abraham lincoln and the union-第13章

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edition　and　pressed　him　for　information；　recalling　his　assurance　that　nothing　would　be　done　to　their　disadvantage。　　In　reply；　still　through　a　third　person；　Seward　sent　them　the　famous　message；　over　the　precise　meaning　of　which　great　debate　has　raged：　〃Faith　as　to　Sumter　fully　kept；　wait　and　see。〃　　If　this　infatuated　dreamer　still　believed　he　could　dominate　Lincoln；　still　hoped　at　the　last　moment　to　arrest　the　expedition　to　Charleston；　he　was　doomed　to　bitterest　disappointment。

On　the　9th　of　April；　the　expedition　to　Fort　Sumter　sailed；　but　without；　as　we　have　seen；　the　assistance　of　the　much　needed　warship；　the　Powhatan。　　As　all　the　world　knows；　the　expedition　had　been　too　long　delayed　and　it　accomplished　nothing。　　Before　it　arrived；　the　surrender　of　Sumter　had　been　demanded　and　refused　and　war　had　begun。　　During　the　bombardment　of　Sumter；　the　relief　expedition　appeared　beyond　the　bar；　but　its　commander　had　no　vessels　of　such　a　character　as　to　enable　him　to　carry　aid　to　the　fortress。　　Furthermore；　he　had　not　been　informed　that　the　Powhatan　had　been　detached　from　his　squadron；　and　he　expected　to　meet　her　at　the　mouth　of　the　harbor。　　There　his　ships　lay　idle　until　the　fort　was　surrendered；　waiting　for　the　Powhatanfor　whose　detachment　from　the　squadron　Seward　was　responsible。

To　return　to　the　world　of　intrigue　at　Washington；　however；　it　must　not　be　supposed；　as　is　so　often　done；　that　Fort　Sumter　was　the　one　concern　of　the　new　government　during　its　first　six　weeks。　　In　fact；　the　subject　occupied　but　a　fraction　of　Lincoln's　time。　　Scarcely　second　in　importance　was　that　matter　so　curiously　bound　up　with　the　relief　of　the　fortsthe　getting　in　hand　of　the　strangely　vain　glorious　Secretary　of　State。　　Mention　has　already　been　made　of　All…Fools'　Day；　1861。　　Several　marvelous　things　took　place　on　that　day。　Strangest　of　all　was　the　presentation　of　a　paper　by　the　Secretary　of　State　to　his　chief；　entitled　〃Thoughts　for　the　President's　Consideration〃。　　Whether　it　be　regarded　as　a　state　paper　or　as　a　biographical　detail　in　the　career　of　Seward；　it　proves　to　be　quite　the　most　astounding　thing　in　the　whole　episode。　　The　〃Thoughts〃　outlined　a　course　of　policy　by　which　the　buoyant　Secretary　intended　to　make　good　his　prophecy　of　domestic　peace　within　ninety　days。　Besides　calmly　patronizing　Lincoln；　assuring　him　that　his　lack　of　〃a　policy　either　domestic　or　foreign〃　was　〃not　culpable　and。。。even　unavoidable；〃　the　paper　warned　him　that　〃policies。。。both　domestic　and　foreign〃　must　immediately　be　adopted；　and　it　proceeded　to　point　out　what　they　ought　to　be。　　Briefly　stated；　the　one　true　policy　which　he　advocated　at　home　was　to　evacuate　Sumter　（though　Pickens　for　some　unexplained　reason　might　be　safely　retained）　and　then；　in　order　to　bring　the　Southerners　back　into　the　Union；　to　pick　quarrels　with　both　Spain　and　France；　to　proceed　as　quickly　as　possible　to　war　with　both　powers；　and　to　have　the　ultimate　satisfaction　of　beholding　the　reunion　of　the　country　through　the　general　enthusiasm　that　was　bound　to　come。　　Finally；　the　paper　intimated　that　the　Secretary　of　State　was　the　man　to　carry　this　project　through　to　success。

All　this　is　not　opera　bouffe；　but　serious　history。　　It　must　have　taxed　Lincoln's　sense　of　humor　and　strained　his　sense　of　the　fitness　of　things　to　treat　such　nonsense　with　the　tactful　forbearance　which　he　showed　and　to　relegate　it　to　the　pigeonhole　without　making　Seward　angry。　　Yet　this　he　contrived　to　do；　and　he　also　managed；　gently　but　firmly；　to　make　it　plain　that　the　President　intended　to　exercise　his　authority　as　the　chief　magistrate　of　the　nation。　　His　forbearance　was　further　shown　in　passing　over　without　rebuke　Seward's　part　in　the　affair　of　Sumter；　which　might　so　easily　have　been　made　to　appear　treacherous；　and　in　shouldering　himself　with　all　responsibility　for　the　failure　of　the　Charleston　expedition。　　In　the　wave　of　excitement　following　the　surrender；　even　so　debonair　a　minister　as　Seward　must　have　realized　how　fortunate　it　was　for　him　that　his　chief　did　not　tell　all　he　knew。　　About　this　time　Seward　began　to　perceive　that　Lincoln　had　a　will　of　his　own；　and　that　it　was　not　safe　to　trifle　further　with　the　President。　　Seward　thereupon　ceased　his　interference。

It　was　in　the　dark　days　preceding　the　fall　of　Sumter　that　a　crowd　of　office…seekers　gathered　at　Washington；　most　of　them　men　who　had　little　interest　in　anything　but　the　spoils。　　It　is　a　distressing　commentary　on　the　American　party　system　that；　during　the　most　critical　month　of　the　most　critical　period　of　American　history；　much　of　the　President's　time　was　consumed　by　these　political　vampires　who　would　not　be　put　off；　even　though　a　revolution　was　in　progress　and　nations；　perhaps；　were　dying　and　being　born。　　〃The　scramble　for　office；〃　wrote　Stanton；　〃is　terrible。〃　　Seward　noted　privately：　〃Solicitants　for　office　besiege　the　President。。。。　　My　duties　call　me　to　the　White　House　two　or　three　times　a　day。　　The　grounds；　halls；　stairways；　closets；　are　filled　with　applicants　who　render　ingress　and　egress　difficult。〃

Secretary　Welles　has　etched　the　Washington　of　that　time　in　his　coldly　scornful　way：

〃A　strange　state　of　things　existed　at　that　time　in　Washington。　The　atmosphere　was　thick　with　treason。　　Party　spirit　and　old　party　differences　prevailed；　however；　amidst　these　accumulated　dangers。　Secession　was　considered　by　most　persons　as　a　political　party　question；　not　as　rebellion。　　Democrats　to　a　large　extent　sympathized　with　the　Rebels　more　than　with　the　Administration；　which　they　opposed；　not　that　they　wished　Secession　to　be　successful　and　the　Union　divided；　but　they　hoped　that　President　Lincoln　and　the　Republicans　would；　overwhelmed　by　obstacles　and　embarrassments；　prove　failures。　　The　Republicans　on　the　other　hand；　were　scarcely　less　partisan　and　unreasonable。　　Patriotism　was　with　them　no　test；　no　shield　from　party　malevolence。　　They　demanded　the　proscription　and　exclusion　of　such　Democrats　as　opposed　the　Rebel　movement　and　clung　to　the　Union；　with　the　same　vehemence　that　they　demanded　the　removal　of　the　worst　Rebels　who　advocated　a　dissolution　of　the　Union。　　Neither　party　appeared　to　be　apprehensive　of；　or　to　realize　the　gathering　storm。〃

Seen　against　such　a　background；　the　political　and　diplomatic　frivolity　of　the　Secretary　of　State　is　not　so　inexplicable　as　it　would　otherwise　be。　　This　background；　as　well　as　the　intrigue　of　the　Secretary；　helps　us　to　understand　Lincoln's　great　task　inside　his　Cabinet。　　At　first　the　Cabinet　was　a　group　of　jealous　politicians　new　to　this　sort　of　office；　drawn　from　different　parties；　and　totally　lacking　in　a　cordial　sense　of　previous　action　together。　　None　of　them；　probably；　when　they　first　assembled　had　any　high　opinion　of　their　titular　head。　　He　was　looked　upon　as　a　political　makeshift。　　The　best　of　them　had　to　learn　to　appreciate　the　fact　that　this　strange；　ungainly　man；　sprung　from　plainest　origin；　without　formal　education；　was　a　great　genius。　　By　degrees；　however；　the　large　minds　in　the　Cabinet　became　his　cordial　admirers。　　While　Lincoln　was　quietly；　gradually　exercising　his　strong　will　upon　Seward；　he　was　doing　the　same　with　the　other　members　of　his　council。　　Presently　they　awokethe　majority　of　them　at　leastto　the　truth　that　he；　for　all　his　odd　ways；　was　their　master。

Meanwhile　the　gradual　readjustment　of　all　factions　in　the　North　was　steadily　going　forward。　　The　Republicans　were　falling　into　line　behind　the　Government；　and　by　degrees　the　distinction　between　Seward　and　Lincoln；　in　the　popular　mind；　faded　into　a　sort　of　composite　picture　called　〃the　Administration。〃　　Lincoln　had　the　reward　of　his　long　forbearance　with　his　Secretary。　　For　Seward　it　must　be　said　that；　however　he　had　intrigued　against　his　chief　at　Washington；　he　did　not　intrigue　with　the　country。　　Admitting　as　he　had；　too；　that　he　had　met　his　master；　he　took　the　defeat　as　a　good　sportsman　and　threw　all　his　vast　party　influence　into　the　scale　for　Lincoln's　fortunes。　　Thus；　as　April　wore　on；　the　Republican　party　settled　down　to　the　idea　that　it　was　to　follow　the　Government　at　Washington　upon　any　course　that　might　develop。

The　Democrats　in　the　North　were　anti…Southern　in　larger　proportion；　probably；　than　at　any　other　time　during　the　struggle　of　the　sections。　　We　have　seen　that　numbers　of　them　had　frankly　declared　for　the　Union。　　Politics　had　proved　weaker　than　propinquity。　There　was　a　moment　when　it　seemeddelusively；　as　events　provedthat　the　North　was　united　as　one　man　to　oppose　the　South。

There　is　surely　not　another　day　in　our　history　that　has　witnessed　so　much　nervous　tension　as　Saturday；　April　13；　1861；　for　on　that　morning　the　newspapers　electrified　the　North　with　the　news　that　Sumter　had　been　fired　on　from　Confederate　batteries　on　the　shore　of　Charleston　Harbor。　　In　the　South　the　issue　was　awaited　confidently；　but　many　minds　at　least　were　in　that　state　of　awed　suspense　natural　to　a　moment　which　the　thoughtful　see　is　the　stroke　of　fate。　　In　the　North；　the　day　passed　for　the　most　part　in　a　quiet　so　breathless　that　even　the　most　careless　could　have　foretold　the　storm　which　broke　on　the　following　day。　　The　account　of　this　crisis　which　has　been　given　by　Lincoln's　private　secretary　is　interesting：

〃That　day　there　was　little　change　in　the　business　routine　of　the　Executive　office。　　Mr。　Lincoln　was　never　liable　to　sudden　excitement　or　sudden　activity。。。。　　So　while　the　Sumter　telegrams　were　on　every　tongue。。。leading　men　and　officials　called　to　learn　or　impart　the　news。　　The　Cabinet；　as　by　common　impulse；　came　together　and　deliberated。　　All　talk；　however；　was　brief；　sententious；　formal。　　Lincoln　said　but　little　beyond　making　inquiries　about　the　current　reports　and　criticizing　the　probability　or　accuracy　of　their　details；　and　went　on　as　usual　receiving　visitors；　listening　to　suggestions；　and　signing　routine　papers　throughout　the　day。〃　　Meanwhile　the　cannon　were　booming　at　Charleston。　　The　people　came　out　on　the　sea…front　of　the　lovely　old　city　and　watched　the　duel　of　the　cannon　far　down　the　harbor；　and　spoke　joyously　of　the　great　event。　　They　saw　the　shells　of　the　shore　batteries　ignite　portions　of　the　fortress　on　the　island。　They　watched　the　fire　of　the　defendersdriven　by　the　flames　into　a　restricted　areaslacken　and　cease。　　At　last　the　flag　of　the　Union　fluttered　down　from　above　Fort　Sumter。

When　the　news　flashed　over　the　North；　early　Sunday　morning；　April　14th；　the　tension　broke。　　For　many　observers　then　and　afterward；　the　only　North　discernible　that　fateful　Sabbath　was　an　enraged；　defiant；　impulsive　nation；　forgetful　for　the　moment　of　all　its　differences；　and　uniting　all　its　voices　in　one　hoarse　cry　for　vengeance。　　There　seemed　to　be　no　other　thought。　　Lincoln　gave　it　formal　utterance；　that　same　day；　by　assembling　his　Cabinet　and　drawing　up　a　proclamation　which　called　for　75；000　volunteer　troops。

An　incident　of　this　day　which　is　as　significant　historically　as　any　other　was　on　the　surface　no　more　than　a　friendly　talk　between　two　men。　　Douglas　called　at　the　White　House。　　For　nearly　two　hours　he　and　Lincoln　conferred　in　private。　　Hitherto　it　had　been　a　little　uncertain　what　course　Douglas　was　going　to　take。　　In　the　Senate；　though　condemning　disunion；　he　had　opposed　war。　　Few　matters　can　have　troubled　Lincoln　more　deeply　than　the　question　which　way　Douglas's　immense　influence　would