American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1864-03-30

The Presidency.
The Democracy, driven to the wall,
seem to be becoming desperate in their
" stragetic" efforts to find an available
candidate for the Presidency, and in de-
fault of such an individual in their own
party, they are looking to our party to
furnish the candidate for them. They
have gone so far. even, as to name Ere
mont. Should such a course be decided
upon by a majority of the party, the first
plank in their platform would, of necessi-
ty, be universal freedom-a strange plank
in the platform of that party which for
the last twenty years of its existence, has
spent its best efforts in fastening slavery
on the nation. But should they ever go
this far, (for they would do anything for
power,) they would, before obtaining Ere
mont's consent, have to allow him the
same privilege in choosing his constitution
al advisors, which they exercised in choos-
ing their candidate-the privilege of seek
ing them outside the Democratic party
Norris it likely that even then, he would
allow them the use of his name.
We have noticed the suggestion from
an unexpected quarter, that it might be
better for the Republicans to let Fremont
90 into this new alliance-that it would in
all probability, rid our party of the ul-
tras'-that their places would be filed
with conservative democrats. We must
confess to some astonishment, at this con-
serratige thought. We had thought that
the days of conservatism were passed, at
least in the Republican party; nor do we
feel like reversing that opinion now.
Certainly we could not afford to lose the
influence of Gen. Fremont's friends.at this
time. Their withdrawal would destroy
that equilibrium which has been so use
full in properly directing the action of our
party In short, should those who SYM
pathzie with the radical sentiments of
Fremont, be elected from the Republican
party the party would be unable to
sustain the policy of Lincoln's admins
traticn for single day. The truth is,
their principles are identical. Fremont,
it is true, may have adopted his radical
views in advance of Lincoln, but the lat
ter, following public sentiment, has al
ways been close behind him. Fremont,
as our standard bearer, in 1856, was the
representative of the non-extension of sla-
very. AS carly as 1858 Lincoln declared
that the agitation of the slavery question
would not cease, until the public mind was
satisfied that it was in a state of cult
mate extinction" Since then, he has
earnestly appealed to the border States to
adopt compensated emancipation, has
signed the bill abolishing Slavery in the
District of Columbia-has signed bills
prohibiting Slavery in all the Territories
of the United States-has issued Proc
lamation freeing over three million of
slaves, and has declared that those slaves
shall foreoer remain free. In addition to
all this, he is now using the influence of
his Administration for the procurement
of free State Constitutions in all the re-
volted States. A singular man indeed for
would be conservatives to rally round
Did we believe for moment, that Mr..
Lincoln was more conservative than Gen.
Fremont, we would not have his name at
the head of our column We believe that
this is the time to strike at the root of
whatever We find wrong. We favor the
reelection Of Mr., Lincoln, because upon