abraham lincoln and the union-第14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！


le　hope。　　To　the　anxious；　listening　country　his　speeches　on　the　journey　to　Washington　were　disappointing。　　Perhaps　his　strangely　sensitive　mind　felt　too　powerfully　the　fatefulness　of　the　moment　and　reacted　with　a　sort　of　lightness　that　did　not　really　represent　the　real　man。　　Be　that　as　it　may；　he　was　never　less　convincing　than　at　that　time。　　Nor　were　people　impressed　by　his　bearing。　　Often　he　appeared　awkward；　too　much　in　appearance　the　country　lawyer。　　He　acted　as　a　man　who　was　ill　at　ease　and　he　spoke　as　a　man　who　had　nothing　to　say。　　Gloom　darkened　the　North　as　a　consequence　of　these　unfortunate　speeches；　for　they　expressed　an　optimism　which　we　cannot　believe　he　really　felt；　and　which　hurt　him　in　the　estimation　of　the　country。　　〃There　is　no　crisis　but　an　artificial　one；〃　was　one　of　his　ill…timed　assurances；　and　another；　〃There　is　nothing　going　wrong。。。。　　There　is　nothing　that　really　hurts　any　one。〃　　Of　his　supporters　some　were　discouraged；　others　were　exasperated；　and　an　able　but　angry　partisan　even　went　so　far　as　to　write　in　a　private　letter；　〃Lincoln　is　a　Simple　Susan。〃

The　fourth　of　March　arrived；　and　with　it　the　end　of　Lincoln's　blundering。　　One　good　omen　for　the　success　of　the　new　Administration　was　the　presence　of　Douglas　on　the　inaugural　platform。　　He　had　accepted　fate；　deeply　as　it　wounded　him；　and　had　come　out　of　the　shattered　party　of　evasion　on　the　side　of　his　section。　　For　the　purpose　of　showing　his　support　of　the　administration　at　this　critical　time；　he　had　taken　a　place　on　the　stand　where　Lincoln　was　to　speak。　　By　one　of　those　curious　little　dramatic　touches　with　which　chance　loves　to　embroider　history；　the　presence　of　Douglas　became　a　gracious　detail　in　the　memory　of　the　day。　　Lincoln；　worn　and　awkward；　continued　to　hold　his　hat　in　his　hand。　　Douglas；　with　the　tact　born　of　social　experience；　stepped　forward　and　took　it　from　him　withoutexposing　Lincoln's　embarrassment。

The　inaugural　address　which　Lincoln　now　pronounced　had　little　similarity　to　those　unfortunate　utterances　which　he　had　made　on　the　journey　to　Washington。　　The　cloud　that　had　been　over　him；　whatever　it　was；　had　lifted。　　Lincoln　was　ready　for　his　great　labor。　　The　inaugural　contained　three　main　propositions。　　Lincoln　pledged　himself　not　to　interfere　directly　or　indirectly　with　slavery　in　the　States　where　it　then　existed；　he　promised　to　support　the　enforcement　of　the　fugitive　slave　law；　and　he　declared　he　would　maintain　the　Union。　　〃No　State；〃　said　he；　〃upon　its　own　mere　motion　can　lawfully　get　out　of　the　Union。。。。　　To　the　extent　of　my　ability　I　shall　take　care；　as　the　Constitution　itself　expressly　enjoins　upon　me；　that　the　laws　of　the　Union　be　faithfully　executed　in　all　the　States。。。。　　In　doing　this；　there　need　be　no　bloodshed　or　violence；　and　there　shall　be　none；　unless　it　be　forced　upon　the　national　authority。　　The　power　confided　to　me　will　be　used　to　hold；　occupy；　and　possess　the　property　and　places　belonging　to　the　government。〃　　Addressing　the　Southerners；　he　said：　〃In　your　hands；　my　dissatisfied　fellow…countrymen；　and　not　in　mine；　is　the　momentous　issue　of　civil　war。　　The　Government　will　not　assail　you。。。。　　We　are　not　enemies　but　friends。。。。　　The　mystic　cords　of　memory；　stretching　from　every　battlefield　and　patriot　grave　to　every　living　heart　and　hearthstone；　all　over　this　broad　land；　will　yet　swell　the　chorus　of　the　Union；　when　again　touched；　as　surely　they　will　be；　by　the　better　angels　of　our　nature。〃

Gentle；　as　was　the　phrasing　of　the　inaugural；　it　was　perfectly　firm；　and　it　outlined　a　policy　which　the　South　would　not　accept；　and　which；　in　the　opinion　of　the　Southern　leaders；　brought　them　a　step　nearer　war。　　Wall　Street　held　the　same　belief；　and　as　a　consequence　the　price　of　stocks　fell。



CHAPTER　VI。　WAR

On　the　day　following　the　inauguration；　commissioners　of　the　newly　formed　Confederacy　appeared　at　Washington　and　applied　to　the　Secretary　of　State　for　recognition　as　envoys　of　a　foreign　power。　Seward　refused　them　such　recognition。　　But　he　entered　into　a　private　negotiation　with　them　which　is　nearly；　if　not　quite；　the　strangest　thing　in　our　history。　　Virtually；　Seward　intrigued　against　Lincoln　for　control　of　the　Administration。　　The　events　of　the　next　five　weeks　have　an　importance　out　of　all　proportion　to　the　brevity　of　the　time。　　This　was　Lincoln's　period　of　final　probation。　　The　psychological　intensity　of　this　episode　grew　from　the　consciousness　in　every　mind　that　now；　irretrievably；　destiny　was　to　be　determined。　　War　or　peace；　happiness　or　adversity；　one　nation　or　twoall　these　were　in　the　balance。　　Lincoln　entered　the　episode　a　doubtful　quantity；　not　with　certainty　the　master　even　in　his　own　Cabinet。　　He　emerged　dominating　the　situation；　but　committed　to　the　terrible　course　of　war。

One　cannot　enter　upon　this　great　episode；　truly　the　turning　point　in　American　history；　without　pausing　for　a　glance　at　the　character　of　Seward。　　The　subject　is　elusive。　　His　ablest　biographer*　plainly　is　so　constantly　on　guard　not　to　appear　an　apologist　that　he　ends　by　reducing　his　portrait　to　a　mere　outline；　wavering　across　a　background　of　political　details。　　The　most　recent　study　of　Seward**　surely　reveals　between　the　lines　the　doubtfulness　of　the　author　about　pushing　his　points　home。　The　different　sides　of　the　man　are　hard　to　reconcile。　　Now　he　seemed　frank　and　honest；　again　subtle　and　insincere。　　As　an　active　politician　in　the　narrow　sense；　he　should　have　been　sagacious　and　astute；　yet　he　displayed　at　the　crisis　of　his　life　the　most　absolute　fatuity。　　At　times　he　had　a　buoyant　and　puerile　way　of　disregarding　fact　and　enveloping　himself　in　a　world　of　his　own　imagining。　　He　could　bluster；　when　he　wished；　like　any　demagogue；　and　yet　he　could　be　persuasive；　agreeable；　and　even　personally　charming。

*Frederic　Bancroft；　〃Life　of　William　H。　Seward〃。　**　Gamaliel　Bradford；　〃Union　Portraits〃。


But　of　one　thing　with　regard　to　Seward；　in　the　first　week　of　March；　1861；　there　can　be　no　doubt：　he　thought　himself　a　great　statesman　and　he　thought　Lincoln　〃a　Simple　Susan。〃　　He　conceived　his　role　in　the　new　administration　to　involve　a　subtle　and　patient　manipulation　of　his　childlike　superior。　　That　Lincoln　would　gradually　yield　to　his　spell　and　insensibly　become　his　figurehead；　that　he；　Seward；　could　save　the　country　and　would　go　down　to　history　a　statesman　above　compare；　he　took　for　granted。　　Nor　can　he　fairly　be　called　conceited；　either；　that　is　part　of　his　singularity。

Lincoln's　Cabinet　was；　as　Seward　said；　a　compound　body。　　With　a　view　to　strengthening　his　position；　Lincoln　had　appointed　to　cabinet　positions　all　his　former　rivals　for　the　Republican　nomination。　　Besides　Seward；　there　was　Chase　as　Secretary　of　the　Treasury；　Simon　Cameron　of　Pennsylvania　as　Secretary　of　War；　Edward　Bates　of　Missouri　as　Attorney…General。　　The　appointment　of　Montgomery　Blair　of　Maryland　as　Postmaster…General　was　intended　to　placate　the　border　Slave　States。　　The　same　motive　dictated　the　later　inclusion　of　James　Speed　of　Kentucky　in　the　Cabinet。　　The　Black…Stanton　wing　of　the　Democrats　was　represented　in　the　Navy　Department　by　Gideon　Welles；　and　in　course　of　time　in　the　War　Department　also；　when　Cameron　resigned　and　Stanton　succeeded　him。　The　West　of　that　day　was　represented　by　Caleb　B。　Smith　of　Indiana。

Seward　disapproved　of　the　composition　of　the　Cabinet　so　much　that；　almost　at　the　last　moment；　he　withdrew　his　acceptance　of　the　State　Department。　　It　was　Lincoln's　gentleness　of　argument　which　overcame　his　reluctance　to　serve。　　We　may　be　sure；　however；　that　Seward　failed　to　observe　that　Lincoln's　tactlessness　in　social　matters　did　not　extend　to　his　management　of　men　in　politics；　we　may　feel　sure　that　what　remained　in　his　mind　was　Lincoln's　unwillingness　to　enter　office　without　William　Henry　Seward　as　Secretary　of　State。

The　promptness　with　which　Seward　assumed　the　role　of　prime　minister　bears　out　this　inference。　　The　same　fact　also　reveals　a　puzzling　detail　of　Seward's　character　which　amounted　to　obtusenesshis　forgetfulness　that　appointment　to　cabinet　offices　had　not　transformed　his　old　political　rivals　Chase　and　Cameron；　nor　softened　the　feelings　of　an　inveterate　political　enemy；　Welles；　the　Secretary　of　the　Navy。　　The　impression　which　Seward　made　on　his　colleagues　in　the　first　days　of　the　new　Government　has　been　thus　sharply　recorded　by　Welles：　〃The　Secretary　of　State　was；　of　course；　apprised　of　every　meeting　＇of　ministers＇　and　never　failed　in　his　attendance；　whatever　was　the　subject…matter；　and　though　entirely　out　of　his　official　province。　　He　was　vigilantly　attentive　to　every　measure　and　movement　in　other　Departments；　however　trivialas　much　so　as　to　his　ownwatched　and　scrutinized　every　appointment　that　was　made；　or　proposed　to　be　made；　but　was　not　communicative　in　regard　to　the　transaction　of　the　State　Department。〃　　So　eager　was　Seward　to　keep　all　the　threads　of　affairs　in　his　own　hands　that　he　tried　to　persuade　Lincoln　not　to　hold　cabinet　meetings　but　merely　to　consult　with　particular　ministers；　and　with　the　Secretary　of　State；　as　occasion　might　demand。　　A　combined　protest　from　the　other　Secretaries；　however；　caused　the　regular　holding　of　Cabinet　meetings。

With　regard　to　the　Confederacy；　Seward's　policy　was　one　of　non…resistance。　　For　this　he　had　two　reasons。　　The