Omaha daily bee., 1889-09-02
LINCoLN's PATRIOTISM.
What He Intended Doing In Case
Mcclellan Was Elected.

No
The Life of Lincoln" reaches in the mid
summer holiday number Of The Century the
political campaign of 1854. when he was a
second time the nominee of his party for the
presidency. 1t seems that Lincoln felt that
the campaign was going against him and
made up his mind deliberately as to the
course ne should pursue, which, as stated by
the authors, was as follows:
Unwilling to leave this resolution to the
chances of the changed mood which might
follow in the natural evaporation of defeat,
he resolved to lay down for himself the
course of action demanded by his present
conviction of duty. He wrote on the 23d Of
August the following memorandum:
"'This morning, as for several days past,
ii seems exceedingly probable That this ad-
ministration will not be reelected. Then it
will be my duty to so cooperate with the
president-elect as to save the union between
the election and the inauguration; as he will
have secured his election on such ground
that he can moi possibly save it afterwards
"He then folded and pasted the sheet in
such manner that its contents could not be
read, and as the cabinet came together he
handed this paper TO each member success
sively, requesting them to write their names
across the back of il. In this peculiar fash
ion he pledged himself and the administra-
ion to accept Loyalty the an ticipated verdict
of the people against him, aud to do the ut
most TO save the union in the brief remain
der OF his term of office. He gave no intima-
ton to any N OF the cabinet OF the ma
ture of the paper they had signed until after
his triumphant reelection.
1--WE copy from the MS. dairy of one Of
the presidents secretaries under date of No
yember IL, 1864, the following passage re-
the cabinet to-day the president took out a
paper from his desk and said: "Gentlemen,
do you remember last summer j asked you
all TO sign your names to the back of u paper
of which | did not show you the insidei
This is it. Now, Mr., Hay, see If you can
open this without tearing It," He had pasted
it up in SO singular a style that it required
some cutting to get it open. He then read
this memorandum; given 10 the text
above. The president said: 'You will re-
member that this was written at the time,
SIX days before the Chicago nominating con-
v~ention, when as yet We had no adversary
and seemed 10 have no friends. l then SOL
EMMY resolved on the course OF action Indi-
Gated in this paper. / resolved in case of
the election of General Mcclellan, being GER
tain that he would be a candidate, that
would see HIM and talk matters over with
him. L would say, General, the election
have more influence with the American
people, than /. Now let us together, you
with your influence and L with all the
executive power OF the government,
troops as you possibly can for this final trial,
and will devote all my energies TO assist
and finish the war.'h
"'Seward said, And the general would
nave answered you, Yes, yes;' and the next
day when you saw him again and pressed
these views upon him he would have said,
Yes, yes and SO on forever, and would have
done nothing at all"
"'At least said Lincoln, 4 should have
done my duty and have stood clear before my
own conscience"