New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-06-10

of peace and reconciliation That he 80.
the considerable body of perpIexe5 ans Aeu
fed Northern statesman who in the first d,u.
of that fateful winter fairly fell over o.
other in their efforts to eonciIiate and
back the departing Southerners has of.s,
regarded as evidence of weakness both ;n,a,
lectual and moral. 1t is clear however, e
DIR. Bancrofts narrative that howeva, e.,
this policy was regards ultimate ro.,,,.
there much in the situation to iustftv :.
and that. in fact it served for the moment
truly stateSmanlike purpose. 1t was bigb,v =,
portant in the existing situation of the Govs,r
ment to avoid fastening the Southern State. :.
which loyalty to the Union was still strong ~
disloyal action. 1t was equally Important -
convince the non-Republican Unionists of bots
sections, North well as South that the D.
publicans were not the revolutonists which ~.
Shareholders had declared them to be ITnla..
the Union sentiment in all parties could he 90,
solidated the case OF the Government was bona
less for there never was day before the SIM,
render at AppOmattox when the Republican.
alone could have saved the Union TIL.
only way in which the North as whole cor,s
be brought to the point of fighting for the pras
ervation of the Union by making il Mai,
that the Republicans had not provoked tn.
South into secession. and that there was s,iu
enough loyalty in the border slave States to
warrant the expectation of an easy victory owe,
the Confederacy."
Above ALL it absolutely essential that n.
situation should be kept nearly as possible
unchanged until the inauguration Of Lincoln
and the formation of a definite policy bv the
new Administration AS DR.. Bancroft saws n,
Stewards conciliatory speech Of January -.
IF the plan Inadequate it was because
wa ira1
Considering the actual conditions and what Was
most urgent ct that time there is reason 10 be-
lieve that thje wise. as patriotic and as
important a s.,eech as has ever been delivered
| within the walls of the Capitol If Seward had
| spoken as most of the Republicans had done or
| if he had gone no further than Lincoln hadI
even confidentially expressed q willingness TO-
| go. by March there would have been no Union
| that any one could have summoned sufficient
| force to save or to re-establish. To Seward
| almost alone. belongs the credit of devising
| modus vivendi" AS much cannot be said Of Sew
| ards conduct during the time that elapsed be-
! tween the inauguration and the bombardment
of Fort Sumter. His efforts. for the most part
undsguised. to dictate the policy of the Admin
| istration: his dealing with the Confederate COM
| missioners, which cannot entirely be cleared of
| the charge OF treachery; and his absurd pro-
1
| cry question by plunging the country into war
with the greater part of Europe are consDicu-
| Gus illustrations of the weaknesses Of his char
| acter. DR.. Bancroft's criticism of these is az
| fair as it is sharp OF Stewards personal am
| bition he says: 1T was for the Union vastly
more than for himself. He sought power and
mastery OF the Administration and OF all diff
| cultes. not because he wanted the glory of a
semi-dictatorship. but because he honestly be-
| lieved that that was the way for him TO serve
and to save the Nation" Upon detailed con-
sideration of DR.. Bancroft's discussion OF the
| foreign policy OF the Government during che
Civil Warwick. as has been said above forms
the most interesting part of the second volume
it is impossible TO enter. The following adj
settlement of the Trent affair will sufficiently
indicate it's quality:
The highest type of craftsmanship is to extri-
cate ones country from danger in the best way
But that is not the only type. Whether the last
opportunity to save the Union should be thrown
away depended upon Stewards decision TO hold
or to release Mason and SEdel Had he favored
retaining them. there one that could and
would have overcome his influence. Therefore
what done he did. and but for him il would
not have been done. That his argument was 50
effective. although unsoUnd. tribute 20
his truly marvellous skill in making bricks
without straw. 1t was at least political mas
terpieCe- And. the world of politics gOeS-but
not as scholars think il should be-pOlitiCians
that effectively serve the State are ClaSSed IS
statesmen. II sometimes happens that a gen
the most fundamental rules Of strategy or tao
tics 4 grateful country. whose failing cause