The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1864-01-29

SAND Tour hundred and twelve, en- increase OF
eightyhve during the week.
There was little variation 10 the complexion
ciai matters yesterday compared With Wednesday
Cold the great regulator Of business transactions
without marked change. though Huctuating, and the
markets were In consequence rather quiet On Change
prices Of the leading commodities were without import
ant change. Flour and wheat bought largely for
export 10 Great Britain Hog products moderately
active and generally drm except lard Butter active
Tor export At higher prices good TO prime State brought
Doc. &c., and Western Csc. CSC. Cheese was DO.
mand and firm. Freights were substantially as We'd
nesday with engagements Of 100 900 bushels wheat
and 900 900 barrels -four Cor Great Britain. Gro
ceres were without change OF moment. Petroleum
dull heavy and lower for both crude and refined I'm.
ported merchandise was rather quiet and We note but
few sales Freighs were steady.
The Next Presidency-wAae Are the
Claims OF President Lincoias
The special organ Of this city Of the Lincoln
wing Of the administration party, In an elabo
rate Lincoln leader, following up the cue fur
nished some time ago by Mr.. Seward, says that
"upquestlonably one Of the strongest causes Of
Tho popular nasifestatiens fsC ne reelection
Of President Lincoln is the fAct that he most
directly represents a acceptable policy in re-
gard 10 reconstruction; !" "that bis amuesty pro
camation is inst the thing for the country" and,
finally, that his reelection "will be the most
emphatic reafirmation possible Of the princi
pies which have given, aud which alone can
give, our nationality it, security and glory at
home and abroad"
Now, this from public journal which, in the
opening developments of the war, proposed the
removal of Old Abe by revolutionary vio-
lence, and the substitution Of George Law as
the peoples choice, is somewhat refreshing.
But, letting all that pass, and granting that the
proceedings OF legislative Lincoln caucuses,
and loyal leagues of government con-
tractors, tax assessors. &C., are popular
manifestations" the question still recurs, what
has Mr. Lincoln done during the last three
years, az the head Of the government, to entitls
him to another term Of four years ia the White
House? We are told that in his amnesty
proclamation he has defined policy of recon
struction which has "dissipated thick cloud
of uncertainty, and enabled every one to look
forward with distinctness and confidence"
This is news to US. We have been under the
impression that this reconstruction policy, as q
practi cal measure, will soon be laid up among
the cobwebs with that ''obsolete idea" or pro-
gramme of Mr.. Lincoln's which contemplated
the abolition of slavery in the year 1900.
AT all events it is not upon what President
Lincoln proposes to do, but upon what he
has done, or shall have done. that he will be
tried and judged by the people Of the loyal
States in November next, should he pass
through the ordeal of republican conven-
ton as candidate for another term. 1t is to
this question, therefore, that his partisaus and
newspaper organs will be held in the mean
time to answer to the country:-What has
President Lincoln done to entihe him to q
reelection? We contend that he has done
nothing to earn this high distinction, but
that, on the contrary, in the conduct Of the
war, his deplorsble Encouragement Of our
most important armies, with the disastrous and
alarming consequences. have furnished evil
dence sufficient to convince the country that
he is not the pilot to carry us through the
perils Of this war into the broad and secure
anchorage Of q re-established Union.
The rebellion, with the occupation Of Rich
mond, might and doubtless would have been
put down In 1861 had not President Lincoln,
against the remonstrances of General Scott,
prematurely pushed forward the army under
General Mcdowell to that first great disaster at
Bull run, the immediate result Of which was
the loee to the national cause OF millions Of
Union men in the rebellious States. The re-
bellion, we have every reason to believe, would
have been reduced to q general collapse In the
summer Of 1862, with McClellan's occupation
Of Richmond, had not his plans been upset by
President Lincoln, and his army divided and
scattered about exactly to serve the purposes
Of his.vigilant and active enemy. But, again,
there was fair prospect OF the capture Of
Richmond before the expiration Of the year,
when Mcclellan was superseded in bis COM
mand and General Burnside was moved for
ward to his dreadful defeat at Fredericksburg,
only to be followed six months later by the
still more sanguinary and proftless campaign
of General Hooker to Charlottesville.
But, yet again, there was a splendid opportu-
nifty offered for adhesive blow to the rebellion
when, from its terrible defea. at Gettysburg,
the shattered rebel army OF Virginia was hem
med in by the swollen Potomac 10 front and
our victorious forces in the rear. That oppor-
tunity, however was lost while General Meade
was awaiting orders from Washington. He
thus waited yet another day, only to find In the
morning that the enemy had slipped of in the
night. From the fret Bull run to this escape
Of the enemy from williamsport we may trace
the responsibility for ell this chapter Of dis
asters and failures to President Lincoln, Is the
practical Commander-in-Chef of the Army Of
the Potomac and our other armies operating
around Washington. Thus, having had his
hands full as an acting military leader, Presi-
dent Lincoln has had no time to spare in man.
aging the plass and details connected with our
armies In the West for which the country has