Hisgeniusforfable-makingtookanewturn。Manyavisitorwhocametofindfault，wenthometodisseminatetheaptfablewithwhichthePresidenthadsilencedhisobjectionsandcapturedhisagreement。Hisskillinnarrationalsoservedhimwell。CarpenterrepeatsastoryaboutAn-drewJohnsonandhiscrudebutsternreligionwhichinmereprintisnotremarkable。
“Ihaveelsewhereinsinuated，“commentsCarpenter，“thatMr。
Lincolnwascapableofmuchdramaticpower……ItwasshowninhiskeenappreciationofShakespeare，andunrivaledfacultyofStorytelling。Theincidentjustrelated，forexample，wasgivenwithathrillingeffectwhichmentallyplacedJohnson，forthetimebeing，alongsideLutherandCromwell。Profanityorirreverencewaslostsightofinafervidutteranceofahighlywroughtandgreat-souleddetermination，unitedwitharareexhibitionofpathosandself-abnegation。“[29]
Informalliterature，hehaddonegreatthingsuponafarhigherlevelthananyofhiswritingsprevioustothatsuddenchangeinhisstylein1860。Forone，therewastheFastDayProclamation。Therewasalsoadescriptionofhiscountry，oftheheritageofthenation，inthethirdmessage。Itsaimwastogiveimaginativerealitytothenationalidea；justasthesecondmessagehadaimedtogiveargumentativereality。
“Thereisnoline，straightorcrooked，suitableforanationalboundaryuponwhichtodivide。Tracethroughfromeasttowest，uponthelinebetweenthefreeandtheslaveCountryandweshallfindalittlemorethanone-thirdofitslengtharerivers，easytobecrossed，andpopulated，orsoontobepopulated，thicklyuponbothsides；whilenearlyallitsremaininglengtharemerelysurveyors’lines，overwhichpeoplemaywalkbackandforthwithoutanyconsciousnessoftheirpresence。Nopartofthislinecanbemadeanymoredifficulttopassbywritingitdownonpaperorparchmentasanationalboundary。
“Butthereisanotherdifficulty。Thegreatinteriorregion，boundedeastbytheAlleghanies，northbytheBritishdominions，westbytheRockyMountains，andsouthbythelinealongwhichthecultureofcornandcottonmeets，andwhichincludespartofVirginia，partofTennessee，allofKentucky，Ohio，Indiana，Michigan，Wisconsin，Illinois，Missouri，Kansas，Iowa，Minnesota，andtheTerritoriesofDakota，Nebraska，andpartofColorado，alreadyhasabovetenmillionsofpeople，andwillhavefiftymillionswithinfiftyyears，ifnotpreventedbyanypoliticalfollyormistake。Itcontainsmorethanone-thirdoftheCountryownedbytheUnitedStates——certainlymorethanonemillionsquaremiles。OncehalfaspopulousasMassachusettsalreadyis，itwouldhavemorethanseventy-fivemillionsofpeople。Aglanceatthemapshowsthat，territoriallyspeaking，itisthegreatbodyoftherepublic。
Theotherpartsarebutmarginalborderstoit，themagnificentregionslopingwestfromtheRockyMountainstothePacificbeingthedeepestandalsotherichestinundevelopedresources。Intheproductionofprovisions，grains，grasses，andallwhichproceedfromthem，thisgreatinteriorregionisnaturallyoneofthemostimportantintheworld。Ascertainfromthestatisticsthesmallproportionoftheregionwhichhas，asyet，beenbroughtintocultivation，andalsothelargeandrapidlyincreasingamountofitsproductsandweshallbeoverwhelmedwiththemagnitudeoftheprospectpresented；andyet，thisregionhasnoseacoast，touchesnooceananywhere。
Aspartofonenation，itspeoplenowfind，andmayforeverfind，theirwaytoEuropebyNewYork，toSouthAmericaandAfricabyNewOrleans，andtoAsiabySanFrancisco。Butseparateourcommoncountryintotwonationsasdesignedbythepresentrebellion，andeverymanofthisgreatinteriorregionistherebycutofffromsomeoneormoreoftheseoutlets-not，perhaps，byaphysicalbarrier，butbyembarrassingandoneroustraderegulations。
“Andthisistruewhereveradividingorboundarylinemaybefixed。Placeitbetweenthenowfreeandslavecountry，orplaceitsouthofKentuckyornorthofOhio，andstillthetruthremainsthatnonesouthofitcantradetoanyportorplacenorthofit，andnonenorthofitcantradetoanyportorplacesouthofit，exceptupontermsdictatedbyagovernmentforeigntothem。Theseoutletseast，west，andsouth，areindispensabletothewell-beingofthepeopleinhabitingandtoinhabit，thisvastinteriorregion。Whichofthethreemaybethebestisnoproperquestion。Allarebetterthaneither；andallofrightbelongtothatpeopleand？otheirSuccessorsforever。Truetothemselves，theywillnotaskwherealineofseparationshallbe，butwillvowratherthatthereshallbenosuchline。Norarethemarginalregionslessinterestedinthesecommunicationstoandthroughthemtothegreatoutsideworld。They，too，andeachofthem，musthaveaccesstothisEgyptoftheWestwithoutpayingtollatthecrossingofanynationalboundary。
“Ournationalstrifespringsnotfromourpermanentpart，notfromthelandweinhabit，notfromournationalhomestead。
Thereisnopossibleseveringofthisbutwouldmultiply，andnotmitigate，evilsamongus。Inallitsadaptationsandaptitudesitdemandsunionandabhorsseparation。Infact，itwoulderelong，forcereunion，howevermuchofbloodandtreasuretheseparationmighthavecost。“[30]
Athirdtimehemadeagreatliterarystroke，gaveutterance，inyetanotherform，tohisfaiththatthenationalideawastheoneconstantissueforwhichhehadaskedhiscountrymen，andwouldcontinuetoaskthem，todie。itwasatGettysburg，November19，1863，inconsecrationofamilitaryburying-ground，thathedelivered，perhaps，hisgreatestutterance：
“But，inalargersense，wecannotdedicate——wecannotconsecrate——wecannothallow——thisground。Thebravemen，livinganddead，whostruggledhere，haveconsecrateditfaraboveourpoorpowertoaddordetract。Theworldwilllittlenotenorlongrememberwhatwesayhere，butitcanneverforgetwhattheydidhere。Itisforus，theliving，rather，tobededicatedheretotheunfinishedworkwhichtheywhofoughtherehavethusfarsonoblyadvanced。Itisratherforustobeherededicatedtothegreattaskremainingbeforeus——thatfromthesehonoreddeadwetakeincreaseddevotiontothatcauseforwhichtheygavethelastfullmeasureofdevotion；thatweherehighlyresolvethatthesedeadshallnothavediedinvain；thatthisnationunderGod，shallhaveanewbirthoffreedom；andthatgovernmentofthepeople，forthepeople，bythepeople，shallnotperishfromtheearth。“[31]
Towardtheendof1863，Lowellpreparedanessayon“ThePresident’sPolicy。“ItmightalmostberegardedasamanifestooftheIntellectuals。Thattherewasnowaprospectofwinningthewar“wasmainlyduetothegoodsense，thegoodhumor，thesagacity，thelarge-mindedness，andtheunselfishhonestyoftheunknownmanwhomablindfortune，asitseemed，hadliftedfromthecrowdtothemostdangerousanddifficulteminenceofmoderntimes。“Whentheessayappearedinprint，Lincolnwasgreatlypleased。HewrotetotheeditorsoftheNorthAmericanReview，“Iamnotthemostimpartialjudge；yetwithdueallowanceforthis，Iventuretohopethatthearticleentitled’ThePresident’sPolicy’willbeofvaluetothecountry。I
fearIamnotquiteworthyofallwhichisthereinsokindlysaidofmepersonally。“[1]
Thisveryabledefenseofhispreviouscourseappearedashewasannouncingtothecountryhisfinalcourse。Hewasnowsatisfiedthatwinningthewarwasbutaquestionoftime。
Whatwouldcomeafterwarwasnowinhismindtheovershadowingmatter。Heknewthatthevindictivetemperhadlostnothingofitsviolence。Chandler’ssavagery——hisbeliefthattheSouthernershadforfeitedtherighttolife，libertyandthepursuitofhappiness——wasstilltheVindictivecreed。’Vaevicti’!Whenwarended，theymeanttosettheirfeetontheneckofthevanquishedfoe。Furthermore，Lincolnwasnotdeceivedastowhytheywerelyinglowatthisparticularminute。Earshadbeenflattenedtothegroundandtheywereheedingwhatthegroundhadsaid。ThePresidentwastoopopularforthemtoriskattackinghimwithoutanobviousissue。TheirformerissuehadbeensecurelyappropriatedbytheDemocrats。Wherecouldtheyfindanother？WithconsummateboldnessLincolnpresentedthemanissue。Itwasreconstruction。WhenCongressmet，hecommunicatedthetextofa“ProclamationofAmnestyandReconstruction。“[2]Thisgreatdocumentonwhichallhisconcludingpolicywasbased，offered“afullpardon“with“restorationofallrightsofproperty，exceptastoslaves，orinpropertycases，whererightsofthirdpersonsshallhaveintervened“uponsubscribingtoanoathofallegiancewhichrequiredonlyafullacceptanceoftheauthorityoftheUnitedStates。Thisamnestywastobeextendedtoallpersonsexceptafewgroups，suchasofficersabovetherankofcolonelandformerofficialsoftheUnitedStates。TheProclamationalsoprovidedthatwhenever，inanySecededState，thenewoathshouldbetakenbytenpercent。
ofallthosewhowerequalifiedtovoteunderthelawsof1860，thesetenpercent。shouldbeempoweredtosetupanewStategovernment。
FromtheVindictivepointofview，herewasastartlingannouncement。Lincolnhaddeclaredforadegreeofmagnanimitythatwasasaredragtoabull。Hehadalsocarriedtoitsultimatehisassumptionofwarpowers。Norequestwasmadeforcongressionalcooperation。ThemessagewhichtheProclamationaccompaniedwasinformativeonly。
Bythistime，theVindictiveCoalitionof1861wasgraduallycomingtogetheragain。Or，moretruly，perhaps，variousofitselementswerefusingintoasortofdescendantoftheoldcoalition。TheleadersofthenewVindictivegroupweremuchthesameastheleadersoftheearliergroup。Therewasoneconspicuousaddition。Duringthenextsixmonths，HenryWinterDavisheldforatimethequestionabledistinctionofbeingLincoln’smostinveterateenemy。HewasamemberoftheHouse。
IntheHousemanyyoungandheadstrongpoliticiansralliedabouthim。TheDemocratsattimescraftilyfollowedhislead。
DespitetheolderandmoreastuteVindictivesoftheSenate，Chandler，Wadeandtherestwhoknewthattheirtimehadnotcome，Davis，withhisardentfollowers，tookupthePresident’schallenge。DavisbroughtinabilldesignedtocompletethereorganizationoftheoldVindictiveCoalition。Itappealedtotheenemiesofpresidentialprerogative，toallthosewhowantedtheroadtoreconstructionmadeashardaspossible，andtotheAbolitionists。Thisbill，insomanywords，transferredthewholematterofreconstructionfromthePresidenttoCongress；itrequiredamajorityinsteadofone-tenthofallthemalecitizensofaSecededStateasthebasisofanewgovernment；itexactedofthis-majorityapledgenevertopayanyStatedebtcontractedduringtheConfederacy，andalsotheperpetualprohibitionofslaveryintheirStateconstitution。
DavisgothisbillthroughtheHouse，buthisalliesintheSenatelaiditaside。Theyunderstoodthecountrytoo-wellnottoseethattheymustwaitforsomethingtohappen。ifthePresidentmadeanymistake，ifanythingwentwrongwiththearmy-theyrememberedthespringof1862，McClellan’sfailure，andhowChandlerfolloweditup。Andatthismomentnomanwaschafingmoreangrilybecauseofwhatthegroundwassaying，nomanwaswatchingthePresidentmorekeenly，thanChandler。
Historyissaidtorepeatitself，andallthingsaresupposedtocometohimwhowaits。WhileDavis’sbillwasbeforetheHouse，LincolnacceptedbattlewiththeVindictivesinawaythatwasentirelyunostentatious，butthatburnedhisbridges。
HepressedforwardtheorganizationofanewStategovernmentinLouisianaunderFederalauspices。HewrotetoMichaelHahn，thenewlychosengovernorofthissomewhatfictitiousState：“I
congratulateyouonhavingfixedyournameinhistoryasthefirstFreeStategovernorofLouisiana。“[3]
Meanwhile，thehotheadsoftheHouseagainfollowedDavis’sleadandflungdefianceinLincoln’sface。Napoleon，whohadallalongcoquettedalarminglywiththeConfederates，hadalsopushedaheadwithhisinsolentconquestofMexico。LincolnandSeward，determinedtohavebutonewarontheirhandsatatime，hadskilfullyevadedcommittingthemselves。TheUnitedStateshadneitherprotestedagainsttheactionofNapoleon，norinanywayadmitteditspropriety。OthermenbesidestheVindictiveswerebidingtheirtime。Butherethehotheadsthoughttheysawanopportunity。DavisbroughtinaresolutionwhichamountedtoacensureoftheAdministrationfornotdemandingtheretirementoftheFrenchfromMexico。ThiswasoneofthosetimeswhentheDemocratsplayedpoliticsandfollowedDavis。Themotionwascarriedunanimously。[4]Itwassomuchofasensationthatthe’AmericanMinisteratParis，callingontheImperialMinisterofForeignAffairs，wasmetbythecurtquestion，“Doyoubringpeaceorwar？“
ButitwasnotinthepoweroftheHousetodrawLincoln’sfireuntilhechosetobedrawn。Heignoreditsaction。TheImperialGovernmentwasinformedthattheactsoftheHouseofRepresentativeswerenottheactsofthePresident，andthatinrelationtoFrance，ifthePresidentshouldchangehispolicy，theimperialGovernmentwouldbedulyinformed。[5]