abraham lincoln and the union-第38章

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Obviously；　it　was　a　great　disadvantage　to　the　United　　States　to　allow　contraband　supplies　to　be　accumulated；　　without　interference；　close　to　the　blockaded　coast；　and　the　Lincoln　Government　determined　to　remove　this　disadvantage。　　With　this　end　in　view　it　evoked　the　principle　of　the　continuous　voyage；　which　indeed　was　not　new；　but　which　was　destined　to　become　fixed　in　international　law　by　the　Supreme　Court　of　the　United　States。　　American　cruisers　were　instructed　to　stop　British　ships　sailing　between　the　British　ports　of　Liverpool　and　Nassau；　they　were　to　use　the　recognized　international　rights　of　visit　and　search；　and　if　there　was　evidence　that　the　cargo　was　not　destined　for　actual　consumption　at　Nassau；　they　were　to　bring　the　ship　into　an　American　port　to　be　dealt　with　by　an　American　prize　court。　　When　such　arrests　began；　the　owners　clamored　to　the　British　Government；　and　both　dealers　in　contraband　and　professional　blockade…runners　worked　themselves　into　a　fury　because　American　cruisers　watched　British　ports　and　searched　British　ships　on　the　high　seas。　　With　regard　to　this　matter；　the　British　Government　and　the　Government　at　Washington　had　their　last　important　correspondence　during　the　war。　　The　United　States　stood　firm　for　the　idea　that　when　goods　were　ultimately　intended　for　the　Confederacy；　no　matter　how　roundabout　the　journey；　they　could　be　considered　as　making　a　single　continuous　voyage　and　were　liable　to　capture　from　the　day　they　left　Liverpool。　　Early　in　1865；　the　Supreme　Court　of　the　United　States　fully　developed　the　principle　of　continuous　voyage　in　four　celebrated　cases　that　are　now　among　the　landmarks　of　international　law。*

*　The　Great　war　has　once　again　led　to　controversy　over　this　subject；　so　vital　to　neutral　states。


This　was　the　last　step　in　making　the　blockade　effective。　Thereafter；　it　slowly　strangled　the　South。　　The　Federal　armies　enormously　overmatched　the　Southern；　and　from　November；　1864；　their　continuance　in　the　field　was　made　sure。　　Grim　work　still　lay　before　Lincoln；　but　the　day　of　anxiety　was　past。　　In　this　moment　of　comparative　ease；　the　aged　Chief　Justice　Taney　died；　and　Lincoln　appointed　to　that　high　position　his　ungenerous　rival；　Chase。

Even　now　Lincoln　had　not　established　himself　as　a　leader　superior　to　party；　but　he　had　the　satisfaction；　early　in　1865；　of　seeing　the　ranks　of　the　opposition　begin　to　break。　　Naturally；　the　Thirteenth　Amendment　to　the　Constitution；　abolishing　slavery　throughout　the　United　States；　appeared　to　Lincoln　as　in　a　way　the　consummation　of　his　labors。　　When　the　House　voted　on　the　resolution　to　send　this　amendment　to　the　States；　several　Democrats　joined　the　government　forces。　　Two　nights　afterward；　speaking　to　a　serenading　party　at　the　White　House；　Lincoln　made　a　brief　speech；　part　of　which　is　thus　reported　by　his　secretaries：　〃He　thought　this　measure　was　a　very　fitting　if　not　an　indispensable　adjunct　to　the　winding　up　of　the　great　difficulty。　He　wished　the　reunion　of　all　the　States　perfected；　and　so　effected　as　to　remove　all　causes　of　disturbance　in　the　future；　and　to　attain　this　end；　it　was　necessary　that　the　original　disturbing　cause　should；　if　possible；　be　rooted　out。〃

An　event　which　in　its　full　detail　belongs　to　Confederate　rather　than　to　Union　history　took　place　soon　after　this。　　At　Hampton　Roads；　Lincoln　and　Seward　met　Confederate　commissioners　who　had　asked　for　a　parleywith　regard　to　peace。　　Nothing　came　of　the　meeting；　but　the　conference　gave　rise　to　a　legend；　false　in　fact　and　yet　true　in　spirit；　according　to　which　Lincoln　wrote　on　a　sheet　of　paper　the　word　〃Union；〃　pushed　it　across　to　Alexander　H。　Stephens　and　said；　〃Write　under　that　anything　you　please。〃

This　fiction　expresses　Lincoln's　attitude　toward　the　sinking　Confederacy。　　On　his　return　from　Hampton　Roads　he　submitted　to　his　Cabinet　a　draft　of　a　message　which　he　proposed　to　send　to　Congress。　　He　recommended　the　appropriation　of　400；000；000　to　be　distributed　among　the　slave　states　on　condition　that　war　cease　before　April　1；　1865。　　Not　a　member　of　the　Cabinet　approved。　　His　secretary；　Mr。　Nicolay；　writes：　〃The　President；　in　evident　surprise　and　sorrow　at　the　want　of　statesmanlike　liberality　shown　by　his　executive　council；　folded　and　laid　away　the　draft　of　his　message。。。。〃　　With　a　deep　sigh　he　added；　〃But　you　are　all　opposed　to　me；　and　I　will　not　send　the　message。〃

His　second　inauguration　passed　without　striking　incidents。　　Chase；　as　Chief　Justice；　administered　the　oath。　　The　second　inaugural　address　contained　words　which　are　now　famous：　〃With　malice　towards　none；　with　charity　for　all；　with　firmness　in　the　right；　as　God　gives　us　to　see　the　right；　let　us　strive　on　to　finish　the　work　we　are　in；　to　bind　up　the　nation's　wounds；　to　care　for　him　who　shall　have　borne　the　battle；　and　for　his　widow；　and　his　orphanto　do　all　which　may　achieve　and　cherish　a　just　and　a　lasting　peace　among　ourselves；　and　with　all　nations。〃

That　gigantic　system　of　fleets　and　armies；　the　creation　of　which　was　due　to　Lincoln；　was　closing　tight　around　the　dying　Confederacy。　Five　weeks　after　the　inauguration　Lee　surrendered；　and　the　war　was　virtually　at　an　end。　　What　was　to　come　after　was　inevitably　the　overshadowing　topic　of　the　hour。　　Many　anecdotes　represent　Lincoln；　in　these　last　few　days　of　his　life；　as　possessed　by　a　high　though　melancholy　mood　of　extreme　mercy。　　Therefore；　much　has　been　inferred　from　the　following　words；　in　his　last　public　address；　made　on　the　night　of　the　11th　of　April：　〃In　the　present　situation；　as　the　phrase　goes；　it　may　be　my　duty　to　make　some　new　announcement　to　the　people　of　the　South。　　I　am　considering　and　shall　not　fail　to　act　when　action　shall　be　proper。〃

What　was　to　be　done　for　the　South；　what　treatment　should　be　accorded　the　Southern　leaders；　engrossed　the　President　and　his　Cabinet　at　the　meeting　on　the　14th　of　April；　which　was　destined　to　be　their　last。　　Secretary　Welles　has　preserved　the　spirit　of　the　meeting　in　a　striking　anecdote。　　Lincoln　said　that　no　one　need　expect　he　would　〃take　any　part　in　hanging　or　killing　those　men；　even　the　worst　of　them。　　Frighten　them　out　of　the　country；　open　the　gates；　let　down　the　bars；　scare　them　off；〃　said　he；　throwing　up　his　hands　as　if　scaring　sheep。　　〃Enough　lives　have　been　sacrificed；　we　must　extinguish　our　resentments　if　we　expect　harmony　and　union。〃

While　Lincoln　was　thus　arming　himself　with　a　valiant　mercy；　a　band　of　conspirators　at　an　obscure　boardinghouse　in　Washington　were　planning　his　assassination。　　Their　leader　was　John　Wilkes　Booth；　an　actor；　brother　of　the　much　abler　Edwin　Booth。　　There　seems　little　doubt　that　he　was　insane。　　Around　him　gathered　a　small　group　of　visionary　extremists　in　whom　much　brooding　upon　Southern　wrongs　had　produced　an　unbalanced　condition。　　Only　a　morbid　interest　can　attach　today　to　the　strange　cunning　with　which　Booth　laid　his　plans；　thinking　of　himself　all　the　while　as　a　reincarnation　of　the　Roman　Brutus。

On　the　night　of　the　14th　of　April；　the　President　attended　a　performance　of　〃Our　American　Cousin〃。　　While　the　play　was　in　progress；　Booth　stole　into　the　President's　box；　came　close　behind　him；　and　shot　him　through　the　head。　　Lincoln　never　spoke　again　and；　shortly　after　seven　next　morning；　ceased　breathing。

At　the　same　time；　a　futile　attempt　was　made　upon　the　life　of　Seward。　　Booth　temporarily　escaped。　　Later　he　was　overtaken　and　shot。　　His　accomplices　were　hanged。


The　passage　of　sixty　years　has　proved　fully　necessary　to　the　placing　of　Lincoln　in　historic　perspective。　　No　President；　in　his　own　time；　with　the　possible　exception　of　Washington；　was　so　bitterly　hated　and　so　fiercely　reviled。　　On　the　other　hand；　none　has　been　the　object　of　such　intemperate　hero…worship。　　However；　the　greatest　of　the　land　were；　in　the　main；　quick　to　see　him　in　perspective　and　to　recognize　his　historic　significance。　　It　is　recorded　of　Davis　that　in　after　days　he　paid　a　beautiful　tribute　to　Lincoln　and　said；　〃Next　to　the　destruction　of　the　Confederacy；　the　death　of　Abraham　Lincoln　was　the　darkest　day　the　South　has　known。〃



BIBLIOGRAPHICAL　NOTE

There　are　two　general　histories；　of　conspicuous　ability；　that　deal　with　this　period：

J。　F。　Rhodes；　〃History　of　the　United　States　from　the　Compromise　of　1850〃；　7　vols。　（1893…1906）