Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1864-09-09

The plotting ana Cou"tcT P'osups W
Abraham Lincoln dying. the last month
anc a half to make himself sure OF his re-
election. furnisbA most disgraccfui and hu-
initiating chapser in American politics and
a. the ssnvtimc forcibly illustrate the dis
ss,rons s.4ect Of the Presidents violation Of
his ovn maxim, not to swap horses while
crossing . stream." We have been furn-
,shcd from sources Of the highest character
flcts--shat cannot be denied-with refer
ence to the intriguing Of that period, the
relation Of one or two Of which may serve
to open the eyes Of airy, il any there be,
who still have faith in the muca Wanted
honesty Of Abraham Lincoln.
1t will be borne in mind that at the very
moment Horace Greeley left New York
empowered by the President to go to Mag
ara Falls and give Messrs. Clay, Holcomb
4 Co. safe conduct to Washington, F. p.
Blair Senior, the father OF the Postmaster
General, reached the Metropolis from Wash
ington. The missions Of Messrs Greeley
and Blair, Tad far closer relations to each
other than the former named gentleman
ever dreamed Of in philosophy. The facts
Mr.. Blair frs. called upon Gen. Dix and
laid before him his business. It was to Sc
cure written pledge from General McClel-
Ian that he would decline the nomination Of
the Chicago convention. Gen. Dix sug.
gested that If Gen. Mcclellan gave any
such pledge it would be only upon the cx-
action Of high command or such condition
Is the administration would not be likely to
yield to.
Mr.. Blair replied that Mr.. Lincoln him
self hal always believed in Mcclellan, that
had it not been for the pressure" OF the
radicals he would never have removed him
that he dctcstcd the radicals and their req
resentativc in the Cabinet Stanton. who
was the leading and actual cause Of all his
troubles aid the country's military disas-
tiers that lac was now entirely ready to
cut loose from the malignants, diamiss
Stanton, put Mcclellan in his place, or give
him any command he might ask, change
his war policy to agree with the several
memoranda Of Gen. Mcclellan in the early
part of the war, and give the Southern peo.
pie, distinguished from their leaders, such
assurances as would speedily divert their
support iaom JEFF. Davis.
Mr.. Blair expressed his confidence that il
| such an arrangement could be brough,
| about the democracy and the whole conscrv-
alive power Of the couotry would be secur-
| ell for Mr. Lncoln's reelection, and il
would be thus insured Gen. Dix was de-
oidcdly reticcnt in the matter of opinion
but Mr. Blair procc ded to his task, the
performance and failure Of which were no.
ticed at the time.
No sooner was the failure Of Mr.. Blair's
effort to make terms with Gen. Mcclellan
in the hopes of thus securing the democrat.
&c and conservative votes, made known to
Lincoln, than he took immediate steps to
arrest the peace manGuvering between
| Greeley and the rebel Commissioners then
going on at the Falls The application OF
Mr.. Greeley for further instructions came
just in the nick of time to give a plausible
excuse for interference The conservative
card had failed, and now the only hope OF
Mr.. Lincoln was to throw himself wholly
into the arm, Of the radicals-to set his
head on the fate Of the negro and stand the
hazard of that issue. Stanton, who had
been kept in entire ignorance of all these
Niagara Falls and New York proceedings,
was, as Mr. Greeley has partly stated, then
called in, and the result was the ITO whom
it-may concern" ultima'um.
The effect has disappointed Mr. Lincoln
It has dri en- and is driving from his
support thousands Of his former friends
who were willing to go his emancipation
proclamation declaring the slaves of rebels
free, but who are not willing to insist upon
the abandonment Of the institution of slave
nv. This result counted with the detection
Of the Wade Davis element, has frightened
Mr. Lincoln, and hence we see the renewed
efforts at negotiation which are daily
chronicled in the dispatches from the
Falls.
Another fact, in illustration of Iincoln's
bending Of the public interest and endan-
gcring the country's life. to further his own
personal interests. On former occasion
we stated on good authority, the particulars
concerning Grants suppression of the Or
der from the War Office retiring Butler to
Fortress Monroe, and appointing Badly
Smith to the command Of the troops in the
field On the receipt Of the order and be-
fore assuming command, Gen. Smith took
brief leave Of absence to make a short
visit TO a relative in this State. He had
hardly reached his friends when one Of his
staff, who had remained at headquarters,
overlook him and informed him that he had
learned something Immediately after his de-
parture which bcdcd no good to his inter
est and demanded his immediate return.
Gen Smith did return at once and was
met by Gen. Grant with the announcement
that he had imperative orders from the
President to suppress the order from the
War Department, and keep Butler in his
comma nd +; and further, that he had either
instructions or an earnest request from the
President to do nothing that might dis
please Butler lest he should turn round and
labor with his friends to defeat his Qin-
coln's) election! This We assert as fact,
for which We have the authority Of high
officer in the Army Of the East, whose in
dignation as he related it ended in saying
that it ought to be published, and that not
one Of the principal parties, if questioned,
would dare deny it,