Indiana State Sentinel

The Next Presidency—what are the claims of Mr. Lincoln to a re-election?

Under this head the New York Herald thus discusses the claims of Mr. Lincoln to a re-election:

What has President Lincoln done to entitle him to a re-election? We contend that he has done nothing to earn this high distinction, but that, on the contrary, in the conduct of the war, his deplorable mismanagement of our most important armies, with the disastrous and alarming consequences, have furnished evidence 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 a re-established Union.

"The rebellion, with the occupation of Richmond, 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 loss of the national cause of millions of Union men in the rebellious States. The rebellion, we have every reason to believe, would have been reduced to a 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But, again, there was a fair prospect of the capture of Richmond before the expiration of the year, when McClellan was superseded in his command and General Burnside was moved forward to his dreadful defeat at Fredericksburg, only to be followed six months later by the still more sanguinary and profitless campaign of Gen. Hooker to Chancellorsville.

But, yet again, there was a splendid opportunity offered for a decisive blow to the rebellion when, from its terrible defeat at Gettysburg, the shattered rebel arms of Virginia was hemmed in by the swollen Potomac in front and our victorious forces in the rear. That opportunity, however, was lost while Gen. Meade was awaiting orders from Washington. He thus waited yet another day, only to find in the morning that the enemy had slipped off in the night. From the first Bull Run to this escape of the enemy from Williamsport we may trace the responsibility for all this chapter of disasters and failures to President Lincoln, as the practical Commander-in-Chief of the Army of the Potomac and our other armies operating around Washington.

Thus, having had his hands full as an acting military leader, President Lincoln has had no time to spare in managing the plans and details connected with our armies in the West, for which the country has occasion to be devoutly thankful."