abraham lincoln and the union-第31节

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oo　far　to　recede；　and　what　he　had　been　aiming　at　all　along　was　now　revealed。　　An　assembly　of　Mexican　notables；　convened　by　the　general　of　the　invaders；　voted　to　set　up　an　imperial　government　and　offered　the　crown　to　Napoleon's　nominee；　the　Archduke　Maximilian　of　Austria。

And　now　the　Government　at　Washington　was　faced　with　a　complicated　problem。　　What　about　the　Monroe　Doctrine？　　Did　the　Union　dare　risk　war　with　France？　　Did　it　dare　pass　over　without　protest　the　establishment　of　monarchy　on　American　soil　by　foreign　arms？　Between　these　horns　of　a　dilemma；　the　Government　maintained　its　precarious　position　during　another　year。　　Seward's　correspondence　with　Paris　was　a　masterpiece　of　evasion。　　He　neither　protested　against　the　intervention　of　Napoleon　nor　acknowledged　the　authority　of　Maximilian。　　Apparently；　both　he　and　Lincoln　were　divided　between　fear　of　a　French　alliance　with　the　Confederacy　and　fear　of　premature　action　in　the　North　that　would　render　Napoleon　desperate。　　Just　how　far　they　comprehended　Napoleon　and　his　problems　is　an　open　question。

Whether　really　comprehending　or　merely　trusting　to　its　instinct；　Congress　took　a　bolder　course。　　Two　men　prove　the　antagonists　of　a　parliamentary　duelCharles　Sumner；　chairman　of　the　Senate　Committee　on　Foreign　Relations；　and　Henry　Winter　Davis；　chairman　of　the　corresponding　committee　of　the　House。　　Sumner　played　the　hand　of　the　Administration。　　Fiery　resolutions　demanding　the　evacuation　of　Mexico　or　an　American　declaration　of　war　were　skillfully　buried　in　the　silence　of　Sumner's　committee。　　But　there　was　nevertheless　one　resolution　that　affected　history：　it　was　a　ringing　condemnation　of　the　attempt　to　establish　a　monarchy　in　Mexico。　　In　the　House；　a　joint　resolution　which　Davis　submitted　was　passed　without　one　dissenting　vote。　　When　it　came　to　the　Senate；　Sumner　buried　it　as　he　had　buried　earlier　resolutions。　None　the　less　it　went　out　to　the　world　attended　by　the　news　of　the　unanimous　vote　in　the　House。

Shortly　afterwards；　the　American　Ambassador　at　Paris　called　upon　the　imperial　Foreign　Secretary；　M。　Drouyn　de　L'huys。　　News　of　this　resolution　had　preceded　him。　　He　was　met　by　the　curt　question；　〃Do　you　bring　peace　or　war？〃　　Again；　the　Washington　Government　was　skillfully　evasive。　　The　Ambassador　was　instructed　to　explain　that　the　resolution　had　not　been　inspired　by　the　President　and　〃the　French　Government　would　be　seasonably　apprized　of　any　change　of　policy。。。which　the　President　might　at　any　future　time　think　it　proper　to　adopt。〃

There　seems　little　doubt　that　Lincoln's　course　was　very　widely　condemned　as　timid。　　When　we　come　to　the　political　campaign　of　1864；　we　shall　meet　Henry　Winter　Davis　among　his　most　relentless　personal　enemies。　　Dissatisfaction　with　Lincoln's　Mexican　policy　has　not　been　sufficiently　considered　in　accounting　for　the　opposition　to　him；　inside　the　war　party；　in　1864。　　To　it　may　be　traced　an　article　in　the　platform　of　the　war　party；　adopted　in　June；　1864；　protesting　against　the　establishment　of　monarchy　〃in　near　proximity　to　the　United　States。〃　In　the　same　month　Maximilian　entered　Mexico　City。

The　subsequent　moves　of　Napoleon　are　explained　elsewhere。*　The　central　fact　in　the　story　is　his　virtual　change　of　attitude；　in　the　summer　of　1864。　　The　Confederate　agent　at　Paris　complained　of　a　growing　coolness。　Before　the　end　of　the　summer；　the　Confederate　Secretary　of　State　was　bitter　in　his　denunciation　of　Napoleon　for　having　deserted　the　South。　　Napoleon's　puppet　Maximilian　refused　to　receive　an　envoy　from　the　Confederacy。　　Though　Washington　did　not　formally　protest　against　the　presence　of　Maximilian　in　Mexico；　it　declined　to　recognize　his　Government；　and　that　Government　continued　unrecognized　at　Washington　throughout　the　war。

*Nathaniel　W。　Stephenson；　〃The　Day　of　the　Confederacy〃。　（In　〃The　Chronicles　of　America〃）。



CHAPTER　XIII。　THE　PLEBISCITE　OF　1864

Every　great　revolution　among　Anglo…Saxon　peopleperhaps　among　all　peoplehas　produced　strange　types　of　dreamers。　　In　America；　however；　neither　section　could　claim　a　monopoly　of　such　types；　and　even　the　latter…day　visionaries　who　can　see　everything　in　heaven　and　earth；　excepting　fact；　had　their　Northern　and　Southern　originals　in　the　time　of　the　great　American　war。　　Among　these　is　a　strange　congregation　which　assembled　in　the　spring　of　1864　and　which　has　come　to　be　known；　from　its　place　of　meeting；　as　the　Cleveland　Convention。　　Its　coming　together　was　the　result　of　a　loose　cooperation　among　several　minor　political　groups；　all　of　which　were　for　the　Union　and　the　war；　and　violently　opposed　to　Lincoln。　　So　far　as　they　had　a　common　purpose；　it　was　to　supplant　Lincoln　by　Fremont　in　the　next　election。

The　Convention　was　notable　for　the　large　proportion　of　agnostics　among　its　members。　　A　motion　was　made　to　amend　a　resolution　that　〃the　Rebellion　must　be　put　down〃　by　adding　the　words　〃with　God's　assistance。〃　　This　touch　of　piety　was　stormily　rejected。　　Another　group　represented　at　Cleveland　was　made　up　of　extreme　abolitionists　under　the　leadership　of　that　brilliant　but　disordered　genius；　Wendell　Phillips。　　He　sent　a　letter　denouncing　Lincoln　and　pledging　his　support　of　Fremont　because　of　the　latter's　〃clearsighted　statesmanship　and　rare　military　ability。〃　The　convention　declared　itself　a　political　party；　under　the　style　of　the　Radical　Democracy；　and　nominated　Fremont　for　President。

There　was　another　body　of　dreamers；　still　more　singular；　who　were　also　bitter　opponents　of　Lincoln。　　They　were；　however；　not　in　favor　of　war。　　Their　political　machinery　consisted　of　secret　societies。　　As　early　as　1860；　the　Knights　of　the　Golden　Circle　were　active　in　Indiana；　where　they　did　yeoman　service　for　Breckinridge。　　Later　this　society　acquired　some　underground　influence　in　other　States；　especially　in　Ohio；　and　did　its　share　in　bringing　about　the　victories　at　the　polls　in　the　autumn　of　1862；　when　the　Democrats　captured　the　Indiana　legislature。

The　most　serious　charge　against　the　Golden　Circle　was　complicity　in　an　attempt　to　assassinate　Oliver　P。　Morton；　Governor　of　Indiana；　who　was　fired　at；　one　night；　as　he　was　leaving　the　state　house。　When　Morton　demanded　an　investigation　of　the　Golden　Circle；　the　legislature　refused　to　sanction　it。　　On　his　own　authority　and　with　Federal　aid　he　made　investigations　and　published　a　report　which；　if　it　did　not　actually　prove　treason；　came　dangerously　near　to　proof。　　Thereafter；　this　society　drops　out　of　sight；　and　its　members　appear　to　have　formed　the　new　Order　of　the　American　Knights；　which　in　its　turn　was　eclipsed　by　the　Sons　of　Liberty。　There　were　several　other　such　societies　all　organized　on　a　military　plan　and　with　a　great　pretense　of　arming　their　members。　This；　however；　had　to　be　done　surreptitiously。　　Boxes　of　rifles　purchased　in　the　East　were　shipped　West　labeled　〃Sunday…school　books；〃　and　negotiations　were　even　undertaken　with　the　Confederacy　to　bring　in　arms　by　way　of　Canada。　　At　a　meeting　of　the　supreme　council　of　the　Sons　of　Liberty；　in　New　York；　February　22；　1864；　it　was　claimed　that　the　order　had　nearly　a　million　members；　though　the　Government　secret　service　considered　half　a　million　a　more　exact　estimate。

As　events　subsequently　proved；　the　societies　were　not　as　formidable　as　these　figures　would　imply。　　Most　of　the　men　who　joined　them　seem　to　have　been　fanciful　creatures　who　loved　secrecy　for　its　own　sake。　　While　real　men；　North　and　South；　were　laying　down　their　lives　for　their　principles；　these　make…believe　men　were　holding　bombastic　initiations　and　taking　oaths　such　as　this　from　the　ritual　of　the　American　Knights：　〃I　do　further　solemnly　promise　and　swear；　that　I　will　ever　cherish　the　sublime　lessons　which　the　sacred　emblems　of　our　order　suggest；　and　will；　so　far　as　in　me　lies；　impart　those　lessons　to　the　people　of　the　earth；　where　the　mystic　acorn　falls　from　its　parent　bough；　in　whose　visible　firmament　Orion；　Arcturus；　and　the　Pleiades　ride　in　their　cold　resplendent　glories；　and　where　the　Southern　Cross　dazzles　the　eye　of　degraded　humanity　with　its　coruscations　of　golden　light；　fit　emblem　of　Truth；　while　it　invites　our　sacred　order　to　consecrate　her　temples　in　the　four　corners　of　the　earth；　where　moral　darkness　reigns　and　despotism　holds　sway。。。。　　Divine　essence；　so　help　me　that　I　fail　not　in　my　troth；　lest　I　shall　be　summoned　before　the　tribunal　of　the　order；　adjudged　and　condemned　to　certain　and　shameful　death；　while　my　name　shall　be　recorded　on　the　rolls　of　infamy。　Amen。〃

The　secret　orders　fought　hard　to　prevent　the　Lincoln　victory　in　the　elections　of　1863。　　Even　before　that　time　their　leaders　had　talked　mysteriously　of　another　disruption　of　the　Union　and　the　formation　of　a　Northwestern　Confederacy　in　alliance　with　the　South。　The　scheme　was　known　to　the　Confederates；　allusions　to　it　are　to　be　found　in　Southern　newspapers；　and　even　the　Confederate　military　authorities　considered　it。　　Early　in　1863；　General　Beauregard　thought　the　Confederates　might　〃get　into　Ohio　and　call　upon　the　friends　of　Vallandigham　to　rise　for　his　defense　and　support；　then。。。call　upon　the　whole　Northwest　to　join　in　the　movement；　form　a　confederacy　of　their　own；　and　join　us　by　a　treaty　of　alliance；　offensive　and　defensive。〃　Reliance　on　the　support　of　the　societies　was　the　will…o'…the…wisp　that　deceived　G