abraham lincoln and the union-第26章

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！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


by　an　able　special　agent；　Colonel　George　L。　Schuyler；　and　by　the　famous　banking…house　of　Baring　Brothers；　which　one　might　almost　have　called　the　European　department　of　the　United　States　Treasury。

The　eager　solicitude　of　the　War　Department　over　the　competition　of　the　two　groups　of　agents　in　Europe　informs　a　number　of　dispatches　that　are；　today；　precious　admonitions　to　the　heedless　descendants　of　that　dreadful　time。　　As　late　as　October；　1861；　the　Acting　Secretary　of　War　wrote　to　Schuyler；　one　of　whose　shipments　had　been　delayed：　〃The　Department　earnestly　hopes　to　receive。。。the　12；000　Enfield　rifles　and　the　remainder　of　the　27；000；　which　you　state　you　have　purchased；　by　the　earliest　steamer　following。　Could　you　appreciate　the　circumstances　by　which　we　are　surrounded；　you　would　readily　understand　the　urgent　necessity　there　is　for　the　immediate　delivery　of　all　the　arms　you　are　authorized　to　purchase。　The　Department　expects　to　hear　that　you　have　been　able　to　conclude　the　negotiations　for　the　48；000　rifles　from　the　French　government　arsenals。〃　　That　the　Confederate　Government　acted　even　more　promptly　than　the　Union　Government　appears　from　a　letter　of　Sanford　to　Seward　in　May：　〃I　have　vainly　expected　orders；〃　he　complains；　〃for　the　purchase　of　arms　for　the　Government；　and　am　tempted　to　order　from　Belgium　all　they　can　send　over　immediately。。。。　Meanwhile　the　workshops　are　filling　with　orders　from　the　South。。。。　It　distresses　me　to　think　that　while　we　are　in　want　of　them；　Southern　money　is　taking　them　away　to　be　used　against　us。〃

At　London；　Adams　took　it　upon　himself　to　contract　for　arms　in　advance　of　instructions。　　He　wrote　to　Seward：　〃Aware　of　the　degree　to　which　I　exceed　my　authority　in　taking　such　a　step；　nothing　but　a　conviction　of　the　need　in　which　the　country　stands　of　such　assistance　and　the　joint　opinion　of　all　the　diplomatic　agents　of　the　United　States。。。in　Paris；　has　induced　me　to　overcome　my　scruples。〃　　How　real　was　the　necessity　of　which　this　able　diplomat　was　so　early　conscious；　is　demonstrated　at　every　turn　in　the　papers　of　the　War　Department。　　Witness　this　brief　dispatch　from　Harrisburg：　〃All　ready　to　leave　but　no　arms。　　Governor　not　willing　to　let　us　leave　State　without　them；　as　act　of　Assembly　forbids。　Can　arms　be　sent　here？〃　　When　this　appeal　was　made；　in　December；　1861；　arms　were　pouring　into　the　country　from　Europe；　and　the　crisis　had　passed。　　But　if　this　appeal　had　been　made　earlier　in　the　year；　the　inevitable　answer　may　be　guessed　from　a　dispatch　which　the　Ordnance　Office　sent；　as　late　as　September；　to　the　authorities　of　West　Virginia；　refusing　to　supply　them　with　arms　because　the　supplies　were　exhausted；　and　adding；　〃Every　possible　exertion　is　being　made　to　obtain　additional　supplies　by　contract；　by　manufacture；　and　by　purchase；　and　as　soon　as　they　can　be　procured　by　any　means；　in　any　way；　they　will　be　supplied。〃

Curiously　enough；　not　only　the　Confederacy　but　various　States　of　the　North　were　more　expeditious　in　this　all…important　matter　than　Cameron　and　the　War　Department。　　Schuyler's　first　dispatch　from　London　gives　this　singular　information：　〃All　private　establishments　in　Birmingham　and　London　are　now　working　for　the　States　of　Ohio；　Connecticut；　and　Massachusetts；　except　the　London　Armory；　whose　manufacture　is　supposed　to　go　to　the　Rebels；　but　of　this　last　fact　I　am　not　positively　informed。　　I　am　making　arrangements　to　secure　these　establishments　for　our　Government；　if　desirable　after　the　present　State　contracts　expire。　　On　the　Continent；　Messrs；　Dayton　and　Sanford。。。have　been　making　contracts　and　agreements　of　various　kinds；　of　which　you　are　by　this　time　informed。〃　　Soon　afterward；　from　Paris；　he　made　a　long　report　detailing　the　difficulties　of　his　task；　the　limitations　of　the　existing　munitions　plants　in　Europe；　and　promising　among　other　things　those　〃48；000　rifles　from　the　French　government　arsenals〃　for　which；　in　the　letter　already　quoted；　the　War　Department　yearned。　　It　was　an　enormous　labor；　and；　strive　as　he　would；　Schuyler　found　American　mail　continuing　to　bring　him　such　letters　as　this　from　the　Assistant　Secretary　of　War　in　October：　〃I　notice　with　much　regret　that　＇in　the　latest　consignment＇　there　were　no　guns　sent；　as　it　was　confidently　expected　that　20；000　would　arrive　by　the　＇steamship＇　Fulton；　and　accordingly　arrangements　had　been　made　to　distribute　them　through　the　different　States。　　Prompt　and　early　shipments　of　guns　are　desirable。　　We　hope　to　hear　by　next　steamer　that　you　have　shipped　from　80；000　to　100；000　stand。〃

The　last　word　on　the　problem　of　munitions；　which　was　so　significant　a　factor　in　the　larger　problem；　is　the　report　of　the　United　States　Ordnance　Office　for　the　first　year　of　the　war。　　It　shows　that　between　April；　1861；　and　June；　1862；　the　Government　purchased　from　American　manufacturers　somewhat　over　30；000　rifles；　and　that　from　European　makers　it　purchased　726；000。

From　these　illustrations　it　is　therefore　obvious　that　the　true　measure　of　the　immediate　strength　of　the　American　contestants　in　1861　was　the　extent　of　their　ability　to　supply　themselves　from　Europe；　and　this；　stated　more　concretely；　became　the　question　as　to　which　was　the　better　able　to　keep　its　ports　open　and　receive　the　absolutely　essential　European　aid。　　Lincoln　showed　his　clear　realization　of　the　situation　when　he　issued；　immediately　after　the　first　call　for　volunteers；　a　proclamation　blockading　the　Southern　coasts。　　Whether　the　Northern　people　at　the　time　appreciated　the　significance　of　this　order　is　a　question。　　Amid　the　wild　and　vain　clamor　of　the　multitude　in　1861；　with　its　conventional　and　old…fashioned　notion　of　war　as　a　thing　of　trumpets　and　glittering　armies；　the　North　seems　wholly　to　have　ignored　its　fleet；　and　yet　in　the　beginning　this　resource　was　its　only　strength。

The　fleet　was　small；　to　be　sure；　but　its　task　was　at　first　also　small。　　There　were　few　Southern　ports　which　were　doing　a　regular　business　with　Europe；　and　to　close　these　was　not　difficult。　　As　other　ports　opened　and　the　task　of　blockade　grew；　the　Northern　navy　also　increased。　　Within　a　few　months；　to　the　few　observers　who　did　not　lose　their　heads；　it　was　plain　that　the　North　had　won　the　first　great　contest　of　the　war。　　It　had　so　hampered　Southern　trade　that　Lincoln's　advantage　in　arming　the　North　from　Europe　was　ten　to　one。　　At　the　very　time　when　detractors　of　Lincoln　were　hysterical　over　the　removal　of　Fremont；　when　Grimes　wrote　to　Fessenden　that　the　country　was　going　to　the　dogs　as　fast　as　imbecility　could　carry　it；　this　great　achievement　had　quietly　taken　place。　　An　expedition　sailing　in　August　from　Fortress　Monroe　seized　the　forts　which　commanded　Hatteras　Inlet　off　the　coast　of　North　Carolina。　　In　November；　Commander　Dupont；　U。　S。　N。；　seized　Port　Royal；　one　of　the　best　harbors　on　the　coast　of　South　Carolina；　and　established　there　a　naval　base。　　Thenceforth；　while　the　open　Northern　ports　received　European　munitions　without　hindrance；　it　was　a　risky　business　getting　munitions　into　the　ports　of　the　South。　Only　the　boldest　traders　would　attempt　to　〃run　the　blockade；〃　to　evade　the　Federal　patrol　ships　by　night　and　run　into　a　Southern　port。

However；　for　one　moment　in　the　autumn　of　1861；　it　seemed　as　if　all　the　masterful　work　of　the　Northern　navy　would　be　undone　by　the　Northern　people　themselves　in　backing　up　the　rashness　of　Captain　Charles　Wilkes；　of　the　war…ship　San　Jacinto。　　On　the　high　seas　he　overhauled　the　British　mail　steamer；　Trent。　　Aboard　her　were　two　Confederate　diplomatic　agents；　James　M。　Mason　and　John　Slidell；　who　had　run　the　blockade　from　Charleston　to　Havana　and　were　now　on　their　way　to　England。　　Wilkes　took　off　the　two　Confederates　as　prisoners　of　war。　　The　crowd　in　the　North　went　wild。　〃We　do　not　believe；〃　said　the　New　York　Times；　〃that　the　American　heart　ever　thrilled　with　more　sincere　delight。〃

The　intemperate　joy　of　the　crowd　over　the　rashness　of　Wilkes　was　due　in　part　to　a　feeling　of　bitterness　against　the　British　Government。　　In　May；　1861；　the　Queen　had　issued　a　proclamation　of　neutrality；　whose　justification　in　international　law　was　hotly　debated　at　the　time　and　was　generally　denied　by　Northerners。　England　was　the　great　cotton　market　of　the　world。　　To　the　excited　Northern　mind；　in　1861；　there　could　be　but　one　exp