ButtheJacobinswerenotthementogiveupthegameuntiltheywerecertainlyinthelastditch。Thoughtheirissueshadbeenslippedoutoftheirhands；thoughforthemomentatleast，itwasnotgoodpolicytofightthePresidentonaprinciple；itmightstillbepossibletorecovertheirprestigeonsomeothercontention。ThefirstofJanuarywasapproaching。ThefinalproclamationofemancipationwouldbringtoanendthetemporaryallianceoftheAdministrationandtheAbolitionists。Whocouldsaywhatnewpatternofaffairsthepoliticalkaleidoscopemightnotsoonreveal？
SurelytheJacobincuewastobusythemselves，straightway，makingtroubleforthePresident。Principlesbeingunavailable，practicesmightdo。Andwhowassatisfiedwiththewaythewarwasgoing？TorousethepartyagainsttheAdministrationonthegroundofinefficientpractices，ofunsatisfactorymilitaryprogress，mightbethefirststeptowardregainingtheirformerdominance。
Therewasafeatherinthewindthatgavethemhope。TheominousfirstparagraphoftheEmancipationProclamationwasevidencethatthePresidentwasstillstubbornlyforhisownpolicy；thathehadnotsurrenderedtotheoppositeview。Butthiswasnottheironlystrategichope。Lincoln’sdealingswiththearmybetweenSeptemberandDecembermight，especiallyifanythinginhiscourseprovedtobemistaken，deliverhimintotheirhands。
FollowingAntietam，LincolnhadurgeduponMcClellanswiftpursuitofLee。Hisdespatcheswerestrikinglydifferentfromthoseoftheprecedingspring。Thathalfapologetictonehaddisappeared。Thoughtheydidnotcommand，theygaveadvicefreely。Thetonewasatleastthatofanequalwho，whilenotanauthorityinthisparticularmatter，isentitledtoexpresshisviewsandtohavethemtakenseriously。
“YouremembermyspeakingtoyouofwhatIcalledyourovercautiousness？Areyounotover-cautiouswhenyouassumethatyoucannotdowhattheenemyisconstantlydoing？Shouldyounotclaimtobeatleasthisequalinprowessandactuponthatclaim……oneofthestandardmaximsofwar，asyouknow，istooperateupontheenemy’scommunicationsasmuchaspossiblewithoutexposingyourown。Youseemtoactasifthisappliesagainstyou，butcannotapplyinyourfavor。ChangepositionswiththeenemyandthinkyounothewouldbreakyourcommunicationswithRichmondwithinthenexttwenty-fourhours……
“Ifheshouldmovenorthward，Iwouldfollowhimclosely，holdinghiscommunications。ifheshouldpreventyourseizinghiscommunicationsandmovetowardRichmond；Iwouldpresscloselytohim，fighthimifafavorableopportunityshouldpresent，andatleasttrytobeathimtoRichmondontheinsidetrack。Isay’try’；ifwenevertryweshallneversucceed……Weshouldnotoperatesoastomerelydrivehimaway……Thisletterisinnosenseanorder。“[4]
Butoncemorethedestinythatisincharacterintervened，andMcClellan’stragedyreacheditsclimax。Hisdreadoffailurehypnotizedhiswill。SocautiouswerehismovementsthatLeeregainedVirginiawithhisarmyintact。Lincolnwasangry。
Militaryamateurthoughhewas，hehadfilledhissparetimereadingbooksonstrategy，VonClausewitzandtherest，andhehadgraspedtheideathatwar’saimisnottowintechnicalvictories，nortotakecities，buttodestroyarmies。HefeltthatMcClellanhadthrownawayanopportunityoffirstmagnitude。Heremovedhimfromcommand。[5]
Thiswassixweeksafterthetwoproclamations。ThecountrywasringingwithAbolitionplaudits。TheelectionhadgiventheDemocratsanewleaseoflife。Theanti-LincolnRepublicansweresilentwhiletheirpartyenemieswiththeirstolenthunderrangthechangesonthepresidentialabuseofthewarpowers。Itwasamomentofcrisisinpartypolitics。
WheredidthePresidentstand？WhatwastheoutlookforthosemenwhointhewordsofSenatorWilson“wouldrathergiveapolicytothePresidentoftheUnitedStatesthantakeapolicyfromthePresidentoftheUnitedStates。“
Lincoln’ssituationwasacloseparalleltothesituationofJuly，1861，whenMcDowellfailed。JustasinchoosingasuccessortoMcDowell，herevealedapoliticalattitude，now，hewouldagainmakearevelationchoosingasuccessortoMcClellan。BypassingoverFremontandbyelevatingaDemocrat，hehadspokentothefuriouspoliticiansinthelanguagetheyunderstood。Whateverappointmenthenowmadewouldbeinterpretedbythosesamepoliticiansinthesameway。
Intheatmosphereofthattime，therewasbutonewayforLincolntorankhimselfasastrictpartyman，torecanthisearlierheresyofpresidentialindependence，andsaytotheJacobins，“Iamwithyou。“HemustappointaRepublicantosucceedMcClellan。LethimdothatandtheCongressionalCabalwouldforgivehim。Buthedidnotdoit。HesweptpoliticalconsiderationsasideandmadeapurelymilitaryappointmentBurnside，onwhomhefixed，wasthefriendandadmirerofMcClellanandmightfairlybeconsiderednexttohiminprestige。Hewaslovedbyhistroops。Intheeyesofthearmy，hiselevationrepresented“alegitimatesuccessionratherthantheusurpationofasuccessfulrival。“[6]Hewasmodest。Hedidnotwantpromotion。Nevertheless，LincolnforcedhimtotakeMcClellan’splaceagainsthiswill，inspiteofhisprotestthathehadnottheabilitytocommandsolargeanarmy。[7]
WhenCongressassembledandtheCommitteeresumeditsinquisition，BurnsidewasmovingSouthonhisfatedmarchtoFredericksburg。TheCommitteewatchedhimlikehungrywolves。
WoetoBurnside，woetoLincoln，iftheGeneralfailed!HadtheLittleMenpossessedanysortofvisiontheywouldhaveseizedtheiropportunitytobecomethePresident’ssupporters。Butthey，liketheJacobins，werepartisansfirstandpatriotssecond。InthedivisionamongtheRepublicanstheysaw，notachancetoturnthescaleinthePresident’sfavor，butachancetoplaypoliticsontheirownaccount。ApicturesqueOhiopoliticianknownas“Sunset“CoxopenedtheballoftheirfatuousnesswithanelaborateargumentinCongresstotheeffectthatthePresidentwasinhonorboundtoregardtherecentelectionsasstrictlyanalogoustoanappealtothecountryinEngland；thatitwashisdutytoremodelhispolicytosuittheDemocrats。BetweentheDemocratsandtheJacobinsLincolnwasindeedbetweenthedevilandthedeepblueseawithnoonecertainlyonhissideexceptthevolatileAbolitionistswhomhedidnottrustandwhodidnottrusthim。Agreatvictorymightcarryhimover。Butagreatdefeat——whatmightnotbetheconsequence!
OnthethirteenthofDecember，throughBurnside’sstubbornincompetence，thousandsofAmericansoldiersflungawaytheirlivesinaholocaustofuselessvaloratFredericksburg。
PromptlytheJacobinsacted。Theysetupashriek：theincompetentPresident，theall-partiesdreamer，themanwhopersistsincoquettingwiththeDemocrats，isblunderingintodestruction!BurnsidereceivedthedreadedsummonsfromtheCommittee。SostaggeringwastheshockofhorrorthatevenmoderateRepublicansweresweptawayinanewwhirlpoolofdoubt。
Buteventhusitwasscarcelywise，theAbolitionistsbeingstillfearfulovertheemancipationpolicy，toattackthePresidentdirect。Nevertheless，theresourcefulJacobinsfoundawaytobegintheirnewcampaign。Seward，thesymbolofmoderation，theunforgivableenemyoftheJacobins，hadrecentlyearnedanewthehatredoftheAbolitionists。LettersofhistoCharlesFrancisAdamshadappearedinprint。Someoftheirexpressionshadrousedastorm。Forexample：“extremeadvocatesofAfricanslaveryariditsmostvehementexponentsareactinginconcerttogethertoprecipitateaservilewar。“[8]
Tobesure，thedateofthisletterwaslongsince，beforeheandLincolnhadchangedgroundonemancipation，butthatdidnotmatter。Hehadspokenevilofthecause；heshouldsuffer。
Allalong，thelargenumberthatwereincapableofappreciatinghislackofmalicehadwishedhimoutoftheCabinet。AsLincolnputit：“Whiletheyseemedtobelieveinmyhonesty，theyalsoappearedtothinkthatwhenIhadinmeanygoodpurposeorintention，Sewardcontrivedtosuckitoutofmeunperceived。“[9]
TheJacobinswereskilfulpoliticians。AcaucusofRepublicanSenatorswasstampededbythecrythatSewardwasthemasteroftheAdministration，thechiefexplanationoffailure。ItwasSewardwhohadbroughtthemtothevergeofdespair。A
committeewasnamedtodemandthereorganizationoftheCabinetThereupon，Seward，informedofthisaction，resigned。TheCommitteeoftheSenatorscalleduponLincoln。Helistened；
didnotcommithimself；askedthemtocallagain；andturnedintohisownthoughtsforamodeofsavingtheday。
Duringtwentymonths，sincetheirclashinApril，1861，SewardandLincolnhadbecomefriends；notmerelyofficialassociates，butgenuinecomrades。Seward’searliercondescensionhadwhollydisappeared。PerhapshisnewrespectforLincolngrewoutofthePresident’ssilenceafterSumter。AfewwordsrevealingthestrangemeddlingoftheSecretaryofStatewouldhaveturneduponSewardthefullfuryofsuspicionthatdestroyedMcClellan。ButLincolnneverspokethosewords。
WhateverblametherewasforthefailureoftheSumterexpedition，hequietlyacceptedashisown。Seward，whateverhisfaults，wastoolargeanature，toogenuinelyaloverofcourage，ofthenonvindictivetemper，nottobestruckwithadmiration。WatchingwithkeeneyestheunfoldingofLincoln，Sewardadvancedfromadmirationtoregard。Afterawhilehecouldwrite，“ThePresidentisthebestofus。“Hewarmedtohim；hegaveoutthebestofhimself。Lincolnresponded。
Whiletheothersecretarieswereuseful，Sewardbecamenecessary。Lincoln，inthesedarkdays，foundcomfortinhissociety。[10]LincolnwasnotgoingtoallowSewardtohedrivenoutoftheCabinet。Buthowcouldhepreventit？Hecouldnotsay。Hewasinaquandary。Forthemoment，theRepublicanleadersweresonearlyofonemindintheirantagonismtoSeward，thatitdemandedthegreatestcouragetoopposethem。
ButLincolndoesnotappeartohavegivenathoughttosurrender。Whatpuzzledhimwasthemodeofresistance。
Nowthathewaswhollyhimself，havingconfidenceinwhatevermodeofprocedurehisownthoughtapproved，hehadbegunusingmethodsthatthepoliticiansfounddisconcerting。ThesecondconferencewiththeSenatorswasaninstance。Returninginthesamemoodinwhichtheyhadlefthim，withnosuspicionofasurpriseinstore，theSenatorstotheiramazementwereconfrontedbytheCabinet——ormostofit，Sewardbeingabsent。[11]TheSenatorswereputout。ThissimplemaneuverbythePresidentwasthebeginningoftheirdiscomfiture。Itchangedtheirrolefromtheambassadorsofanultimatumtotheparticipantsinaconference。Buteventhus，theymighthavesucceededindominatingtheevent，thoughitishardlyconceivablethattheycouldhavecarriedtheirpoint；theymighthavedrivenLincolnintoacorner；haditnotbeenforthemake-upofoneman。Again，thedestinythatisincharacter!LincolnwasdeliveredfromaquandarybythecoursewhichtheSecretaryoftheTreasurycouldnotkeephimselffrompursuing。
Chase，previoustothishour，maytrulybecalledanimposingfigure。AsaleaderoftheextremeRepublicans，hehadearnedmuchfame。LincolnhadgivenhimafreehandintheTreasuryandallthefinancialmeasuresofthegovernmentwerehis。
Hitherto，Vindictivesofallsortshadlovedhim。HewasacriticofthePresident’smildness，andaseverecriticofSeward。ButChasewasnotcandid。Thoughonthesurfacehescrupulouslyavoidedanyhintofcynicism，anypointofresemblancetoSeward，hewasinfactfarmoredevious，muchmorecapableofself-deception。HehadlittleofSeward’scourage，andnoneofhisaplomb。HiscondemnationofSewardhadbeenconfidedprivatelytoVindictivebrethren。
WhentheCabinetandtheSenatorsmet，Chasewasplacedinasituationofwhichhehadaninstinctivehorror。Hiscaution，hissecretiveness，hisadroitconfidences，hisskilfulsilences，hadcreatedinthesetwogroupsofmen，twoimpressionsofhischaracter。TheCabinetknewhimasthefaithful，plausibleMinisterwhofoundthemoneyforthePresident。TheSenators，orsomeofthem，knewhimasthediscontentedMinisterwhowastheirsecretally。Forthetwogroupstocomparenotes，tocheckuptheirimpressions，meantthatChasewasgoingtobefoundout。AnditwasthecentralcharacteristicofChasethathehadahorrorofbeingfoundout。
TheonlydefiniteresultoftheconferencewasChase’srealizationwhentheSenatorsdepartedthatmischancewashisportion。InthepresenceoftheCabinethehadnotthefacetosticktohisguns。HefeeblydefendedSeward。TheSenatorsopenedtheireyesandstared。Theallytheyhadcountedonhadfailedthem。Chasebithislipsandwasmiserable。
ThenightthatfollowedwasoneofdeepanxietyforLincoln。
Hewasstillunabletoseehiswayout。ButallthewhilethepredestinationinChase’scharacterwaspreparingthewayofescape。Chasewasdesperatelytryingtodiscoverhowtosavehisface。Anelementinhimthatapproachedthe