abraham lincoln and the union-第13部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

wn　institutions。　　The　greatest　Republican　boss　of　that　day；　Thurlow　Weed；　came　out　in　defense　of　this　plan。

No　power　was　arrayed　more　zealously　on　the　side　of　peace　of　any　kind　than　the　power　of　money。　　It　was　estimated　that　two　hundred　millions　of　dollars　were　owed　by　Southerners　to　Northerners。　　War；　it　was　reasoned；　would　cause　the　cancellation　of　these　obligations。　To　save　their　Southern　accounts；　the　moneyed　interests　of　the　North　joined　the　extremists　of　Abolition　in　pleading　to　let　the　erring　sisters　go　in　peace；　if　necessary；　rather　than　provoke　them　to　war　and　the　confiscation　of　debts。　　It　was　the　dread　of　such　an　outcomewhich　finally　happened　and　ruined　many　Northern　firmsthat　caused　the　stock…market　in　New　York　to　go　up　and　down　with　feverish　uncertainty。　　Banks　suspended　payment　in　Washington；　Baltimore；　and　Philadelphia。　　The　one　important　and　all…engrossing　thing　in　the　mind's　eye　of　all　the　financial　world　at　this　moment　was　that　specter　of　unpaid　Southern　accounts。

At　this　juncture；　Senator　Crittenden　of　Kentucky　submitted　to　the　Senate　a　plan　which　has　been　known　ever　since　as　the　Crittenden　Compromise。　　It　was　similar　to　Weed's　plan；　but　it　also　provided　that　the　division　of　the　country　on　the　Missouri　Compromise　line　should　be　established　by　a　constitutional　amendment；　which　would　thus　forever　solidify　sectionalism。　　Those　elements　of　the　population　generally　called　the　conservative　and　the　responsible　were　delighted。　　Edward　Everett　wrote　to　Crittenden；　〃I　saw　with　great　satisfaction　your　patriotic　movement；　and　I　wish　from　the　bottom　of　my　heart　it　might　succeed〃；　and　August　Belmont　in　a　letter　to　Crittenden　spoke　for　the　moneyed　interest：　〃I　have　yet　to　meet　the　first　Union…loving　man；　in　or　out　of　politics；　who　does　not　approve　your　compromise　proposition。。。。〃

The　Senate　submitted　the　Compromise　to　a　Committee　of　Thirteen。　In　this　committee　the　Southern　leaders；　Toombs　and　Davis；　were　both　willing　to　accept　the　Compromise；　if　a　majority　of　the　Republican　members　would　agree。　　Indeed；　if　the　Republicans　would　agree　to　it；　there　seemed　no　reason　why　a　new　understanding　between　the　sections　might　not　be　reached；　and　no　reason　why　sectionalism；　if　accepted　as　the　basis　of　the　government；　might　not　solve　the　immediate　problem　and　thus　avert　war。

In　this　crisis　all　eyes　were　turned　to　Seward；　that　conspicuous　Republican　who　was　generally　looked　upon　as　the　real　head　of　his　party。　　And　Seward；　at　that　very　moment；　was　debating　whether　to　accept　Lincoln's　offer　of　the　Secretaryship　of　State；　for　he　considered　it　vital　to　have　an　understanding　with　Lincoln　on　the　subject　of　the　Compromise。　　He　talked　the　matter　over　with　Weed；　and　they　decided　that　Weed　should　go　to　Springfield　and　come　to　terms　with　Lincoln。　　It　was　the　interview　between　Weed　and　Lincoln　held；　it　seems；　on　the　very　day　on　which　the　Ordinance　of　Secession　was　adoptedwhich　gave　to　that　day　its　double　significance。

Lincoln　refused　point…blank　to　accept　the　compromise　and　he　put　his　refusal　in　writing。　　The　historic　meaning　of　his　refusal；　and　the　significance　of　his　determination　not　to　solve　the　problem　of　the　hour　by　accepting　a　dual　system　of　government　based　on　frankly　sectional　assumptions；　were　probably；　in　a　measure；　lost　on　both　Weed　and　Seward。　　They　had；　however；　no　misunderstanding　of　its　practical　effect。　　This　crude　Western　lawyer　had　certain　ideas　from　which　he　would　not　budge；　and　the　party　would　have　to　go　along　with　him。　　Weed　and　Seward　therefore　promptly　fell　into　line；　and　Seward　accepted　the　Secretaryship　and　came　out　in　opposition　to　the　Compromise。　　Other　Republicans　with　whom　Lincoln　had　communicated　by　letter　made　known　his　views；　and　Greeley　announced　them　in　The　Tribune。　　The　outcome　was　the　solid　alignment　of　all　the　Republicans　in　Congress　against　the　Compromise。　　As　a　result；　this　last　attempt　to　reunite　the　sections　came　to　nothing。

Not　more　than　once　or　twice；　if　ever；　in　American　history；　has　there　been　such　an　anxious　New　Year's　Day　as　that　which　ushered　in　1861。　　A　few　days　before；　a　Republican　Congressman　had　written　to　one　of　his　constituents：　〃The　heavens　are　indeed　black　and　an　awful　storm　is　gathering。。。I　see　no　way　that　either　North　or　South　can　escape　its　fury。〃　　Events　were　indeed　moving　fast　toward　disaster。　　The　garrison　at　Sumter　was　in　need　of　supplies；　and　in　the　first　week　of　the　new　year　Buchanan　attempted　to　relieve　its　wants。　　But　a　merchant　vessel；　the　Star　of　the　West；　by　which　supplies　were　sent；　was　fired　upon　by　the　South　Carolina　authorities　as　it　approached　the　harbor　and　was　compelled　to　turn　back。　　This　incident　caused　the　withdrawal　from　the　Cabinet　of　the　last　opposition　membersThompson；　of　Mississippi；　the　Secretary　of　the　Interior；　and　Thomas；　of　Maryland；　the　Secretary　of　the　Treasury。　　In　the　course　of　the　month　five　Southern　States　followed　South　Carolina　out　of　the　Union；　and　their　Senators　and　Representatives　resigned　from　the　Congress　of　the　United　States。

The　resignation　of　Jefferson　Davis　was　communicated　to　the　Senate　in　a　speech　of　farewell　which　even　now　holds　the　imagination　of　the　student；　and　which　to　the　men　of　that　day；　with　the　Union　crumbling　around　them；　seemed　one　of　the　most　mournful　and　dramatic　of　orations。　　Davis　possessed　a　beautiful；　melodious　voice；　he　had　a　noble　presence；　tall；　erect；　spare；　even　ascetic；　with　a　flashing　blue　eye。　　He　was　deeply　moved　by　the　occasion；　his　address　was　a　requiem。　　That　he　withdrew　in　sorrow　but　with　fixed　determination；　no　one　who　listened　to　him　could　doubt。　Early　in　February；　the　Southern　Confederacy　was　formed　with　Davis　as　its　provisional　President。　　With　the　prophetic　vision　of　a　logical　mind；　he　saw　that　war　was　inevitable；　and　he　boldly　proclaimed　his　vision。　　In　various　speeches　on　his　way　South；　he　had　assured　the　Southern　people　that　war　was　coming；　and　that　it　would　be　long　and　bloody。

The　withdrawal　of　these　Southern　members　threw　the　control　of　the　House　into　the　hands　of　the　Republicans。　　Their　realization　of　their　power　was　expressed　in　two　measures　which　also　passed　the　Senate；　Kansas　was　admittedas　a　State　with　an　anti…slavery　constitution；　and　the　Morrill　tariff；　which　they　had　failed　to　pass　the　previous　spring；　now　became　law。　　Thus　the　Republicans　began　redeeming　their　pledges　to　the　anti…slavery　men　on　the　one　hand　and　to　the　commercial　interest　on　the　other。　　The　time　had　now　arrived　for　the　Republican　nominee　to　proceed　from　Springfield　to　Washington。　　The　journey　was　circuitous　in　order　to　enable　Lincoln　to　speak　at　a　number　of　places。　　Never　before；　probably；　had　the　Northern　people　felt　such　tense　strain　as　at　that　moment；　never　had　they　looked　to　an　incoming　President　with　such　anxious　doubt。　　Would　he　prevent　war？　　Or；　if　he　could　not　do　that；　would　he　be　able　to　extricate　the　countryHeaven　alone　knew　how！without　a　terrible　ordeal？　　Since　his　election；　Lincoln　had　remained　quietly　at　Springfield。　　Though　he　had　influenced　events　through　letters　to　Congressmen；　his　one　conspicuous　action　during　that　winter　was　the　defeat　of　the　Crittenden　Compromise。　　The　Southern　President　had　called　upon　his　people　to　put　their　house　in　order　as　preparation　for　war。　　What；　now；　had　Lincoln　to　say　to　the　people　of　the　North？

The　biographers　of　Lincoln　have　not　satisfactorily　revealed　the　state　of　his　mind　between　election　and　inauguration。　　We　may　safely　guess　that　his　silence　covered　a　great　internal　struggle。　Except　for　his　one　action　in　defeating　the　Compromise；　he　had　allowed　events　to　drift；　but　by　that　one　action　he　had　taken　upon　himself　the　responsibility　for　the　drift。　　Though　the　country　at　that　time　did　not　fully　appreciate　this　aspect　of　the　situation；　who　now　can　doubt　that　Lincoln　did？　　His　mind　was　always　a　lonely　one。　　His　very　humor　has　in　it；　so　often；　the　note　of　solitude；　of　one　who　is　laughing　to　make　the　best　of　things；　of　one　who　is　spiritually　alone。　　During　those　months　when　the　country　drifted　from　its　moorings；　and　when　war　was　becoming　steadily　more　probable；　Lincoln；　after　the　manner　of　the　prophets；　wrestled　alone　with　the　problems　which　he　saw　before　him。　　From　the　little　we　know　of　his　inward　state；　it　is　hard　for　us　to　conclude　that　he　was　happy。　　A　story　which　is　told　by　his　former　partner；　Mr。　Herndon；　seems　significant。　　As　Lincoln　was　leaving　his　unpretentious　law…office　for　the　last　time；　he　turned　to　Mr。　Herndon　and　asked　him　not　to　take　down　their　old　sign。　　〃Let　it　hang　there　undisturbed；〃　said　he。　　〃Give　our　clients　to　understand　that　the　election　of　a　President　makes　no　difference　in　the　firm。。。。　　If　I　live；　I'm　coming　back　some　time；　and　then　we'll　go　right　on　practising　law　as　if　nothing　had　happened。〃

How　far　removed　from　self…sufficiency　was　the　man　whose　thoughts；　on　the　eve　of　his　elevation　to　the　Presidency；　lingered　in　a　provincial　law　office；　fondly　insistent　that　only　death　should　prevent　his　returning　some　time　and　resuming　in　those　homely　surroundings　the　life　he　had　led　previous　to　his　greatness。　　In　a　mood　of　wistfulness　and　of　intense　preoccupation；　he　began　his　journey　to　Washington。　　It　was　not　the　mood　from　which　to　strike　fire　and　kindle　hope。　　To　the　anxious；　listening　country　his　speeches　on　the　journey　to　Washington　were　disappoin