Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1873-07-30
President Lincoln as a Stratesist.

This affair concluded, the Presiden
seemed disposed to prolong the interview
Our conversation took a military direction
and embraced the various movements beinl
made or known to be in contemplation
MIR. Lincoln seemed pleased to discuss thl
war; in fact the informal nature of ou
conversation was a relief to his mind, over
worked and jadcd as he was by all th,
cares, official aud political, to which h,
was daily subjected. Presently he startled
us by declaring that he saw no hope Of sue
cess for any Of the campaigns now being
opened.
Having gone thus far, and seeing oul
surprise and pcrplexity, he seemed animat
ed by desire to justify his statement
Going to the wall and again taking down
the large map which he had pressed into
service on the previous occasion, he proceed
ed to inform Us, which We did not positive.
y know before, that there were now three
important movements being attempted by
our forces towards points against which our
efforts had previously proved unsuccessful.
One Of these, he said was against Rich.
mond, on the same general plan substan.
TALLY attempted by Burnside one against
Charleston from the sea, by the combined
land and naval forces and one against
Vicksburg, by way of Yazoo pass aud the
network Of bayous and small streams by
which the Mississippi is Aanked, and through
some Of which it was hoped to transfer
General Grants forces to point from
which successful assault might be made
on that great stronghold, which had thus
far dcfed our most determined attacks.
"And cannot see how either OF these
plans can succeed, said he and forthwith
throwing aside all reserve and speaking
with as much apparent frankness as though
conversing with his confidential advisers,
he freely criticised the conduct Of the cam.
paign in question, going into all the details
of military argument, and logically
demonstrated in advance that Grant would
again be foiled in his strategy against
Vicksburg, that Hooker would fail to reach
Richmond, and that Du Pont and Hunter
would be compelled to retire baiilad from
before Charleston. do not now remem-
Der the reasons he gave for his judgment
IN regard to the two movements last named,
,L u' @ 'ugo'o'' IVY "I'' I; III, I.ea' ue'.'P ~
,Is.S ' Nv ,yI;L IS "'"n,"s go 'oou''.s
'".1uEa H"'ou Vla"' W's V''u'a'ol'ns m 70
to large craft either through too high or
too low water, and capable of destruction
in the forests which they penetrated by an
enemy intimately acquainted with every
Lia,r a'v " I"V oou".i apr ""I nd' P,o'ou
'''"so'' ou'y w wei, 'u'or'neu oi al our
.'o' e''''.''s' aiu e'lu'''y ac.Ee uuu successiu'
'u 9pPos'"S our progress '.,o ms own country
va ""O"" 'n'V WI h'uoV'n ou'er'
.'c'u,u ''t.''"'y op'u.ons Iuuo 'nuoPenuSn'
VI, auu o''eu at variance "lin' tnose OF ms
"u''sors, anu nau oeiore hau striking
P'OO' W ''1 Oo''e0'uo'' VI n'S Juusnen,'
oon.ess' however 'naV was as mueh
as'onisueu as ulsueareeneu oy 'his unre-
soi '.u V1nue''laa'sou ID, u 'no conuuc' oi .ne
war Oh 'uG pa,' o' Tue government OF wnich
~ was tuo neau anu l scarce'y kne"
"ue,ner l was most aston'shed py MS re-
lnaIeao'e 'ranNuess OF annoyed al his con-
''uo'pg argument sa,u ;,
- - you iee' 50 couagent o' disaster III
an 'nese movements Mr. PRESIDENT why
uo you permit 'nein 10 DC naue
peoause l canno' prevent IT. ne re-
P'iuI
bu' you are commandments re-
lo'neui
Wy uear s'r' ne replied l am as
pOWericss ., as any private citizen 10 shape
.he military pians Oh tne government L
naSe lny ueher1is unu my =" ar department
au1 "y suou'"u''s arc suppose1 u po
noro eal,ao'p 1'1n 1u' " uoo'uy wua'
"Is I eu'eu'' sual' VI sia'l Io' pe usuer'aNen'
: na,o ouoo or '"loo n',emp,eu 70 acl on
ny o"n e1uN'o''onS' uuu '9uu" 'na' II was
lu 'ao',oapie " uo 50, see oanPa'gus
uuuor'aAen , lu "nion nave no 'a',u, anu
l uase . no power 70 PreVep' t 'ne'n anu | .e'l
, ou en"t so,ne'r'lus' c"eu l 'e"eo' on .ne
~ - nsou'''' VI ou' 'o'0e'' a." 'en'Pleu
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NY v,'I goI'I ,.-... =.
'er n's uuu''1.ol's' o'''"In a.. n' piso'''
Sa"y o'o91u ''o u'Souss'o"' h's,ng iro'n
n'' IDn'' ue "ioNeu uaeasl'y Sopu' ''S room
1S 'uousu 10 snaHe oi' So"c 'ee''ng 'na' OPP
i.s pres'eu y nun nun ouuuonly nc See'ieu 70 rel']e
'"a' ne pe "au oeon speaN'ns 700 'reo'y'
vi eou'se' seu',e''eu' s,iu "c' We
NJ Ns.r 'a'I'" :" uO"nle"eo, ant 40 I'te"us'
-'u1o y, '''s must e'' '"'o P''"'' or Ue re-
Poa,eu
" : , 'ooN our ,e".e soou .',. n''er' ou' was
iOps pauu.eu % WIN % 'nS reco'iec',on ' e Ti wna'
! u'u "earu Wy uui''i"''Un ior ,ue li'an