Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-03-22

The article in the last Atlantic Monthly
from the pen Of the late Gideon Welles-the
last, we presume. to come from that source
gives a vivid idea of the troubles which press
ed upon Abraham Lincoln during the last
year of his first term, when both his
own reelection and prospects Of the war
seemed to be most uncertain. The campaign
in Virginia had apparently come TO stand
still In the last of May Mr. Chase wrote to
friend IAN under God depends on Grant.
Thus far he has achieved very little and that
little has cost beyond computation In 9TH
er parts of the field scarcely anything had
been done TO encourage the hopes of Union
men. In the meantime all sorts of peace
schemes were on foot, intended to distract
the Republican party and the Democrats. and
men like Horace Greeley were egregously
taken in by them. The stoppage of the ex-
change of prsoners-which Mr.. Wclles says
was unknown at the time to the President
and to all the Cabinet except Stanton-had
given great distress to the public mind the
Government was embarrassed for want of
money and by opposition to the draft and to
calls for more troops
Besides these troubles Lincoln had far
more to suffer from his own political associates
than President Hayes has now. There were
Wade and Winter Davis denoumcing him and
and his policy in the btterest terms. There
was the open revolt Of the Fremont move
ment, whose chief even when constrained
by public opinion to retire from his hostile
attitude, wrote II consider that his Lin
coln's) administration has been politically,
militarily and financially. a failure There
was Chase, who had been the right hand man
r 4 I. q a. L..
it. sulking in his tent and secretly plotting. it
was believed. for the Democratic nomination
for the Presidency. He laid the blame on
1.-THE iniuditous course of some Of Mr.. Lin
coins chief advisers. and his own action on
their advice declaring that Lincoln lis not
earnest enough, NOT anti-slavery enough. not
radical enough. but goes naturally with those
hostile to me- Then there were irrcconcilablc
feuds between Chase and the Blairs. and sub
sequently between Montgomery Blair and
Stanton.
No wonder the Good President was sad
ly perpleXed and sometimes almost in despair
in view of his environments. national and po-
itical. But he was a man equal to the occa-
sion Patient and easy-too easy. it was
thought, as it is now of lIayes--as he was he
was resolute, lar-sightsd and sagacious. He
drew all the mischief ont of the peace ugta-
ton by publicly announcing that any propo-
sitlon embracing the integrity of the Union.
the abandonment of slavery. and coming with
sufficient authority to control The rebel armies
would be met in the most liberal manner by
the government. No such proposition came.
and the whole plot was exposed Montgom-
cry Blair was handsomely bowed ont of the
Cabinet, which restored harmony to the ox-
ecutiye councils. Chase was propitated ny
kind words Wade and Winter Davis and Ere
mont were suppressed by the increased earn
cstness of the Republican managers, and then
came the glorious victories of IGrragut at Mo
bile and of sherman at Atlanta. so that Lin
coins reelection followed as matter of
course We pass no opinion upon Mr.. Welless
continued depreciation of Grant or upon 9TH
ter curious statements he makes rs to the con
duct of the war, but We have deemed Lin
coins position and course as briefly indicated
above too interesting and significant to be for
gotten