Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-03-11

lion. revive. and the people return to their former
rights
The other theory Is. that they are no longer
State ia the American Union. in the sense Of
the Consolation. but the rebellion having sc
quired the strength aud consistency OF a bellig
erent power, the status Of the entire population
has been changed from citizens 10 aliens, and
they DO not return to their rights upon the sup
preston Ct the rebellion. bat only 70 such as the
supreme legislative power NAV give them.
Had Mr. Lincoln adopted either one of these
theories. and adhered to it vigorously. be might
long since have ended the rebellion.
Had be chosen the first, he could before this
have brought back the States, with their institu
tons and laws, slaves and all
Had be adopted the other, and sustained Ere
mont and Hunter, the friends Of freedom know
that the rebel armies might long ago have been
overthrown, and the whole rebel territory be
now in possession of the United States with the
manacles of every slave stricken off, from the
Susquehanna to the Rio Grande
This vacillating and indecsion of the Presi
dent have been the real cause WHY our well ap-
pointed armies have not succeeded in the destruc-
ton of the rebellion
He has constantly been going between these
two theories, taking no positive ground for either,
but holding on TO the skirts of both.
Whether from the feebIeness OF his will. which
respective leaders of these theories, OF whether
from the want of intellectual grasp he has really
been unable 10 comprehend their philosophy, or
from the want of political principle and ndifer
ence TO truth he has with that species OF Gun
ming which characterizes a certain class OF
lawyers, sought to ride both theories. for the
purpose OF securing his reelection, We know
not.
The cant about Honest Old Abe" was at first
! haco orfdi bufu il
absolutely criminal
Honesty signifies nothing unless there is ca
pacity to WELD the power. 10 the language of
Wendell Phillips. who cares for the honesty Of
the President. unless he be capabel 1t is not
honesty but capacity that is wantei
When the nation again places in the hands Of
the Commander in Chief the lives of all its able
bodied men. and all It's material wealth. it will
want better guarantee than the antecedents of
our jocular President furnish that the power will
be welded ably efficiently. and surely. for the
perpetuity of the Union
Should Mr. Lincoln be forced upon the coun-
try IN defiance OF the better judgment OF the Re
publican party, and the Democratic party be iu-
oiciOus in planting candidate for the prosecu
ton OF the war upon the first theory above in
Dictated. (which is their theory,) Mr. Lincoln will
be most unQuestionably defeated, unless he should
be tempted. in evil hour, to the military
power in his hands by suppressing the freedom Of
elections in the loyal States victory won by
the sword would be no victory. but lamentable
defeat To the friends of liberty.
convention of patriots if wise, will never
nominate for the Presidency military leader in
actual command of an army. much less the com
mander in chief who now has more than half a
million OF soldier under his command. and, if
necessary 10 success, might have "A million before
the next Presidential election.
The tpmpratiDu n military candidate use
the sword secure his own election is TOO great,
the warnings OF history too impressive, for the
American people voluntarily to consent to
So hazardous an experiment.
Never before in our history has such a cOmbi-
nation OF high qualities been required "a will be
needed in the administration of the Government
! for the next four years.
The war has created debt, the magnitude Of
which is astounding to consider The interest
alone will Cypress the people for OF years
TO come; AZ the same time the means OF discharg-
Ing the debt will, by the necessary operations Of
the war, have been ieariully weakened. 50 many
hundreds of thousands of men have been called
from their industrial pursuits never to return to
them; much of the material wealth of The
country has been destroyed; 50 many fields for
the production of its greas staples have been laid
waste: indeed its whole labor system has been
perverted and disorganizedl
To recover the nation from this state of utter
exhaustion, aud restore it TO its wOntei prOsperi-
ty we demand an order of intelligence which is
bestowed upon but few men in any country. at
the same time, and the michtest intellect in our
land might well trembe in assuming the re-
sponSiblity. We want in coming President
a sound thinker. statesman profoundly versed
ia political and economic sciences, one who fully
comprehends the spirit of the age in which we
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