Nevertheless，withtheCabinetfivetotwoagainsthim，withhismilitaryadviseragainsthim，Lincolnputasidehisownviews。Thegovernmentwentonmarkingtimeandconsideringthecredentialsofapplicantsforcountrypost-offices。
Bythistime，LincolnhadthrownofftheoverpoweringgloomwhichpossessedhiminthelatterdaysatSpringfield。Itispossiblehehadreactedtoamoodinwhichtherewassomethingoflevity。Hisoscillationofmoodfromagloomthatnothingpenetratedtoasortofdesperatemirth，hasbeennotedbyvariousobservers。Andin1861hehadnotreachedhisfinalpoise，thatfirmholdingofthemiddleway，——whichafterwardfusedhismoodsandmadeofhim，atleastinaction，asustainedpersonality。
AboutthemiddleofthemonthhehadafamousinterviewwithColonelW。T。ShermanwhohadbeenPresidentoftheUniversityofLouisianaandhadrecentlyresigned。SenatorJohnShermancalledattheWhiteHousewithregardto“someminorappointmentsinOhio。“TheColonelwentwithhim。WhenColonelShermanspokeoftheseriousnessoftheSecessionmovement，Lincolnreplied，“Oh，we’llmanagetokeephouse。“
TheColonelwassooffendedbywhatseemedtohimtheflippancyofthePresidentthatheabandonedhisintentiontoresumethemilitarylifeandwithdrewfromWashingtonindisgust。[13]
NotyethadLincolnattainedatrueappreciationoftherealdifficultybeforehim。Hehadnotgotridoftheideathatadisputeoverslaveryhadwidenedaccidentallyintoaneedlesssectionalquarrel，andthatassoonastheSouthhadtimetothinkthingsover，itwouldseethatitdidnotreallywantthequarrel。HehadaqueerideathatmeanwhilehecouldholdafewpointsonthemarginoftheSecededStates，opencustomhousesonshipsatthemouthsofharbors，butleavevacantallFederalappointmentswithintheSecededStatesandignoretheabsenceoftheirrepresentativesfromWashington。[14]Thismarginalpolicydidnotseemtohimapolicyofcoercion；andthoughhewasbeginningtoseethatthesituationfromtheSouthernpointofviewturnedontherightofaStatetoresistcoercion，hewasyettolearnthatidealisticelementsofemotionandofpoliticaldogmawerethelargerpartofhisdifficulty。
Meanwhile，theupperSouthhadbeenproclaimingitsidealism。
ItsattitudewascreatingaproblemforthelowerSouthaswellasfortheNorth。Thepro-slaveryleadershadbeenstartledoutofadream。ThebeliefinaSoutherneconomicsolidaritysocompletethatthesecessionofanyoneSlaveStatewouldcompelthesecessionofalltheothers，thatbeliefhadbeenprovedfallacious。Ithadbeenmadeplainthatontheeconomicissue，evenasontheissueofsectionaldistrust，theupperSouthwouldnotfollowthelowerSouthintosecession。WhendelegatesfromtheGeorgiaSecessionistsvisitedthelegislatureofNorthCarolina，everycourtesywasshowntothem；theSpeakeroftheHouseassuredthemofNorthCarolina’ssympathyandofherenduringfriendliness；buthewascarefulnottosuggestanintentiontosecede，unlesstheconditionthatwasdestiny!anattemptshouldbemadetoviolatethesovereigntyoftheStatebymarchingtroopsacrosshersoiltoattacktheConfederates。Then，ontheoneissueofStatesovereignty，NorthCarolinawouldleavetheUnion。[15]TheUnionistsinVirginiatooksimilarground。TheywishedtostayintheUnion，andtheyweredeterminednottogooutontheissueofslavery。Thereforetheylaidtheirheadstogethertogetthatissueoutoftheway。Theirproblemwastodeviseacompromisethatwoulddothreethings：laytheSoutherndreadofaninundationofsectionalNortherninfluence；silencetheslaveprofiteers；meettheobjectionsthathadinducedLincolntowrecktheCrittendenCompromise。TheyfeltthatthefirstandsecondobjectiveswouldbereachedeasilyenoughbyrevivingthelineoftheMissouriCompromise。Butsomethingmorewasneeded，oragain，Lincolnwouldrefusetonegotiate。
TheymettheircrucialdifficultybyboldlyappealingtotheSouthtobesatisfiedwiththeconservationofitspresentlifeandrenouncethedreamofunlimitedSouthernexpansion。TheirCompromiseproposedadeathblowtothefilibusterandallhestoodfor。ItprovidedthatnonewterritoryotherthannavalstationsshouldbeacquiredbytheUnitedStatesoneithersidetheMissouriLinewithoutconsentofamajorityoftheSenatorsfromtheStatesontheoppositesideofthatline。[16]
Asasolutionofthesectionalquarrel，totheextentthatithadbeendefinitelyputintowords，whatcouldhavebeenmoreastute？Lincolnhimselfhadsaidintheinaugural，“Onesectionofourcountrybelievesslaveryisrightandoughttobeextended；whiletheotherbelievesitiswrongandoughtnottobeextended。Thatistheonlysubstantialdispute。“Inthesameinaugural，hehadpledgedhimselfnotto“interferewiththeinstitutionofslaveryintheStateswhereitnowexists；“
andalsohadurgedavigorousenforcementoftheFugitiveSlaveLaw。Heneverhadapprovedofanysortofemancipationotherthanpurchaseorthegradualoperationofeconomicconditions。
Itwaswellknownthatslaverycouldflourishonlyonfreshlandamidprodigalagriculturalmethodssuitedtothemostignorantlabor。TheVirginiaCompromise，bygivingtoslaveryafixedareaandabolishingitshopesofcontinualextensionsintofreshland，wasthevirtualfulfillmentofLincoln’sdemand。
ThefailureoftheVirginiaCompromiseisonemoreproofthatagreatdealofvitalhistorynevergetsintowordsuntilafteritisover。DuringthesecondhalfofMarch，UnionistsandSecessionistsintheVirginiaConventiondebatedwithdeepemotionthissearchingnewproposal。TheUnionistshadafatalweaknessintheirposition。Thiswasthefeatureofthesituationthathadnothithertobeenputintowords。Lincolnhadnotbeenaccuratewhenhesaidthattheslaveryquestionwas“theonlysubstantialdispute。“HehadtakenforgrantedthattheSouthernoppositiontonationalismwasnotarealthing，——ameredeviceofthepoliticianstoworkupexcitement。
AllthecompromiseshewasreadytoofferwereaddressedtothatpartoftheSouthwhichwasseekingtomakeanissueonslavery。Theyhadlittlemeaningforthatotherandmorenumerouspartinwhosethinkingslaverywasanincident。ForthisotherSouth，theideaswhichLincolnaslateasthemiddleofMarchdidnotbringintoplaywerethewholestory。
Lincoln，willingtogiveallsortsofguaranteesforthenoninterferencewithslavery，wouldnotgiveasingleguaranteesupportingtheideaofStatesovereigntyagainsttheideaofthesovereignpowerofthenationalUnion。TheVirginians，willingtogogreatlengthsinmakingconcessionswithregardtoslavery，wouldnotgooneinchinthewayofadmittingthattheirStatewasnotasovereignpowerincludedintheAmericanUnionofitsownfreewill，andnotthelegitimatesubjectofanysortofcoercion。
TheVirginiaCompromisewasreallyaprofoundnewcomplication。
Theverycarewithwhichitdividedtheissueofnationalityfromtheissueofslaverywasastormsignal。ForathoroughgoingnationalistlikeLincoln，deepperplexitieslayhiddeninthisfulldisclosureoftheissuethatwasvitaltothemoderateSouth。Lincoln’sshiftingofhismentalground，hisperceptionthathithertohehadbeenobliviousofhismostformidableopponent，theonewithwhomcompromisewasimpossible，occurredinthesecondhalfofthemonth。
Asalways，Lincolnkepthisowncounseluponthematuringofapurposeinhisownmind。Helistenedtoeveryadviser——openinghisofficedoorswithoutreservetoallsortsandconditions——andsilently，anxiously，struggledwithhimselfforadecision。HewatchedVirginia；hewatchedtheNorth；helistened——andwaited。GeneralScottcontinuedhopeless，thoughminormilitarymengaveencouragement。AndwhomshouldthePresidenttrust-thetiredoldGeneralwhodisagreedwithhim，ortheeageryoungmenwhoheldviewshewouldliketohold？
Manyatimehewastoaskhimselfthatquestionduringtheyearstocome。
OnMarchtwenty-ninth，heagainconsultedtheCabinet。[17]A
greatdealofwaterhadrununderthemillsincetheygavetheiropinionsonMarchsixteenth。Thevoiceofthepeoplewasstillabewilderingroar，butoutofthatroarmostoftheCabinetseemedtoheardefinitewords。TheywereconvincedthattheNorthwasveeringtowardawarlikemood。Thephrase“masterlyinactivity，“whichhadbeenappliedtothegovernment’scourseadmiringlyafewweeksbefore，wasnowbeingappliedsatirically。Republicanextremistsweredemandingaction。AsubtlebarometerwastheSecretaryoftheTreasury。Now，asonthesixteenth，hecraftilysaidsomethingwithoutsayingit。Afterjugglingtheword“if，“heassumedhis“if“tobeafactandconcluded，“Ifwaristobetheresult，IperceivenoreasonwhyitmaynotbestbebeguninconsequenceofmilitaryresistancetotheeffortsoftheAdministrationtosustaintroopsoftheUnion，stationedunderauthorityofthegovernmentinafortoftheUnion，intheordinarycourseofservice。“
Thiselaborateequivocation，whichhadalltheforceofanassertion，wasChaseallover!Threeotherministersagreedwithhimexceptthattheydidnotequivocate。Oneevaded。OfallthosewhohadstoodwithSewardonthesixteenth，onlyonewasstillinfavorofevacuation。Sewardstoodfast。ThisreversaloftheCabinet’sposition，jumpingasitdidwithLincoln’sdesires，encouragedhimtoprepareforaction。Butjustashewasabouttoacthisdiffidenceasserteditself。Heauthorizedthepreparationofareliefexpeditionbutwithheldsailingordersuntilfurthernotice。[18]Oh，forSeward’saudacity；fortheabilitytodoonethingoranotherandtaketheconsequences!
Sewardhadnotforeseenthisturnofevents。HehadlittlerespectfortherestoftheCabinet，andhadstilltodiscoverthatthePresident，forallhissemblanceofvacillation，wasagreatman。Sewardwasundeniablyvain。ThatthePresidentwithsuchaSecretaryofStateshouldjudgethestrengthofaCabinetvotebycountingnoses——preposterous!Butthatwasjustwhatthiscuriouslysimple-mindedPresidenthaddone。Ifhewentoninhisweak，amiablewaylisteningtothetime-serverswhowerelisteningtothebigots，whatwouldbecomeofthecountry？AndoftheSecretaryofStateandhisdeeppolicies？
ThePresidentmustbepulledupshort——broughttohissenses——taughtalessonortwo。
SewardsawthatnewdifficultieshadariseninthecourseofthatfatefulMarchwhichthosecolleaguesofhisintheCabinet——well-meaning，inferiormen，tobesure——hadnotthesubtletytocomprehend。Ofcoursethematterofevacuationremainedwhatitalwayshadbeen，theplainopenroadtoanultimatediplomatictriumph。WhobutapresidentoutoftheWest，oraminormemberoftheCabinet，wouldfailtoseethat!
Butthereweretwootherconsiderationswhich，also，hiswell-meaningcolleagueswerefailingtoallowfor。WhileallthistalkabouttheVirginiaUnionistshadbeengoingon，whileWashingtonandRichmondhadbeentryingtonegotiate，neitherreallyhadanycontrolofitsowngame。Theywerecardplayerswithallthetrumpsoutoftheirhands。Montgomery，theConfederateCongress，heldthetrumps。Atanyminuteitcouldterminateallthismake-believeofdiplomaticindependence，bothatWashingtonandatRichmond。AfewcannonshotsaimedatSumter，thecryforrevengeintheNorth，theinevitableprotestagainstcoercioninVirginia，theconventionblownintotheair，andthereyouare——War!
Andafterallthat，whoknowswhatnext？Andyet，BlairandChaseandtherestwouldnotconsenttoslipMontgomery’strumpsoutofherhands——theeasiestthingintheworldtodo!——
bythrowingSumterintoherlapandthusdestroyingthepretextforthecannonshots。Morethaneverbefore，SewardwouldinsistfirmlyontheevacuationofSumter。
Buttherewastheotherconsideration，thereallynewturnofevents。SupposeSumterisevacuated；supposeMontgomeryhaslostherchancetoforceVirginiaintowarbyprecipitatingtheissueofcoercion，whatfollows？AllalongSewardhadadvocatedanationalconventiontoreadjustallthematters“indisputebetweenthesections。“Butwhatwouldsuchaconventiondiscuss？Inhisinaugural，LincolnhadadvisedanamendmenttotheConstitution“totheeffectthattheFederalgovernmentshallneverinterferewiththedomesticinstitutionsoftheState，includingthatofpersonsheldtoservice。“Verygood!
Theconventionmightbeexpectedtoacceptthis，andafterthis，ofcourse，therewouldcomeuptheVirginiaCompromise。
Wasitapracticalscheme？DiditformabasisfordrawingbackintotheUnionthelowerSouth？
Seward’swholethoughtuponthissubjecthasneverbeendisclosed。Itmustbeinferredfromtheconclusionwhichhereached，whichheputintoapaperentitled，ThoughtsforthePresident’sConsideration，andsubmittedtoLincoln，Aprilfirst。