The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1909-02-15
ARTICLE V.
THE GREAT TASK.

know Lincoln, because he had been
so abused and ridiculed. Some
thought that Seward, the secretary
of state. would be the real presi-
dent Seward thought so, too, and
made a remarkable proposition to
Lincoln, which was to hake war on
Spain ami France and even on
Great Britain and Russia, and sug-
gested himself as the one to carry
out this policy. Lincoln took
Stewards proposal calmly and
kindly, but made it plain that he,
and no one else, would dictate poll
cies; and Seward soon learned that
Lincoln was masteg.
April IL the southerners began to
lombard Fort Sumpter and the
next day 1t fell. The war was. be-
gun, and the north rose in wrath.
Douglas told Lincoln he would sup
port him. There was no more talk
of compromise, or of the right or
wrong of slavery. On the 18th Lin
coin called for $4,000 volunteers.
Hundreds of thousands of men Of
fered themselves in the union
cause. Washington was in great
danger; II the confederates could
have captured 1t, they would have
been recognized as government
by the kings of Europe. But soon
troops arrived and camped about
Washington.
Lincoln's task was to keep other
states from going out of the union,
to prevent European countries from
recognizing the confederacy. and to
make an army and navy. He went
about this work quietly and pa
tiently. BY June. Virginia, Arkan-
sas, North Carolina and Tennessee
had joined the confederacy, but
Lincoln kept Kentucky. Missouri
and Maryland from seeding. The
capital of the confederacy was
emoved to Richmond, and Robert f.
Lee was made general of the south.
ern army. The stars and bars were
flying in the presidents very face,
one might say, from the hills
across the Potomac.
ION to Richmond was the cry.
On July 81, n hot Sunday after
noon, General Mcdowell of the fed
eral troops attacked General Beau
regard and fought the battle of
Bull Run. The next day, at dawn.
tin drizzling rain. the scattered
union troops began to pour into
Washington. The blow staggered
the north, but it steadied it, too
More troops were raised, and Lin
coin sent for George b. Mcclellan,
a young general, to organize the
army of the Potomac. While he
was doing this, General Fremont,
the old PATHFINDER, who was in
command in the west, issued a
proclamation emancipating the
slaves of nounion men in Missouri.
This act pleased the abolltionists,
but it added to Lincoln's troubles,
for it nearly drove Missouri into
the confederacy. Lincoln had a
good deal of trouble with most of
his generals; they were so proud
and touchy, and were always quar-
reling. There was one general,
, however, who had already caught
his far seeing eye; this general
took Fort Henry and Fort Donelson
In February, 1862. His name was
u. s. Grant. and after he sent his
famous dispatch to Buckner. mo
terms except unconditional and i'm
mediate surrender. | propose to
move Immediately upon your
words" the people began to call
him "Uncontdioianal Surrender
Grant"
All this time Mcclellan was Civ
Ing fine parades near Washington.
The autumn moved by and nothing
was done, and the people began to
grumble again.
But lincoln had to take up for
eign affairs for awhile. On Nov. s,
Captain Wilkes. commanding the
warship San Jacinto stopped the
British ship Trent, and took from
her Maso nand Slidell, confederate
commissioners. who were on their
way to Europe. The people of the
north thought this was great
thing, but Lincoln saw that II was
mistake. for 1t might bring. on
war with England. So he let Mason
and Slidell go, and apologized to
England.
Then his cabinet officers gave
him a good deal of trouble, and to
get rid of Cameron, secretary of
war. he sent him as minister to
Russia, In his place Lincoln APP
pointed Stanton. who had treated
him so ruedly at Cincinnati few
years before. Stanton was insolent
and browbeating and he often tried
the patient president; but he was
an honest man and hard worker,
and made a great war secretary.
Meanwhile. Mcclellan had not
moved. "All quiet along the Po-
tomac." the dispatches said every
day. Lincoln entered into a long
correspondence with Mcclellan.
The letters show the characters of
tina tWn man incolu uos oil mot;