abraham lincoln and the union-第15章

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lican　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　disappointing。　　Perhaps　his　strangely　sensitive　mind　felt　too　powerfully　the　fatefulness　of　the　moment　and　reacted　with　a　sort　of　lightness　that　did　not　really　represent　the　real　man。　　Be　that　as　it　may；　he　was　never　less　convincing　than　at　that　time。　　Nor　were　people　impressed　by　his　bearing。　　Often　he　appeared　awkward；　too　much　in　appearance　the　country　lawyer。　　He　acted　as　a　man　who　was　ill　at　ease　and　he　spoke　as　a　man　who　had　nothing　to　say。　　Gloom　darkened　the　North　as　a　consequence　of　these　unfortunate　speeches；　for　they　expressed　an　optimism　which　we　cannot　believe　he　really　felt；　and　which　hurt　him　in　the　estimation　of　the　country。　　〃There　is　no　crisis　but　an　artificial　one；〃　was　one　of　his　ill…timed　assurances；　and　another；　〃There　is　nothing　going　wrong。。。。　　There　is　nothing　that　really　hurts　any　one。〃　　Of　his　supporters　some　were　discouraged；　others　were　exasperated；　and　an　able　but　angry　partisan　even　went　so　far　as　to　write　in　a　private　letter；　〃Lincoln　is　a　Simple　Susan。〃

The　fourth　of　March　arrived；　and　with　it　the　end　of　Lincoln's　blundering。　　One　good　omen　for　the　success　of　the　new　Administration　was　the　presence　of　Douglas　on　the　inaugural　platform。　　He　had　accepted　fate；　deeply　as　it　wounded　him；　and　had　come　out　of　the　shattered　party　of　evasion　on　the　side　of　his　section。　　For　the　purpose　of　showing　his　support　of　the　administration　at　this　critical　time；　he　had　taken　a　place　on　the　stand　where　Lincoln　was　to　speak。　　By　one　of　those　curious　little　dramatic　touches　with　which　chance　loves　to　embroider　history；　the　presence　of　Douglas　became　a　gracious　detail　in　the　memory　of　the　day。　　Lincoln；　worn　and　awkward；　continued　to　hold　his　hat　in　his　hand。　　Douglas；　with　the　tact　born　of　social　experience；　stepped　forward　and　took　it　from　him　withoutexposing　Lincoln's　embarrassment。

The　inaugural　address　which　Lincoln　now　pronounced　had　little　similarity　to　those　unfortunate　utterances　which　he　had　made　on　the　journey　to　Washington。　　The　cloud　that　had　been　over　him；　whatever　it　was；　had　lifted。　　Lincoln　was　ready　for　his　great　labor。　　The　inaugural　contained　three　main　propositions。　　Lincoln　pledged　himself　not　to　interfere　directly　or　indirectly　with　slavery　in　the　States　where　it　then　existed；　he　promised　to　support　the　enforcement　of　the　fugitive　slave　law；　and　he　declared　he　would　maintain　the　Union。　　〃No　State；〃　said　he；　〃upon　its　own　mere　motion　can　lawfully　get　out　of　the　Union。。。。　　To　the　extent　of　my　ability　I　shall　take　care；　as　the　Constitution　itself　expressly　enjoins　upon　me；　that　the　laws　of　the　Union　be　faithfully　executed　in　all　the　States。。。。　　In　doing　this；　there　need　be　no　bloodshed　or　violence；　and　there　shall　be　none；　unless　it　be　forced　upon　the　national　authority。　　The　power　confided　to　me　will　be　used　to　hold；　occupy；　and　possess　the　property　and　places　belonging　to　the　government。〃　　Addressing　the　Southerners；　he　said：　〃In　your　hands；　my　dissatisfied　fellow…countrymen；　and　not　in　mine；　is　the　momentous　issue　of　civil　war。　　The　Government　will　not　assail　you。。。。　　We　are　not　enemies