my memories of eighty years-第12节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


iagara　Falls；　on　the　Canadian　side；　and　either　they　or　their　friends　gave　out　that　they　were　there　to　treat　for　peace。　In　reference　to　them　Mr。　Lincoln　said　to　me：　　〃This　effort　was　to　inflame　the　peace　sentiment　of　the　North；　to　embarrass　the　administration；　and　to　demoralize　the　army；　and　in　a　way　it　was　successful。　　Mr。　Greeley　was　hammering　at　me　to　take　action　for　peace　and　said　that　unless　I　met　these　men　every　drop　of　blood　that　was　shed　and　every　dollar　that　was　spent　I　would　be　responsible　for；　that　it　would　be　a　blot　upon　my　conscience　and　soul。　　I　wrote　a　letter　to　Mr。　Greeley　and　said　to　him　that　those　two　ex…United　States　senators　were　Whigs　and　old　friends　of　his；　personally　and　politically；　and　that　I　desired　him　to　go　to　Niagara　Falls　and　find　out　confidentially　what　their　credentials　were　and　let　me　know。〃

The　president　stated　that　instead　of　Mr。　Greeley　doing　it　that　way；　he　went　there　as　an　ambassador；　and　with　an　array　of　reporters　established　himself　on　the　American　side　and　opened　negotiations　with　these　two　alleged　envoys　across　the　bridge。　　Continuing；　Mr。　Lincoln　said：　　〃I　had　reason　to　believe　from　confidential　information　which　I　had　received　from　a　man　I　trusted　and　who　had　interviewed　Jefferson　Davis；　the　president　of　the　Confederacy；　that　these　envoys　were　without　authority；　because　President　Davis　had　said　to　this　friend　of　mine　and　of　his　that　he　would　treat　on　no　terms　whatever　but　on　absolute　recognition　of　the　independence　of　the　Southern　Confederacy。　　The　attention　of　the　whole　country　and　of　the　army　centred　on　these　negotiations　at　Niagara　Falls；　and　to　stop　the　harm　they　were　doing　I　recalled　Mr。　Greeley　and　issued　my　proclamation　'To　Whom　It　May　Concern；'　in　which　I　stated　if　there　was　anybody　or　any　delegation　at　Niagara　Falls；　or　anywhere　else；　authorized　to　represent　the　Southern　Confederacy　and　to　treat　for　peace；　they　had　free　conduct　and　safety　to　Washington　and　return。　　Of　course；　they　never　came；　because　their　mission　was　a　subterfuge。　　But　they　made　Greeley　believe　in　them；　and　the　result　is　that　he　is　still　attacking　me　for　needlessly　prolonging　the　war　for　purposes　of　my　own。〃

At　a　Cabinet　meeting　one　of　the　members　said　to　Mr。　Lincoln：　〃Mr。　President；　why　don't　you　write　a　letter　to　the　public　stating　these　facts；　and　that　will　end　Mr。　Greeley's　attacks？〃　　The　president　answered：　　〃Mr。　Greeley　owns　a　daily　newspaper；　a　very　widely　circulated　and　influential　one。　　I　have　no　newspaper。　　The　press　of　the　country　would　print　my　letter；　and　so　would　the　New　York　Tribune。　　In　a　little　while　the　public　would　forget　all　about　it；　and　then　Mr。　Greeley　would　begin　to　prove　from　my　own　letter　that　he　was　right；　and　I；　of　course；　would　be　helpless　to　reply。〃　　He　brought　the　Cabinet　around　to　unanimous　agreement　with　him　by　telling　one　of　his　characteristic　stories。

This　affair　and　the　delays　in　the　prosecution　of　the　war　had　created　a　sentiment　early　in　1864　that　the　re…election　of　Mr。　Lincoln　was　impossible。　　The　leaders　of　both　the　conservative　and　the　radical　elements　in　the　Republican　party；　Mr。　Weed；　on　the　one　hand；　and　Mr。　Greeley；　on　the　other；　frankly　told　the　president　that　he　could　not　be　re…elected；　and　his　intimate　friend；　Congressman　Elihu　B。　Washburne；　after　a　canvass　of　the　country；　gave　him　the　same　information。

Then　came　the　spectacular　victory　of　Farragut　at　Mobile　and　the　triumphant　march　of　Sherman　through　Georgia；　and　the　sentiment　of　the　country　entirely　changed。　　There　was　an　active　movement　on　foot　in　the　interest　of　the　secretary　of　the　treasury；　Chase；　and　fostered　by　him；　to　hold　an　independent　convention　before　the　regular　Republican　convention　as　a　protest　against　the　renomination　of　Mr。　Lincoln。　　It　was　supported　by　some　of　the　most　eminent　and　powerful　members　of　the　party；　who　threw　into　the　effort　their　means　and　influence。　　After　these　victories　the　effort　was　abandoned　and　Mr。　Lincoln　was　nominated　by　acclamation。　I　recall　as　one　of　the　excitements　and　pleasures　of　a　lifetime　the　enthusiastic　confidence　of　that　convention　when　they　acclaimed　Lincoln　their　nominee。

Governor　Seymour；　who　was　the　idol　of　his　party；　headed　the　New　York　delegation　to　the　national　Democratic　convention　to　nominate　the　president；　and　his　journey　to　that　convention　was　a　triumphal　march。　　There　is　no　doubt　that　at　the　time　he　had　with　him　not　only　the　enthusiastic　support　of　his　own　party　but　the　confidence　of　the　advocates　of　peace。　　His　own　nomination　and　election　seemed　inevitable。　　However；　in　deference　to　the　war　sentiment；　General　McClellan　was　nominated　instead；　and　here　occurred　one　of　those　littIe　things　which　so　often　in　our　country　have　turned　the　tide。

The　platform　committee；　and　the　convention　afterwards；　permitted　to　go　into　the　platform　a　phrase　proosed　by　Clement　C。　Vallandigham；　of　Ohio；　the　phrase　being；　〃The　war　is　a　failure。〃　　Soon　after　the　adjournment　of　the　convention；　to　the　victories　of　Farragut　and　Sherman　was　added　the　spectacular　campaign　and　victory　of　Sheridan　in　the　Valley　of　Shenandoah。　　The　Campaign　at　once　took　on　a　new　phase。　　It　was　the　opportunity　for　the　orator。

It　is　difficult　now　to　recreate　the　scenes　of　that　campaign。　The　people　had　been　greatly　disheartened。　　Every　family　was　in　bereavement；　with　a　son　lost　and　others　still　in　the　service。　Taxes　were　onerous　and　economic　and　business　conditions　very　bad。　Then　came　this　reaction；　which　seemed　to　promise　an　early　victory　for　the　Union。　　The　orator　naturally　picked　up　the　phrase；　〃The　war　is　a　failure〃；　then　he　pictured　Farragut　tied　to　the　shrouds　of　his　flag…ship；　then　he　portrayed　Grant's　victories　in　the　Mississippi　campaign；　Hooker's　〃battle　above　the　clouds；〃　the　advance　of　the　Army　of　Cumberland；　then　he　enthusiastically　described　Sheridan　leaving　the　War　Department　hearing　of　the　battle　in　Shenandoah　Valley；　speeding　on　and　rallying　his　defeated　troops；　reforming　and　leading　them　to　victory；　and　finished　with　reciting　some　of　the　stirring　war　poems。

Mr。　Lincoln's　election　under　the　conditions　and　circumstances　was　probably　more　due　to　that　unfortunate　phrase　in　the　Democratic　platform　than　to　any　other　cause。

The　tragedy　of　the　assassination　of　Mr。　Lincoln　was　followed　by　the　most　pathetic　incident　of　American　lifehis　funeral。　　After　the　ceremony　at　Washington　the　funeral　train　stopped　at　Philadelphia；　New　York；　and　Albany。　　In　each　of　these　cities　was　an　opportunity　for　the　people　to　view　the　remains。

I　had　charge　in　my　official　capacity　as　secretary　of　state　of　the　train　after　it　left　Albany。　　It　was　late　in　the　evening　when　we　started；　and　the　train　was　running　all　night　through　central　and　western　New　York。　　Its　schedule　was　well　known　along　the　route。　Wherever　the　highway　crossed　the　railway　track　the　whole　population　of　the　neighborhood　was　assembled　on　the　highway　and　in　the　fields。　Huge　bonfires　lighted　up　the　scene。　　Pastors　of　the　local　churches　of　all　denominations　had　united　in　leading　their　congregations　for　greeting　and　farewell　for　their　beloved　president。　　As　we　would　reach　a　crossing　there　sometimes　would　be　hundreds　and　at　others　thousands　of　men；　women；　and　children　on　their　knees；　praying　and　singing　hymns。

This　continuous　service　of　prayer　and　song　and　supplication　lasted　over　the　three　hundred　miles　between　Albany　and　Buffalo；　from　midnight　until　dawn。



IV。　　GENERAL　GRANT

The　fairies　who　distribute　the　prizes　are　practical　jokers。　I　have　known　thousands　who　sought　office；　some　for　its　distinction；　some　for　its　emoluments；　and　some　for　both；　thousands　who　wanted　promotion　from　places　they　held；　and　other　thousands　who　wanted　to　regain　positions　they　had　lost；　all　of　whom　failed　in　their　search。

I　probably　would　have　been　in　one　of　those　classes　if　I　had　been　seeking　an　office。　　I　was　determined；　however；　upon　a　career　in　railroad　work　until；　if　possible；　I　had　reached　its　highest　rewards。　During　that　period　I　was　offered　about　a　dozen　political　appointments；　most　of　them　of　great　moment　and　very　tempting；　all　of　which　I　declined。

Near　the　close　of　President　Grant's　administration　George　Jones；　at　that　time　the　proprietor　and　publisher　of　the　New　York　Times；　asked　me　to　come　and　see　him。　　Mr。　Jones；　in　his　association　with　the　brilliant　editor；　Henry　J。　Raymond；　had　been　a　progressive　and　staying　power　of　the　financial　side　of　this　great　journal。　　He　was　of　Welsh　descent；　a　very　hardheaded；　practical；　and　wise　business　man。　　He　also　had　very　definite　views　on　politics　and　parties；　and　several　times　nearly　wrecked　his　paper　by　obstinately　pursuing　a　course　which　was　temporarily　unpopular　with　its　readers　and　subscribers。　　I　was　on　excellent　terms　with　Mr。　Jones　and　admired　him。　　The　New　York　Times　became　under　his　management　one　of　the　severest　critics　of　General　Grant's　administration　and　of　the　president　himself。

I　went　to　his　house　and　during　the　conversation　Jones　said　to　me：　〃I　was　very　much　surprised　to　receive　a　letter　from　the　president　asking　me　to　come　and　see　him　at　the　White　House。　　Of　course　I　went；　anticipating　a　disagreeable　interview；　but　it　turned　out　absolutely　the　reverse。　　The　president　was　most　cordial；　and　his　frankness　most　attractive。　　After　a　long　and　full　discussion；　the　president　said　the　Times　h