Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-11-15

who early entered into the movement fol
the nomination of johnson, overthrew Dick
inson in his own State and was the con.
| fessed Lincoln leader in the Baltimore con-
vention of '64 With Dickinson beaten in
New York and with Hamlin's forces de-
| moralized early in the contest, the nomina-
| tion of johnson was easily accomplished,
chiefly because it was what Lincoln desired.
Neither SWEET nor Lamon had any knowI'
edge of Lincoln's positive movementfor the
nomination of johnson until within day or
two of the meeting of the convention. Colo
mel Lamon has recently given description
of the scene between Lincoln, SWEET and
himself q day or two before they
went to Baltimore to aid in Lincoln's re-
nomination. SWEET earnestly and even
passionately protested, against the
overthrow of Hamlin, but after
hearing Lincoln fully on the subject, he
consented to go to the convention, in which
he was delegate from Illinois, and support
the nomination of johnson, but he wisely
declared Holt to be his candidate, as foil
to protect Lincoln.
Kept Himself in the background.
SWEET naturally felt uncertain as to how
the suggestion of Johnson's name would be
received at Baltimore, as he had no knowl-
edge of the extent to which Lincoln had
progressed in the johnson movement In
answer to his inquiry whether he was at
liberty to say that Lincoln desired john
sons nomination, Lincoln answered in the
negative, and as quoted by Colonel Lamon,
in a recent public letter, said: "No, will
address letter to Lamon here embodying
nv views, which you, Mcclure and other
friends may use, if it be found absolutely
necessary; otherwise it may be better that I
shall not appear actively on the stage of this
I'll ha 1a&4 tton hr in
coin and delivered to Lamon, who had it
with him at Baltimore, but, as there was no
occasion for using it, it was never shown to
any one, and was returned to Lincoln after
the convention, at his request.
How shreydly Lincoln moved, and with
what extreme caution he guarded his conf
dence, is well illustrated by the fact that
while he consulted Cameron confdentially
about the nomination of johnson some
months before the convention, and con-
suited me on the same subject the day be-
fore the convention met, neither of us sup
posed that the other was acting in the
special confidence of Lincoln. On the con-
trary, I supposed that Cameron was sim
cerely friendly to Hamlin, and would battle
for his denomination, until he finally pro-
posed to me the night before the convention
met that we give solid complimentary vote
to Hamlin, and follow it with q solid vote
for johnson.
Didn't Tell Colonel Mcclure All.
Another evidence of his extreme caution
in politics is given by the fact that while he
carefully concealed from both Cameron and
myself the fact that the other was in his
confidence in the same movement, he sur
prised me few weeks before the conven-
tion by sending for me and requesting me
to come to the convention as a delegate at
large. 1 had already been unanimously
chosen as delegate from my own Congress
sional district, and was amazed when 1 in
formed Lincoln ofthat fact, to find that he still
insisted upon me going before the State Con-
vention and having myself elected as a
delegate-at-large. To all my explanations
that man in the delegation was good for
just what he was worth, whether he repre-
sented the district or the State, Lincoln per-
sisted in the request that should come as q
delegate-at-large,
When finally pressed him for an e1-
planation of what seemed to me TO be
needless request involving great embarrass-
ment to me, he finally with evident reluc-
tance answered: General Cameron has as
sured me that he will be delegate-at-large
from your State, and while 1 have no rea-
son to question his sincerity as my friend,
if he is to be deiegate-at-large from Penn
sylvania, 1 would very much prefer that
you be one with him" Had he been will
ing to tell me the whole truth he would
have informed me that Cameron was en-
listed in the johnson movement, and that
he specially desired at least two of the dele
gates-at-large representing opposing fac
tions, to be active supporters of Johnson's
nomination. There could be no other rea-
sonable explanation. A fortunate COM
bination of circumstances made it possible
r. L.
test, Cameron and I receiving nearly
unanimous vote.
Successes in the Field.
Lincoln realized the fact that the chances
were greatly against his reelection unless
he should be saved by the success of the
Union army. There was no period from
January, 1864. until the Sd of September of
the same year, when Mcclellan would not
have defeated Lincoln for President. The
two speeches of that campaign which turned
the tide and gave Lincoln his overwhelming
victory were Sherman's dispatch from At
larta on the Sd of September, saying: "At-
lanta is ours and fairly won," and
Sheridan's dispatch of the 18th of Septem-
Der from the valley saying: "We have Just
sent them (the enemy whirling through
Winchester and We are after them to-mor-
row."
From the opening of the military cam.
paign in the spring of '64 until Sherman
announced the capture of Atlanta, there
was not single important victory of the
Union army to inspire the loyal people of
the country with confidence in the success
of the war. Grants campaign from the
Rapidan to the James was the bloodest in
the history of the struggle. He had lost
as many men in killed, wounded and miss
Ing as Lee ever had in front of him, and
there was no substantial victory iH all the
sacrifice made by the gallant Army of the
Potomac Sherman had been fighting con-
tinuously four months without decisive
success. The people of the North had be-
come heart sick at the fearful sacrifice
which brought no visible achievement
Lincoln Was Full of Doubt.
Democratic sentiment had drifted to Nc
Clellan as the opposing candidate, and so
profoundly was Lincoln impressed by the
gloomy situation that confronted him, that
on the 23d of August, seven days before the
nomination of Mcclellan, and ten days be-
fore the capture of Atlanta he wrote the
following memorandum, sealed it in an en-
velope and had it indorsed by several men,
bers of the Cabinet, including Secretary
Welles, with written instructions that it
was not to be opened until after the cleo
tion.
EXECUTIVE MANSON, ,
WASHINGTON, Aug. %, 1854.
This morning, as for some days past, it
seems exceedingly probab BILE that this ad-
will not be reelected. Then it
will be NV duty to cooperate with the Pres
ident-elect so as to save the Union, between
the election and the Inauguration, as he will
have secured his election on such grounds
that he OF possibly save it afterward.
A. LINCOLN.
spent an hour with Lincoln in the Ex-
ecutive chamber some ten days before he
wrote the memorandum, and I never saw