TowardthemiddleofSeptember，whenLeeandMcClellanweregraduallyconverginguponthefatedlineofAntietamCreek，Lincoln’snewfirmnesswasputtothetest。TheimmediateeffectofManassaswasanother，astillmorevehementoutcryforananti-slaverypolicy。AdeputationofChicagoclergymenwenttoWashingtonforthepurposeofurginghimtomakeananti-slaverypronouncement。Thejourneywasacontinuousovation。IfatanytimeLincolnwastemptedtoforgetSeward’sworldlywisdom，itwaswhentheseinfluentialzealotsdemandedofhimtodotheverythingheintendedtodo。ButitwasoneofthecharacteristicsofthisfinalLincolnthatwhenoncehehadfullydeterminedonacourseofaction，nothingcoulddeflecthim。Withconsummatecoolnesshegavethemnonewlightonhispurpose。Instead，heseizedtheopportunityto“feel“thecountry。Heplayedtheroleofadvocatearguingthecaseagainstanemancipationpolicy。[14]TheymethisargumentwithgreatSpiritandresolution。Takingthemasanindex，therecouldbelittlequestionthatthecountrywasripeforthenewpolicy。AtthecloseoftheinterviewLincolnallowedhimselftojest。OneoftheclergymendramaticallychargedhimtogiveheedtotheirmessageastoadirectcommissionfromtheAlmighty。“Isitnotodd，“saidLincoln，“thattheonlychannelhecouldsenditwasthatroundaboutroutebytheawfullywickedcityofChicago？“*
*Reminiscences，335。ThisretortisgivenbySchuylerColfax。
TherearevariousreportsofwhatLincolnsaid。Inanotherversion，“IhopeitwillnotbeirreverentformetosaythatifitisprobablethatGodwouldrevealHiswilltoothersonapointsoconnectedwithmyduty，itmightbesupposedHewouldrevealitdirectlytome。“Tarbell，II，l2。
Lincoln’spertinacity，holdingfasttheprogramhehadaccepted，cametoitsreward。OntheseventeenthoccurredthatfuriouscarnagealongtheAntietamknownasthebloodiestsingledayofthewholewar。Militarymenhavedisagreed，callingitsometimesavictory，sometimesadrawnbattle。InLincoln’spoliticalstrategythedisputeisimmaterial。
Psychologically，itwasaNorthernvictory。TheretreatofLeewasregardedbytheNorthastheturnofthetide。Lincoln’sopportunityhadarrived。