The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1866-06-23
ORIGIN OF THE CONSPIRACY
AGAINST THE PRESIDENT.

that he had been oftener in greater danger
from them than from their enemies This
was true Of our American WASHINGTON
During the entire revolutionary struggle, and
during the subsequent term Of his Presi-
a dency, he was oftener in greater danger from
the conspiracies Of his professed friends than
"a he ever was from his avowed enemies. So it
was with President LINCOLN. During all the
vicissitudes Of his administration down to
and we are not sure but inclusive of-the act
Of his assassination, we think 1t has been de-
monstrated that he was oftener in greater
danger from the conspiracies Of those who
psofessed to be his political friends than he
was from his avowed enemies. From the date
s Of the extra session Of Congress in the sum
mer Of 1861, down to the time Of his death,
whilst he was devoting all his great energies
to the preservation Of the nation, he was the
object Of very great number Of political
plots Of professed friends, designed to allure
or drive him from the path Of rigid constitu-
tionsl duty, and thereby break his popularity
and power. This, just now, is very instruc-
tive fact. ...
In the personnel Of the Republican party
which elected him there were very heteroge-
neous elements. There were in it great
number of Wings like himself and Secretary
. SEWARD; great number Of Buffalo platform
free-soilers like Mr.. CHASE; and great num-
Der Of abolitionists Of all the degrees Of. in
tensity, from that of WILLIAM LLOYD GARRI-
SON up to that Of HENRY WARD BEEcHER-
from those who had denounced the Consti-
tuition as "a wicked compact with the devil"
up to those who were willing ito let il slide"
in order to reach and crush the institution of
slavery. Under the exigencies Of the i'm
pending war, when Mr.. LINCOLN appealed to
the loyal men OF all the political parties,
without distinction, to come up to the res
cue, there was added to his supporters q
class Of war Democrats like Secretary STAN
TON and General DIX. To make it agreeable
to the last-named patriots, and to conform
the political designation to the general idea
Of making the salvation Of the country the
cardinal measure Of his administration as
long as the rebellion lasted, the whole or
ganization, by common consent, took the
name Of the Union party Of the country, and
committed itself in Congress and out of it
everywhere--to the preservation Of the
union Of the States. To the everlasting credit
Of the masses which composed this new and
highly patriotic organization, they became
inspired with the lofty sentiments entertained
by President LINCOLN and his Cabinet, ant
devoted their energies and their very SOUL
to the work of preserving the Union by re
..,ducing the rebellion arrayed against it.
y But with the patriotic and able and con
siderate public men, who loved their country
above everything else, there came into this
new political family others Of nature SO un
circumcised that they could not be con
formed to any constitutional convention, pc
litical or any other rules They were jeal
GUS, factious and fractions by the very neces
sity Of their natures. And, unfortunately
for Mr.. LINCOLN and the country, some o
them got into Congress, where, like antago
nistic elements in one .crucible, they effer
yesced and quArreled, first with themselves
and then with TIE President. The abol
tionists, who conceived themselves to hav
the special guardianship Of the negro race
mustered all these unruly elements into thei
particular service, and undertook to prescrib
rules Of action for THs President, witt
which, under the Constitution and the dir
necessities Of the country, he could not CON
ply. II has gone into history that secre
conspiracy against President LINCOLN, Secre
tary SEWARD and all the other members O
his Cabinet who shared his views was tn
consequence. ...
There are some Of these politicians in hig
places to-day who cannot deny that the
were, as early as 1862, leagued together in
SohSPruCy W uiiuotihhe 'esiueh' hiN''i+'
p, TO break up his Cabinet to reverse his ger
eral policy, and oyerslaugh his power. An
IL is now very clearly perceived by oil righ
minded, clear-sighted men that if he ha
yielded to those radicals in any one Of thes
particulars they would have made such il
e roads upon him as would have wrecked h
Administration.
1t il the same class Of politicians in an
out Of Congress who appear to be bnndc
against President Johnson and for substa
TALLY the same causes Like President Ii
coin, he is committed to the doctrine of
preserved union Of the States. For ulter
purposes which we have heretofore exPlaine
they are at issue with him upon that Wit