Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-02-27
IF WE HAD HAD THE RECALL
FIFTY YEARS AGO.


Oregon plan prevailed in national at
that Lincoln would not have been re-
called? During the dark days when
disaster followed defeat Of the union
army, his cabinet members lukewar1n
or disloyal toward his fortunes, news.
papers and magazines discrediting him
the people wavering and falling away,
this great man stood alone"
The foregoing is from an address on
direct Government" by John w.
Lewis of Ottumwa, Iowa, which the
Constitutional Government club of that
city is circulating. And the thought it
suggests is SOLDERING to all who reflect
on how narrowly this country has
escaped the greatest dangers.
Mr.. Lewis undoubtedly exaggerates
the situation somewhat. He Is too
sweeping in his phase concerning the
attitude Of Lincoln's cabinet. There
were still faithful souls there who be-
lieved in him as well as his cause.
But let us consider the situation at
the end Of 1852. In all conscience the
outlook was dark enough. In the chief
theater of war, the area between
Washington and Richmond, Mcdowell
had failed, Mcclellan had deliberately
failed, Pope had failed, Burnside had
failed, Hooker was about to fail. The
Army of the Potomac was having five
commanders in year.
In the elections of 1862 the oppon-
ents of the administration and of tue
war had Increased their strength in
the house from forty-two to eighty. The
presidents party had lost but three Of
its own votes, but there had been q
concentration against 1t Of formerly
divided opposition.
With the opening Of 1863 came more
reverses. The emancipation procla-
by convinced unionists, but gave to
of ammunition. A systematic news
paper crusade was launched against
the patient man in the white house.
Stump orators denounced him as
"King Lincoln" urged the people to
"rise in their might and hurl the ty-
rant from his throne" One such was
rewarded with a nomination for gov
ernor!
This climax of insult, the nomination
of Vallandigham for governor of Ohio,
was reached on June II, only twenty
four days before secession rose to high
tide at Gettysburg. But suppose that
during the failures of the summer of
1862 and the gloom Of the winter and
spring that followed it had been posi-
Bile, by five per cent petition, to force
Abraham Lincoln to recall" cleo
ton?
AS we contemplate the possibilities
we remember that as late as
Nov. 8, 1864, there were found 1885,, 1885
American citizens to vote to eject
Abraham Lincoln from the task of saw
ing his country on The ground that
"the war is failure''-we may well
give thanks with Mr.. Lewis that
"Our constitutional form Of govern
rnent then striikngly illustrated the
wisdom of it's trainers who secured the
faithful executive against the passing
storm of resentment, tie feeting cloud
CT discourage cement enabling him brave
Iy to hold on his course until unfolding
events and the sober second thought
should bring vindication."
Had we been afflicted fifty years ago
with these socialist panaceas-had the
wisdom of the fathers left us free to
be ruled by first impulse instead OF
constrained to give the sober second
thought to our political acts-who can
doubt that Abraham Lincoln would
have been "recalled?'