The Redwood gazette., 1896-04-30
LINCOLN and HIS CABINET
A Lecture Delivered on Tuesday,
March 10th, by G. A. Dana
of New York.
CONTINUED.

On this let me tell another
story:
Lincoln was supreme poll
tician, and he was politician
who understood politics, be-
cause he understood human
nature. And finally the idea
was conceived that the Consti-
tuition of the United States
should be amended so that
slavery should be prohibited in
the Constitution. That was a
change in our policy, and it
was also most important mil
itary measure. 1t was in
tended not merely as a means
of prohibiting slavery and de-
creeing it's abolition, but as a
means of affecting the Judge
ment and feeling,and the antic-
ipation of those in rebellion.
It was believed that the
amendment to the Constitution
would be equivalent to new
armies in the field, equivalent
to sending a hundred thousand
men to fight, because this
would be an intellectual army
and an intellectual force that
would tend to paralyze the
enemy and break the continuity
of his ideas. In order to amend
the Constitution it was neces-
sary first to have the proposed
amendment approved by two
thirds of the States, and when
that question came to be con-
sidered the issue was seen to
be so close that one State more
was necessary. Then the State
ofNevada was organized to ans
wer that purpose, and was ad-
mitted to the Union. I have
heard people sometimes COM
plain of Nevada as superflu-
Gus and petty State, not big
enough to be State; but when
1 hear that complaint 1 always
think of Abraham Lincoln's
saying: at is easier to admit
Nevada than to raise another
million of soldiers"
Well, when the question fin
ally came around to be voted
upon in the House ofRepresen-
tatives, it required three-quar-
ters of the votes; and this vote,
this final decision, was can
vassed earnestly, intensely,
most anxiously for a long time
beforehand. At last, late one
ofternoon, the President came
into my office, a room in the
third story of the War Depart
ment. He used to come there
sometimes rather than send
for me, because he was very
fond of walking, and liked to
go about a good deal. He came
in and shut the door.
DANA" he said, "I am very
anxious about this vote. It has
got to be taken next week.
The time is very short. It is
going to be a great deal closer
than [ wish it was"
There are plenty of Demo-
Gratis who wish to vote for it, ,"
1 replied, "and who will vote
for it. There is Governor Eng
lish of Connecticut; l think he
is sure, isn't he?"
"Oh yes, he is sure, on the
merits of the question"
"Then," said 1, there's Sun
set Cox of Ohio. How is hep
"He is sure and fearless.
But there are some others that
[ am not clear about. There
are three that you can deal with
better than anybody else, per-
haps, as you know them all. I
wish you. would send for them"
He told me who they were; it
isn't necessary to repeat the
names here. One man was
from New Jersey and two from
New York.
What will they be likely to
want?" 1 asked.
II don't know" said the Pres
ident;"I don't know. It makes
no difference, though, what
they want. Here is the alter
native, that we carry this vote
or be compelled to raise another
million and l don't know how
many more men, and fight no
one knows how long. It is a
question of three votes or new
armies"
"Well, Sir" said I, what shall
l say to these gentlemen?"
II don't know" said he, "but
| say this to you, that whatever
promise you make to those
men, l will perform it."
"n11 >,Or, 4L:o % - cooA A.