The New York herald., 1864-04-07

n uEhALIJ, IdU hSDA L
The Presidential Qacstion-The RespOn-
shbaiity nnd DUTY OF the Republican
Maturity OF Congress.
Tho neoe esities OF the country will require .
man OF superior abilities, q ciear-iesded we'll
balanced, comprehensive and energetic mind,
to carry the ship OF State safely tnrougb toe
dangers OF the next Presidency. Under the
plans and combinations OF General Grant, the
work of demo ishing the armed forces Of the
rebellion may, in the interval to the Novem-
Der election, be substantially accomplished; |;
but, on the other hand from some unex pected
misfortune We may. be called upon to prepare
for still another campaign, and upon grander
scale than this, 60 win our victorious way to
peace. In auy event the work Of smoothly re-
establishing the integrity of the Union will be
an exceedingly difficult and delicate task.
The question then recurs, Is Abraham
Lincoln the man to be entrusted with
this important mission of the restora-
tiol OF the Union! His record Of the
lest three years. as the head Of the govern
ment tells heavily agadnst him. His admin stra-
tion from the beginning to this day, has been
but . budget Of blunders. His blunders in the
ms agement Of the armies Of the Union have
besn fruitful of disasters and disappointments.
His blundering experiments upon the slavery
question and the negro question; his emanci-
patton projects and proolamations, and his
preposterous schemes Of reconstruction, have
only made confusion worse confounded. He
has raised up a mountain OF public debt which
hundred years of taxation will hardly level,
and has given the reins to reckless corruptions
and extravagances which nothing, we fear,
but some sweeping financial revulsion can
remedy. He has been consistent in nothing,
except in the role Of Q trifing joker. His ad-
ministration has thus been broad and con-
tinuous farce in the midst Of the terrible
tragedies Of this gigantic civil war.
Judging the tree, then, by its fruits,
Abraham Lincoln Is not the man demand
ed by the exigencies Of the country
for the next Presidency. He has been
tried and has proved q failure. We have no
promise that in re-electiug him the work Of
restoring the Union will be accomplished
during the next four years. Ne have many
reasons to fear, on the contrary, that the war
itself, so long as it continues under his supreme
direction, will continue, "like wounded
snake" to "drag its slow length along" and
that instead of . rescue from our financial
troubles, he will carry government, country
and people into the abyss Of . general fnau-
cial catastrophe. Such are the opinions which
were lately promulgated through the Pone-
roy Chase circular, and we are assured from
intelligent sources that these opinions are
entertained by large majority Of the republi-
can members of both branches Of Congress
From their intimate official and private rela-
tions with President Lincoln, these men have
had the best possible opportunity during the
last two or three years to form correct
judgment Of bis calibre and capabilities,
They are opposed to his reelection. therefore,
because they know him to be unequal
to his position. But still they are silent and
inactive, while he, like diligent engineer, is
feet. We may say, however, without fear Of
contradiction, to those republican members Of
Congress who believe that tho country has had
enough of Abraham Lincoln, that it is their
solemn duty to exert themselves and their in
fuence to have him set aside. As the respon-
sible representatives OF their people, they have
the authority and it is their duty to speak and
to act upon this business Nor have we any
doubt that an snti-Lincoln resolution from q
majority Of the republican members of Congress
would open the way for 0 more acceptable
candidate in the Baltimore Convention.
Let republican Congressional caucus be
called to consider this momentous question
whether Abraham Lincoln is or is not the right
man for the Presidential succession, and the
Himsiness of his pretensions and preparations
for Baltimore will soon appear. Or let some
fearless anti-Lincoln republican, radical or con-
servative, of either house, break ground in
favor Of the postponement Of the Baltimore
Convention, and we doubt not that the pres
sure from the authorized representatives of the
people will constrain the National Executive
Committee to defer that convention until en-
lightened as to its true policy by some great
event in the grand military campaign before
us. In any view Of the subject the time and
the opportunity have come for the anti-Lincoln
republicans Of Congress to define their position.
They cannot longer trust to luck without losing
the advantages which they may now command,
nor longer evade their duty in this matter with
out incurring The contempt Of their constituents
and of the administration itself and its shoddy
republicans
A FREE EMIGRATION PRoJEcr.-By late
intelligence from Washington we learn
that plan has been recommended to the
House special Committee on Emigration by
Mr.. Secretary Seward from which the most
beneficial results to the prosperity Of this coun-
try are likely to flow. 1t is to inaugurate a