The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1943-02-12

He looked forward to "the peaceabIe
enjoyment OF my oscn zine and fg-free.
Of ''house divided against ITSELF
but even in his own family" there
was dissension and disunity.
When the war began many Demo-
Gratis, among them Stephen A. Doug
las, steadfastly supported the Presi-
dent but others violently opposed
a war which they declared had re-
suited from the election of Repub-
lican President. 1t was this group
who brought into existence the
Knights of the Golden Circle, the
secret organization of the Copper
heads, who criticized the conduct OF
the war, hoped to gam control OF
the government and make some sort
of compromise peace with the South.
Even within his own party Lincoln
had enemies who tried to thwart his
efforts to save the Union. One fac
ton induced congress to create
Committee on the Conduct OF the
War which was almost as damaging
to the war effort as the activities of
the Copperheads.
Stormy as was the political situa-
ton when the second year of the
war began, the military situation
was more encouraging. In the West
Fort Henry had fallen, "Uncondition-
al Surrender" Grant had taken Fort
Donelson, and Farragut had cap
tured New Orleans. But in the East,
then regarded as the most impor-
tant theater of war, military genius
named Robert E. Lee was threaten
ing Washington and another military
genius named "Stonewall" Jackson
was outmaneuvering and outfighting
every Union commander sent against
him in the Shenandoah valley.
Mcclellan Fails.
In March, General Mcclellan, the
Union commander, had begun his
Peninsular campaign (which for
numbers engaged and losses suf-
fered surpassed any previous opera
ton in North America" BY June it
was apparent that the campaign
had failed and that the volunteer
system could not produce the num-
Der of men needed for replace
ments after the blood bath McClel-
Ian had given the Union army. In
confidential message to the state
governors Lincoln appealed for 100,-
600 new troops, saying II would pub
licly appeal to the country for this
new force were it not that / fear a
general panic and stampede would
follow, so hard it is to have thing
understood as it is"
This appeal brought him the
troops he needed but, having lost
confidence in Mcclellan, he placed
General Pope in command. The re-
suit was the terrible defeat at the
second Battle of Manassas and Nc
Clellan was again in the saddle.
Thereupon Lee invaded Maryland
and was stopped at the Battle of
Antietam, after which he recrossed
the Potomac. Mcclellan might have
crushed Lee but failed to do SO.
Lincoln again removed Little Mac"
and gave command to General Burn
side, whose attack on Fredericks-
burg resulted in the loss of 10000
Union dead and wounded.
So the year ended in failure and
a deep gloom settled over the North.
Even greater was the depression in
the White House, for the election of
Horatio Seymour, the Democrat, in
New York, was regarded as a re-
pudiation of Lincoln's conduct of the
war. He could not foresee that the
next year would bring the turning
point of the war with the victories
at Vicksburg and Gettysburg-both
achieved on the anniversary of the
signing Of the Declaration of indie
pendence.
Four months later the Great
Emancipator journeyed to one of
those battlefields and there deliv-
cred an immortal address.
eff Abraham Lincoln were alive
today" the message that he might
give to an America engaged in a
struggle with the most deadly enemy
of freedom the world has ever
known would be a quotation from
the Gettysburg Address. It is the
reinsurance:
"That this nation under God shall
have a new birth Of freedom, and
that government Of the people, by
the people, and for the people, shall
mot perish from the earth!"