abraham lincoln and the union-第16章

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pon　the　exclusive　foundation　of　human　bondage。　　They　will　rejoice　with　me　in　the　new　evidence　which　your　proceedings　furnish　that　the　magnanimity　they　are　exhibiting　is　justly　estimated　by　the　true　friends　of　freedom　and　humanity　in　foreign　countries。〃

Written　at　the　opening　of　that　terrible　year；　1863；　these　words　are　a　forward　link　with　those　more　celebrated　words　spoken　toward　its　close　at　Gettysburg。　　Perhaps　at　no　time　during　the　war；　except　during　the　few　days　immediately　following　his　own　reelection　a　year　later；　did　Lincoln　come　so　near　being　free　from　care　as　then。　　Perhaps　that　explains　why　his　fundamental　literary　power　reasserted　itself　so　remarkably；　why　this　speech　of　his　at　the　dedication　of　the　National　Cemetery　at　Gettysburg　on　the　19th　of　November；　1863；　remains　one　of　the　most　memorable　orations　ever　delivered：

〃Fourscore　and　seven　years　ago　our　fathers　brought　forth　upon　this　continent　a　new　nation；　conceived　in　liberty；　and　dedicated　to　the　proposition　that　all　men　are　created　equal。

〃Now　we　are　engaged　in　a　great　civil　war；　testing　whether　that　nation；　or　any　nation　so　conceived　and　so　dedicated；　can　long　endure。　　We　are　met　on　a　great　battlefield　of　that　war。　　We　have　come　to　dedicate　a　portion　of　that　field　as　a　final　resting…place　for　those　who　here　gave　their　lives　that　that　nation　might　live。　It　is　altogether　fitting　and　proper　that　we　should　do　this。

〃But　in　a　larger　sense　we　cannot　dedicate；　we　cannot　consecrate；　we　cannot　hallow　this　ground。　　The　brave　men；　living　and　dead；　who　struggled　here；　have　consecrated　it　far　above　our　power　to　add　or　detract。　　The　world　will　little　note　nor　long　remember　what　we　say　here；　but　it　can　never　forget　what　they　did　here。　　It　is　for　us；　the　living；　rather；　to　be　dedicated　here　to　the　unfinished　work　which　they　who　fought　here　have　thus　far　so　nobly　advanced。　　It　is　rather　for　us　to　be　here　dedicated　to　the　great　task　remaining　before　us：　that　from　these　honored　dead　we　take　increased　devotion　to　that　cause　for　which　they　gave　the　last　full　measure　of　devotion；　that　we　here　highly　resolve　that　these　dead　shall　not　have　died　in　vain；　that　this　nation；　under　God；　shall　have　a　new　birth　of　freedom；　and　that　government　of　the　people；　by　the　people；　and　for　the　people；　shall　not　perish　from　the　earth。〃



CHAPTER　VIII。　THE　RULE　OF　LINCOLN

The　fundamental　problem　of　the　Lincoln　Government　was　the　raising　of　armies；　the　sudden　conversion　of　a　community　which　was　essentially　industrial　into　a　disciplined　military　organization。　The　accomplishment　of　so　gigantic　a　transformation　taxed　the　abilities　of　two　Secretaries　of　War。　　The　first；　Simon　Cameron；　owed　his　place　in　the　Cabinet　to　the　double　fact　of　being　one　of　the　ablest　of　political　bosses　and　of　standing　high　among　Lincoln's　competitors　for　the　Presidential　nomination。　　Personally　honest；　he　was　also　a　political　cynic　to　whom　tradition　ascribes　the　epigram　defining　an　honest　politician　as　one　who　〃when　he　is　bought；　will　stay　bought。〃　　As　Secretary　of　War　he　showed　no　particular　ability。

In　1861；　when　the　tide　of　enthusiasm　was　in　flood；　and　volunteers　in　hosts　were　responding　to　acts　of　Congress　for　the　raising　and　maintenance　of　a　volunteer　army；　Cameron　reported　in　December　that　the　Government　had　on　foot　660；971　men　and　could　have　had　a　million　except　that　Congress　had　limited　the　number　of　volunteers　to　be　received。　　When　this　report　was　prepared；　Lincoln　was；　so　to　speak；　in　the　trough　of　two　seas。　　The　devotion　which　had　been　offered　to　him　in　April；　1861；　when　the　North　seemed　to　rise　as　one　man；　had　undergone　a　reaction。　　Eight　months　without　a　single　striking　military　success；　together　with　the　startling　defeat　at　Bull　Run；　had　had　their　inevitable　effect。　　Democracies　are　mercurial；　variability　seems　to　be　part　of　the　price　of　freedom。　With　childlike　faith　in　their　cause；　the　Northern　people；　in　midsummer；　were　crying；　〃On　to　Richmond！〃　　In　the　autumn；　stung　by　defeat；　they　were　ready　to　cry；　〃Down　with　Lincoln。〃

In　a　subsequent　report；　the　War　Department　confessed　that　at　the　beginning　of　hostilities；　〃nearly　all　our　arms　and　ammunition〃　came　from　foreign　countries。　　One　great　reason　why　no　military　successes　relieve　the　gloom　of　1861　was　that；　from　a　soldier's　point　of　view；　there　were　no　armies。　　Soldiers；　it　is　true；　there　were　in　myriads；　but　arms；　ammunition；　and　above　all；　organization　were　lacking。　　The　supplies　in　the　government　arsenals　had　been　provided　for　an　army　of　but　a　few　thousand。　　Strive　as　they　would；　all　the　factories　in　the　country　could　not　come　anywhere　near　making　arms　for　half　a　million　men；　nor　did　the　facilities　of　those　days　make　it　possible　for　munition　plants　to　spring　up　overnight。　　Had　it　not　been　that　the　Confederacy　was　equally　hard　pushed；　even　harder　pushed；　to　find　arms　and　ammunition；　the　war　would　have　ended　inside　Seward's　ninety　days；　through　sheer　lack　of　powder。

Even　with　the　respite　given　by　the　unpreparedness　of　the　South；　and　while　Lincoln　hurriedly　collected　arms　and　ammunition　from　abroad；　the　startled　nation；　thus　suddenly　forced　into　a　realization　of　what　war　meant；　lost　its　head。　　From　its　previous　reckless　trust　in　sheer　enthusiasm；　it　reacted　to　a　distrust　of　almost　everything。　　Why　were　the　soldiers　not　armed？　　Why　did　not　millions　of　rounds　of　cartridges　fall　like　manna　out　of　the　sky？　Why　did　not　the　crowds　of　volunteers　become　armies　at　a　word　of　command？　　One　of　the　darkest　pages　in　American　history　records　the　way　in　which　the　crowd；　undisciplined　to　endure　strain；　turned　upon　Lincoln　in　its　desire　to　find　in　the　conduct　of　their　leader　a　pretext　for　venting　upon　him　the　fierceness　of　their　anxiety。　Such　a　pretext　they　found　in　his　treatment　of　Fremont。

The　singular　episode　of　Fremont's　arrogance　in　1861　is　part　of　the　story　of　the　border　States　whose　friendship　was　eagerly　sought　by　both　sidesMaryland；　Kentucky；　Missouri；　and　those　mountainous　counties　which　in　time　were　to　become　West　Virginia。　　To　retain　Maryland　and　thus　to　keep　open　the　connection　between　the　Capital　and　the　North　was　one　of　Lincoln's　deepest　anxieties。　　By　degrees　the　hold　of　the　Government　in　Maryland　was　made　secure；　and　the　State　never　seceded。　　Kentucky；　too；　held　to　the　Union；　though；　during　many　anxious　months　in　1861；　Lincoln　did　not　know　whether　this　State　was　to　be　for　him　or　against　him。　　The　Virginia　mountains；　from　the　first；　seemed　a　more　hopeful　field；　for　the　mountaineers　had　opposed　the　Virginia　secession　and；　as　soon　as　it　was　accomplished；　had　begun　holding　meetings　of　protest。　　In　the　meantime　George　B。　McClellan；　with　the　rank　of　general　bestowed　upon　him　by　the　Federal　Government；　had　been　appointed　to　command　the　militia　of　Ohio。　　He　was　sent　to　assist　the　insurgent　mountaineers；　and　with　him　went　the　Ohio　militia。　　From　this　situation　and　from　the　small　engagements　with　Confederate　forces　in　which　McClellan　was　successful；　there　resulted　the　separate　State　of　West　Virginia　and　the　extravagant　popular　notion　that　McClellan　was　a　great　general。　　His　successes　were　contrasted　in　the　ordinary　mind　with　the　crushing　defeat　at　Bull　Run；　which　happened　at　about　the　same　time。

The　most　serious　of　all　these　struggles　in　the　border　States；　however；　was　that　which　took　place　in　Missouri；　where；　owing　to　the　strength　of　both　factions　and　their　promptness　in　organizing；　real　war　began　immediately。　　A　Union　army　led　by　General　Nathaniel　Lyon　attacked　the　Confederates　with　great　spirit　at　Wilson's　Creek　but　was　beaten　back　in　a　fierce　and　bloody　battle　in　which　their　leader　was　killed。

Even　before　these　events　Fremont　had　been　appointed　to　chief　command　in　Missouri；　and　here　he　at　once　began　a　strange　course　of　dawdling　and　posing。　　His　military　career　must　be　left　to　the　military　historianswho　have　not　ranked　him　among　the　great　generals。　　Civil　history　accuses　him；　if　not　of　using　his　new　position　to　make　illegitimate　profits；　at　least　of　showing　reckless　favoritism　toward　those　who　did。　　It　is　hardly　unfair　to　say　that　Lincoln；　in　bearing　with　Fremont　as　long　as　he　did；　showed　a　touch　of　amiable　weakness；　and　yet；　it　must　be　acknowledged　that　the　President　knew　that　the　country　was　in　a　dangerous　mood；　that　Fremont　was　immensely　popular；　and　that　any　change　might　be　misunderstood。　　Though　Lincoln　hated　to　appear　anything　but　a　friend　to　a　fallen　political　rival；　he　was　at　last　forced　to　act。　　Frauds　in　government　contracts　at　St。　Louis　were　a　public　scandal；　and　the　reputation　of　the　government　had　to　be　saved　by　the　removal　of　Fremont　in　November；　1861。　　As　an　immediate　consequence　of　this　action　the　overstrained　nerves　of　great　numbers　of　people　snapped。　　Fremont's　personal　followers；　as　well　as　the　abolitionists　whom　he　had　actively　supported　while　in　command　in　Missouri；　and　all　that　vast　crowd　of　excitable　people　who　are　unable　to　stand　silent　under　strain；　clamored　against　Lincoln　in　the　wildest　and　most　absurd　vein。　　He　was　accused　of　being　a　〃dictator〃；　he　was　called　an　〃imbecile〃；　he　ought　to　be　impeached；　and　a　new　party；　with　Fremont　as　its　leader；　should　be　formed　to　prosecute　the　war。　　But　through　all　this　clamor　Lincoln　kept　his　peace　and　let　the　heathen　rage。

Toward　the　end　of　the　year；　popular　rage　turned　suddenly　on　Cameron；　who；　as　Secretary　of　War；　had　taken　an　active　but　proper　part　in　the　investigation　of　Fremont's　conduct。　　It　was　one　of　those　tremulous　moments　when　people　are　desperately　eager　to　have　something　done　and　are　ready　to　believe　anything。　　Though　McClellan；　now　in　chief　command　of　the　Union　forces；　had　an　immense　army　which　was　fast　getting　properly　equipped；　month　faded　into　month　without　his　advancing　against　the　enemy。　Again　the　popular　cry　was　raised；　〃On　to　Richmond！〃　　It　was　at　this　moment　of　military　inactivity　and　popular　restlessness　that　charges　of　peculation　were　brought　forward　against　Cameron。

These　charges　both　were　and　were　not　well　founded。　　Himself　a　rich　man；　it　is　not　likely　that　Cameron　profited　personally　by　government　contracts；　even　though　the　acrimonious　Thad　Stevens　said　of　his　appointment　as　Secretary　that　it　would　add　〃another　million　to　his　fortune。〃　　There　seems　little　doubt；　however；　that　Cameron　showered　lucrative　contracts　upon　his　political　retainers。　And　no　boss　has　ever　held　the　State　of　Pennsylvania　in　a　firmer　grip。　　His　tenure　of　the　Secretaryship　of　War　was　one　means　to　that　end。

The　restless　alarm　of　the　country　at　large　expressed　itself　in　such　extravagant　words　as　these　which　Senator　Grimes　wrote　to　Senator　Fessenden：　〃We　are　going　to　destruction　as　fast　as　imbecility；　corruption；　and　the　wheels　of　time　can　carry　us。〃　　So　dissatisfied；　indeed；　was　Congress　with　the　conduct　of　the　war　that　it　appointed　a　committee　of　investigation。　　During　December；　1861；　and　January；　1862；　the　committee　was　summoning　generals　before　it；　questioning　them；　listening　to　all　manner　of　views；　accomplishing　nothing；　but　rendering　more　and　more　feverish　an　atmosphere　already　surcharged　with　anxiety。　　On　the　floors　of　Congress　debate　raged　as　to　who　was　responsible　for　the　military　inactionfor　the　country's　〃unpreparedness；〃　we　should　say　today　and　as　to　whether　Cameron　was　honest。　　Eventually　the　House　in　a　vote　of　censure　condemned　the　Secretary　of　War。

Long　before　this　happened；　h