would leave Honest Old
Abe the recipient Of universal popularity.
This is true interior view Of Uncle Abra-
hams hand in the Presidential game, and
that the reader may know it is correct, he
has but to rapidly recall the series of acts
instituted by Mr.. Lincoln as soon as he and
Weed and Seward had settled on this preei
Gus programme. az .r.-.
He began by permitting Seward to hold
I informal interviews with the insurgent
! Com IDissiopers whom he should have
hanged; he next announced to them, in an
/ official paper, (April, 1867, that be did not
intend to reduce the seeded States to obe-
dience by force of arms, and fearing even