The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1889-08-21
If LINCOLN HAD LIVED.
IRON the Chicago Tribune

Il
tIr'y are notable for their historic sig
nifcance and throw many strong side
lights upon the personal character of
great depression in the history OF the
war. so far as movements In the field
were concerned, and of almost equal
depression so far as disagreements in
the Republican party and aggressive
operations in the Democratic party,
looking toward peace which involved
surrender, were concerned. There was
little that was inspiring from the Will
derness, and doubt rested upon the
operations of Sherman. There }
encouragement in the divided ranks of
the Republican party. At this junct-
ure came Mr.. Greeley's peace mission
TO Niagara and the cabals of the crank,
Colorado Jewett. 1t is astonishing at
this day to read the letters of the for
mer to Mr.. Lincoln and observe the
pusillanimous manner in which he adj
vised lying down and surrendering to
the rebels. IL was solid aid and COM
fort for the latter and REINFORCED the
! Democrats upon the eve of a Presiden-
tial campaign, but the wise and reso-
lutte policy pursued by Mr.. Lincoln in
opposition to the advice of so promi
nent leader as Mr.. Greeley baifled
his cowardice, and the peace commits
sion was q fiasco.
In the midst of these critical events
came the Wade-Davis manifesto to add
to the depression. The danger of di-
vision In the party was now more i'm
minent than ever. Mr.. Lincoln SUISSE
gently FLASHED with Congress on the
policy of reconstruction. He differed
from all the radical elements of the
/ party on the then status of the seeded
States, the radicals holding that the
/ States which seeded and declared
/ themselves out of the Union had for
| feited their State organizations and be-
come, in the eyes of Congress and
under the Constitution, merely Terri
| tories to be reconstructed. Mr.. Lin
coin, on the other hand, held, with the
minority Of the party, that when the
rebellion was suppressed the State
constitutions and ante-war statutes re-
NAMED, except so far as the slaves
were concerned, who had been
physically released from bondage
| 1t was his contention that if
the rebels had abandoned the fight
July 4, 1864, when he pocketed the
Wade-Davis bill, fully 100000 of
blacks would have still remained in
bondage as the old pro-slavery consti-
buttons and laws would still have been
in force. How the Supreme Court
would have decided the question had
the Wade-Davis bill gone on the
statutes will never be known. Andy
Johnson contended for the Lincoln
view of the indestructibility of rebel
States, constitutions, and laws, and
the Democrats always insisted that if
! Mr.. Lincoln had lived he would have
broken with the radicals Of his party.
But he was too expert politician for
this. He would unquestionably have
found a modus vivendi with them. 1t
is impossible to conceive that they
could have parted company. How
ever, Mr. Lincoln died. and the radi-
Gals rode rough shod over the conser-
vatives with their radical reconstruc-
ton measures.
The Chicago copperh cad peace
convention which nominated McClel-
Ian on a platform declaring the war a
failure solved many dilemmas, and
an occurrence at this time peculiarly
illustrates Mr.. Lincoln's conscientious
ness and devotion to the cause. The
political situation was dark enough.
When such men as Blair, Thurlow
Weed and Henry J. Raymond had no
hope of success it is not remarkable
that Mr.. Lincoln himself should doubt.
As the time for the convention APP
preached doubt grew into something
like despair, but he confronted the
situation manfully, having no other
object In view than the salvation of
the Union. The step which he took
was characteristic of the man, and now
that it is given to the country for the
: first time in complete form will add to
the national love and gratitude for the
martyr President. Six days before
the convention met all seemed lost to
him. He drew up a memorandum
which was Endorsed at his request by
every member of his Cabinet without
knowledge of its contents. That
memorandum pledged the admins
tration to accept Loyalty the
expected adverse verdict of the
people, ana pleugeu nlmSelf 10
cooperate with the President-elect so
as to save the Union between the cleo
ton and the Inauguration. knowing
that Gen. Mcclellan could do nothing
towards that result after Inauguration
on the pusillanimous platform to which
he had committed himself. Had Gen.
Mcclellan been elected it is doubtful
whether he would have co-operated
with Mr.. Lincoln, for the convention
which nominated him was dominated
by Vallandingham and the Copper
heads. Fortunately the people were
more loyal and more in earnest than
the politicians anticipated and smashed
the Vallandigham-McClel combi-
nation. There was no need to ask CO.
operation from the indecisive and wav-
ering Mcclellan. But" said Mr..
Lincoln, Il should have done my duty
and have stood clear before my own
conscience" Characteristic words
They illustrate Mr.. Lincoln's methods
throughout his whole career and the
promptings of his thoroughly honest
soul.
The world will never know all that
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