Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1864-01-20
THE PRESIDENTIAL QUESTION.

all tue Uhlon men IN the HenUSylYanIa
Legislature, will be read with satisfaction
by all the truly loyal Union men in the
nation.
Ia His E,ccel2ency, ABRAHAM LINCOLN,
President Of the United States:
DEAR SIR The undersigned, mem
bers of the Legislature of Pennsylvania,
thus early in the session OF that body, has
ten to congratulate you on the success of
the policy of the National Administration,
and the auspIcious circumstances under
which the second Congress of your term
has been organized When it is fairly
considered that the policy of your Admin
lstratlon was made the issue in the late
elections-when it was known that in the
| contest tor the most important State as
well as the most insignificant municipal
Office, the issue involved all the essential
| principles Of the policy of your Admins
tratlon, the result must be the more highly
| appreciated by the friends of freedom
| abroad, and cheering 10 the defenders of
freedom, the Union and the Constitution
at home. We would be unmindful of the
duty we owe our country, if we hesitated
to acknowledge the force Of that policy In
the elections which placed US in our pres
ept legislative positions. When fcarlessly
advocated and set before the people, it won
us victory in the face of the most persis.
tent and bitter opposition from the foes of
free government. You need not be re.
minded of the effect which the late elec,
ton in Pennsylvania had on the destiny of
the nation The triumph at the ballotbox
aroused the ardor, aud seemed to breathe
fresh val0r into the hearts of our soldiers,
tor the achievement of victory on the bat
tie field. And if the voice of Pennsylva-
MIA became thus potential in endorsing the
policy of your Administration, we consider
that, as the representatives of those who
have so completely endorsed your official
course, we are only responding to their de-
mands when We thus publicly announce
our unshaken preference for your re-elec-
ton to the Presidency in 1864
The hope and the life of the American
people are now centered in the purpose
and the effort of the Government to crush
rebellion In more than two years of
struggle we have discovered that the re-
bellion is continued for an object more i'm
pOrtant than that of redressing even real
wrong. 1t is waged for the establishment
of dogma and the recognition of barba-
rism. 1t is carried on against the Govern
!nent for its absolute destruction. In such
struggle there can be no compromise de
vised to offer or considered for acceptance.
One or the other of the contending parties
must triumph. Justice must be vindica-
ted by the full recognition and operation
of the Government In all the States-or
the claims of the traitors will be maintain
ed, this magnificent structure of our Gov.
ernment destroyed, and the rights of men
forever ignored. To make change in the
Administration, until its authority has been
| fully re established in the reyolted States
would be to give the enemies of the Gov
ernment abroad the pretext for asserting
that the Government had failed at home
To change the policy now in operation, to
crush rebellion and to restore the land to
peace, would be to afford the traitors in
arms time to gather new strength, if not
for immediate victory, at least for ultimate
success in their efforts permanently to dis
| solve the Union. Having a firm faith in
the logic and the reason Of these positions,
| we are frank in our endeavors thus to urge
on you the acceptance of a re election to
the Presidency. We believe that the pol
icy of your Administration rendered US
victorious at our last election, and we now
insist that that policy, if represented by
yourself in all the States, would give vic
| tory to the Government in November,
and thus forever put an end to all hope Of
| the success of treason.
We do not make this communication at
this time to elicit from you any expression
of opinion on this subject. Having conf
dencc in your patriotism, we believe that
| you will abide the decision of the friends
of the Union, and yield consent to any
honorable use which they may deem prop
er to make of your name, in order to Sc
cure the greatest good to the country, and
| the speediest success to our arms. Pennsyl
vania has always welded potent influence
in the politics of the country. Her pref
erences have always been tantamount to
| the success of the statesman to whom she
attaches herself-and her voice has never
failed to give the victory to the right
And while we, the representatives of the
great majority of the masses of the Com,
monwealth, thus avow our confidence and
reliance in your official action and capacity,
we feel that we are responding to the
| clearly expressed preferences of those
masses, and that Pennsylvania would hail
your reelection as the omen of complete
victory to the Government Expressing
what we feel to be the language not only
of our own constituents, but also of the
people of all the loyal States, we claim to
indulge the expectation that you will yield