abraham lincoln and the union-第20节

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ieties。　　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；　however；　Lincoln　had　interfered　and　very　characteristically　removed　the　cause　of　trouble；　while　taking　upon　himself　the　responsibility　for　the　situation；　by　nominating　Cameron　minister　to　Russia；　and　by　praising　him　for　his　〃ability；　patriotism；　and　fidelity　to　the　public　trust。〃　　Though　the　President　had　not　sufficient　hold　upon　the　House　to　prevent　the　vote　of　censure；　his　influence　was　strong　in　the　Senate；　and　the　new　appointment　of　Cameron　was　promptly　confirmed。

There　was　in　Washington　at　this　time　that　grim　man　who　had　served　briefly　as　Attorney…General　in　the　Cabinet　of　BuchananEdwin　M。　Stanton。　　He　despised　the　President　and　expressed　his　opinion　in　such　words　as　〃the　painful　imbecility　of　Lincoln。〃　　The　two　had　one　personal　recollection　in　common：　long　before；　in　a　single　case；　at　Cincinnati；　the　awkward　Lincoln　had　been　called　in　as　associate　counsel　to　serve　the　convenience　of　Stanton；　who　was　already　a　lawyer　of　national　repute。　　To　his　less…known　associate　Stanton　showed　a　brutal　rudeness　that　was　characteristic。　　It　would　have　been　hard　in　1861　to　find　another　man　more　difficult　to　get　on　with。　　Headstrong；　irascible；　rude；　he　had　a　sharp　tongue　which　he　delighted　in　using；　but　he　was　known　to　be　inflexibly　honest；　and　was　supposed　to　have　great　executive　ability。　　He　was　also　a　friend　of　McClellan；　and　if　anybody　could　rouse　that　tortoise…like　general；　Stanton　might　be　supposed　to　be　the　man。　　He　had　been　a　valiant　Democrat；　and　Democratic　support　was　needed　by　the　government。　　Lincoln　astonished　him　with　his　appointment　as　Secretary　of　War　in　January；　1862。　　Stanton　justified　the　President's　choice；　and　under　his　strong　if　ruthless　hand　the　War　Department　became　sternly　efficient。　　The　whole　story　of　Stanton's　relations　to　his　chief　is　packed；　like　the　Arabian　genius　in　the　fisherman's　vase；　into　one　remark　of　Lincoln's。　〃Did　Stanton　tell　you　I　was　a　fool？〃　said　Lincoln　on　one　occasion；　in　the　odd；　smiling　way　he　had。　　〃Then　I　expect　I　must　be　one；　for　he　is　almost　always　right；　and　generally　says　what　he　means。〃

In　spite　of　his　efficiency　and　personal　force；　Stanton　was　unable　to　move　his　friend　McClellan；　with　whom　he　soon　quarreled。　　Each　now　sought　in　his　own　way　to　control　the　President；　though　neither　understood　Lincoln's　character。　　From　McClellan；　Lincoln　endured　much　condescension　of　a　kind　perilously　near　impertinence。　　To　Stanton；　Lincoln's　patience　seemed　a　mystery；　to　McClellana　vain　man；　full　of　himselfthe　President　who　would　merely　smile　at　this　bullyragging　on　the　part　of　one　of　his　subordinates　seemed　indeed　a　spiritless　creature。　　Meanwhile　Lincoln；　apparently　devoid　of　sensibility；　was　seeking　during　the　anxious　months　of　1862；　in　one　case；　merely　how　to　keep　his　petulant　Secretary　in　harness；　in　the　other；　how　to　quicken　his　tortoise　of　a　general。

Stanton　made　at　least　one　great　blunder。　　Though　he　had　been　three　months　in　office；　and　McClellan　was　still　inactive；　there　were　already　several　successes　to　the　credit　of　the　Union　arms。　　The　Monitor　and　Virginia　（Merrimac）　had　fought　their　famous　duel；　and　Grant　had　taken　Fort　Donelson。　　The　latter　success　broke　through　the　long　gloom　of　the　North　and　caused；　as　Holmes　wrote；　〃a　delirium　of　excitement。〃　　Stanton　rashly　concluded　that　he　now　had　the　game　in　his　hands；　and　that　a　sufficient　number　of　men　had　volunteered。　　This　civilian　Secretary　of　War；　who　had　still　much　to　learn　of　military　matters；　issued　an　order　putting　a　stop　to　recruiting。　　Shortly　afterwards　great　disaster　befell　the　Union　arms。　　McClellan；　before　Richmond；　was　checked　in　May。　　Early　in　July；　his　peninsula　campaign　ended　disastrously　in　the　terrible　〃Seven　Days'　Battle。〃

Anticipating　McClellan's　failure；　Lincoln　had　already　determined　to　call　for　more　troops。　　On　July　1st；　he　called　upon　the　Governors　of　the　States　to　provide　him　with　300；000　men　to　serve　three　years。　　But　the　volunteering　enthusiasmexplain　it　as　you　willhad　suffered　a　check。　　The　psychological　moment　had　passed。　So　slow　was　the　response　to　the　call　of　July　1st；　that　another　appeal　was　ma