The Portland daily press., 1872-11-22
ANYTHING to Beat Lincoln.

ANY suluS 10 Deaf LiuCOlu.
Those whom private engagements prevent
from specially noticing political movements
as they occur, or from accurately remember
ing them afterwards, may forget that,attempts
by dissatisfied, disappointed Republican poll
ticians to control the Presidential nomina-
tions OF the party; or, failing in that, 10
unite with the Democracy upon SUCH can
didate from the ranks of the malcontents rs
would apparently be most likely to defeat the
regular Republican nominee-are nothing
new in the history Of our organization; but
journalists whose business it is to chronicle
current events can but recolect that the larg-
er number and most prominent of those who
have been movers behind the opposition
scenes during the campaign just closed, at
tempted to have the same farce put upon the
political stage in 1864; but the country was
then too intent upon the tragedy transacting
in its presence, in the deaoument of which it
had such vital interest, to be diverted by
any such mummery: and the Democratic
party was too confident then Of its own
strength and of its ability to Ego it alone" to
accede to the proposals made to it.
But the proposition to prevent Mr.. Lin
coins denomination, or to defeat it, at what
ever hazard, ii made,-was as strongly sup
ported in the Republican ranks as was the
similar position this year with relation to Gen
Grant. One ignorant of, or ignoring the past
would suppose that the factious course pur-
sued by the so called Liberal Republicans was
properly attributable to the personal charac-
teristics of the present President and would
not have been followed had the personal hab-
its and constitution of the incumbent been
different; but we see it was paraleled by the
action of many of these same men, and of
their prototypes, Or confreres, with reference to
Mr.. Lincoln. Then in 1864, as in 1872, Hor-
ace Greeley wrote to various governors and
prominent Republican politicians-alter Mr..
Lincolns nomination-to see if it were not
advisable to drop him and substitute some
more available candidate ON whom the whole
editor of the Tribune; and men of prominence
like Sumner, Ben Wade, Henry Winter Da-
Wis and others seconded the call-these last
from patriotic considerations, doubtless, but
many more from meaner motives. Then as
now, as Mr.. Raymond expresses it in his
life of Lincoln, page 54S; "Many distinguished
public men resented his (Lincoln's) rejection
of their advice, and many more had been
aienated by his inability to recognize their
claims to Office. The most riolent opposition
came from those pho had been most persistent
and most cLamor0us In their e1actions''-the
Tiptons and Trumbulls of that day. The first
suggestion was the name of Salmon P. Chase.
but the people did not enthuse over it at all.
Then, to forestall the action of the regular
Republican Convention called to meet at Bal
timore, June 9Th, 1884, another meeting of
Republicans was summoned at Cleveland,
May 31st 1884; just as they tried last spring
to anticipate Philadelphia at Cincinnati; and
two more pronunciamentoes were issued by
the Germans of Missouri and the Radical
Abolitionists OF the East to urge attendance
at this dissenters' assembly. An effort was
made to bring forward Gen. Grant, but it was
found he probably would not stand. That
vehement and rhetorical liberal, Gen. Jno.
Cochrane, presided over this conglomerate
gathering which had no constituency and no
claim for popular support. 1t nominated
Gen. Fremont for the presidency and Gen.
Cochrane for Vice, and took the high-sound-
ing title Of 'sThe Radical Democracy" That
was less than ten years ago; yet we doubt it
one man in thousand recollects the exist
enee of such a party; or if one man in
hundred of those Who voted for Fremont in
1856 recollects that he was ever again put in
nomination for the Presidency by any con-
vention.
A delegation of professed Republicans at
tended the Democratic National Convention
at Chicago, August goth, 1854 to induce the
nomination of some Republican and the
adoption of platform on which he and his
dissatisfied fellows could unite with the De-
mocracy in opposition to Lincoln; but the
disasters of the country seemed to the Cop
perheads to be their peculiar opportunity, so
they rejected these overtures and nominated
the great American kesitator-McC lellaa-
upon an anti-war platform, declaring "the
war is a failure" After that-Gen. FIRE.
mont having in his original acceptance re-
served the righs to retire if the Republicans
nominated anybody except Lincoln-the
friends of Gen. Fremont wrote to him to
know if he would withdraw provided Mr..
Lincoln would, in order to harmonic the
party upon some one acceptable to all. FIRE.
mont replied that he did not know as he
would be justified in then withdrawing, even
in that contingency; but little later he
wisely concluded to withdraw, even though
Mr. Lincoln would not Thus we see the
same attempt to coerce the party in its
original nomination in 1854 as in 1872; the
same purpose to compel the withdrawal of
its chosen candidate, with like unsuccessful
result. If the Democrats had persisted in
nominating man from their own ranks and
Greeley had initiated Fremont's example in
retiring, the parellel would have held through
out, as it does in the triumphant ratification
of the action Of the Republican conventions
in adhering to the popular choice unterrified
by threats or warnings. The Democrats
adopt in 1872 the course proposed in 1864
and in 1868, but take nothing by that mo-
ton. We see that the cry Anything to
beat Lincoln" was the precursor of "Any-
thing to beat Grant"