abraham lincoln and the union-第16节

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t　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　be　thrown。　　The　question　was　answered　publicly　in　the　newspapers　of　Monday；　April　15th。　　Douglas　announced　that　while　he　was　still　〃unalterably　opposed　to　the　Administration　on　all　its　political　issues；　he　was　prepared　to　sustain　the　President　in　the　exercise　of　all　his　constitutional　functions　to　preserve　the　Union；　and　maintain　the　Government；　and　defend　the　federal　capital。〃

There　remained　of　Douglas's　life　but　a　few　months。　　The　time　was　filled　with　earnest　speechmaking　in　support　of　the　Government。　　He　had　started　West　directly　following　his　conference　with　Lincoln。　His　speeches　in　Ohio；　Indiana；　Illinois；　were　perhaps　the　greatest　single　force　in　breaking　up　his　own　following；　putting　an　end　to　the　principle　of　doing　nothing；　and　forcing　every　Democrat　to　come　out　and　show　his　colors。　　In　Shakespeare's　phrase；　it　was〃Under　which　king；　Bezonian？　speak　or　die！〃　　In　Douglas's　own　phrase：　〃There　can　be　no　neutrals　in　this　war；　ONLY　PATRIOTSOR　TRAITORS。〃

Side　by　side　with　Douglas's　manifesto　to　the　De