Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906, 1901-02-13
session, and on April 11th, barely a

cessioii, anu Oh april 1ltn, Darely a
month after his inauguration, the first
shot was fired on Sumpter. With the
approval OF Senator Douglas, and
Senator Scott, Lincoln made his first
call for 10000 volunteers. The regu-
lar army was in lamentable shape.
Its stores had been converted into the
hands Of the confederates, who num-
bered many of the leading generals.
With that the war fairly started, and
on July 4 he asked of congress $780,
100000 and 100000 men to fight a
short and decisive campaign.
At that time he was opposed to
sudden abolition OF the slaves, and he
negatived General Fremont's order OF
emancipation in Missouri, as we'll as
Cameron's proposal to arm the blacks.
In a message to congress on March 6,
1862, he declared that gradual, and
not sudden emancipation would be
better for ALL" and favored gradual
abolition by granting pecuniary aid to
compensate for public and private
losses inevitable with the doing away
of the system. That view, however,
did not find favor throughout the
north, and after fighting the ever
growing sentiment for over year, he
issued his famous proclamation in
September, 1862, announcing that ON
the succeeding New Year all persons
held as slaves in the states, the peo-
pie OF which were in rebellion against
the United States, should be hence
forth and forever free.
The whole management of the war
gradually settled upon him. In the
face OF captious support and cabal
among the cabinet, he successfully
placed Mcclellan Burnside, Hooker
and Grant in charge of the military
operations. In 1868, Grants success
in opening the Mississippi by captur-
ing Vicksburg, and the subsequent
colossal victory at Gettysburg, chang
ed the tide OF the war and the inevita-
BILE end came in sight.
The political campaign OF 1864,
opened with a divided north. The
people and the army generally were
with Lincoln, but the generals whom
he had removed and the congressional
leaders whom he had opposed, fought
him savagely. However, he was re-
nominated by the republicans.in June,
1864, at Baltimore, with Andrew jack
son as his associate. General McClel-
Ian opposed him as the democratic
candidate on ticket demanding the
immediate cessation of hostilities and
a convention of states for the purpose
OF concluding peace.
Lincoln, however, was reelected by
a popular majority of 100000, and all
the electoral votes save those of New
Jersey, Delaware and Kentucky. In
1864, he earnestly recommended the.
passage OF the constitutional amend
ment prohibiting slavery.
His second inaugural address was
pervaded by a deep spirit of sorrow,
but the continuance OF the war was
pushed along the energetic lines which
had already been laid out. The sur
render OF Lee brought Lincoln face to
face with the difficult task OF recon-
struction. In the absence of rule
from congress, he decided that the
test of loyalty to the constitution
should govern aspirants for political
rights, and those VIII O had taken part
in the rebellion were regarded as pub
lie enemies. He did not live to guide
the nation through the trying times
to come, for on April IA, 1865, almost
exactly four years after the firing on
Sumpter, he was assassinated in Ford's
theater, Washington, by john Wilkes
Booth. He died on the following
morning.