captivatedthepopularimagination。TheterribleCommitteewerehisfriends。Militarymenthoughthimfullofpromise。
Onthewhole，Lincoln，whosawthewisdomoffollowinguphisclashovertheCabinetbyaconcessiontotheJacobins，waswillingtotakehischanceswithHooker。
Hisintimateadviserswerenotofthesamemind。Theyknewthattherewasmuchtalkonthethemeofapossibledictator-nottheconstitutionaldictatorofLincolnandStevens，buttheold-fashioneddictatorofhistoricalmelodrama。
Hookerwasreportedtohaveencouragedsuchtalk。AllthisgreatlyalarmedoneofLincoln’smostdevotedhenchmen——Lamon，MarshaloftheDistrictofColumbia，whoregardedhimselfaspersonallyresponsibleforLincoln’ssafety。“InconversationwithMr。Lincoln，“saysLamon，“onenightaboutthetimeGeneralBurnsidewasrelieved，Iwasurginguponhimthenecessityoflookingwelltothefactthattherewasaschemeonfoottodeposehim，andtoappointamilitarydictatorinhisstead。Helaughedandsaid，’Ithink，foramanofaccreditedcourage，youarethemostpanickypersonIeverknew；youcanseemoredangerstomethanalltheotherfriendsIhave。Youareallthetimeexercisedaboutsomebodytakingmylife；murderingme；andnowyouhavediscoveredanewdanger；nowyouthinkthepeopleofthisgreatgovernmentarelikelytoturnmeoutofoffice。IdonotfearthisfromthepeopleanymorethanIfearassassinationfromanindividual。
NowtoshowmyappreciationofwhatmyFrenchfriendswouldcallacoupd’etat，letmereadyoualetterIhavewrittentoGeneralHookerwhomIhavejustappointedtothecommandofthearmyofthePotomac。“[9]
FewlettersofLincoln’sarebetterknown，fewrevealmoreexactlythetoneofhisfinalperiod，thantheremarkablecommunicationheaddressedtoHookertwodaysafterthatwhisperedtalkwithRaymondattheWhiteHouselevee：
“General，IhaveplacedyouattheheadofthearmyofthePotomac。OfcourseIhavedonethisuponwhatappeartometobesufficientreasons，andyetIthinkitbestforyoutoknowthattherearesomethingsinregardtowhichIamnotquitesatisfiedwithyou。Ibelieveyoutobeabraveandskilfulsoldier，whichofcourseIlike。Ialsobelieveyoudonotmixpoliticswithyourprofession，inwhichyouareright。Youhaveconfidenceinyourself，whichisavaluable，ifnotanindispensablequality。Youareambitious，whichwithinreasonablebounds，doesgoodratherthanharm；butIthinkthatduringGeneralBurnside’scommandofthearmyyouhavetakencounselofyourambitionandthwartedhimasmuchasyoucould，inwhichyoudidagreatwrongtothecountryandtoamostmeritoriousandhonorablebrotherofficer。Ihaveheardinsuchawayastobelieveit，ofyourrecentlySayingthatboththearmyandthegovernmentneededadictator。Ofcourseitwasnotforthis，butinspiteofit，thatIhavegivenyouthecommand。Onlythosegeneralswhogainsuccessescansetupdictators。WhatInowaskyouismilitarysuccess，andIwillriskthedictatorship。Thegovernmentwillsupportyoutotheutmostofitsability，whichisneithermorenorlessthanithasdoneandwilldoforallcommanders。Imuchfearthatthespiritwhichyouhaveaidedtoinfuseintothearmy，ofcriticizingtheircommanderandwithholdingconfidencefromhim，willnowturnuponyou。IshallassistyouasfarasI
cantoputitdown。NeitheryounorNapoleon，ifhewerealiveagain，couldgetanygoodoutofanarmywhilesuchaSpiritprevailsinit；andnowbewareofrashness。Bewareofrashness，butwithenergyandsleeplessvigilancegoforwardandgiveusvictories。“[10]
TheappointmentofHookerhadtheeffectofquietingtheCommitteeforthetime。Lincolnturnedagaintohispoliticalscheme，butnotuntilhehadmadeanothermilitaryappointmentfromwhichatthemomentnoonecouldhaveguessedthattroublewouldevercome。HegavetoBurnsidewhatmightbecalledthesinecurepositionofCommanderoftheDepartmentoftheOhiowithheadquartersatCincinnati。[11]
Duringtheearlypartof1863Lincoln’spoliticalschemereceivedaseriousblow。SeymourrankedhimselfasanirreconcilableenemyoftheAdministration。Theanti-LincolnRepublicansstruckatthePresidentinroundaboutways。
Heraldinganewattack，thebestmanontheCommittee，Julian，ironicallyurgedhisassociatesinCongressto“rescue“thePresidentfromhisfalsefriends——thosemereUnionistswhowereluringhimawayfromthepartythathadelectedhim，enticinghimintoavaguenewpartythatshouldincludeDemocrats。“ItwassaidthattherewereonlytwoLincolnmenintheHouse。[12]
GreeleywascoquettingwithRosecrans，tryingtoinducehimtocomeforwardasRepublicanpresidential“timber。“TheCommitteeinAprilpublishedanelaboratereportwhichportrayedthearmyofthePotomacasanarmyofheroestragicallyafflictedinthepastbytheincompetenceoftheircommanders。TheDemocratscontinuedtheirabuseofthedictator。
Itwasamomentofstrainedpause，everybodywaitinguponcircumstance。AndinWashington，everyeyewasturnedSouthward。Howsoonwouldtheyglimpsethefirstmessengerfromthatgloriousvictorywhich“FightingJoe“hadpromisedthem。“Theenemyisinmypower，“saidhe，“andGodAlmightycannotdeprivemeofthem。“[13]
SomethingofthedifferencebetweenHookerandLincoln，betweenalltheVindictivesandLincoln，maybefeltbyturningfromtheseribaldwordstothatFastDayProclamationwhichthisstrangestatesmanissuedtohispeople，thatanxiousspring，——thatmomentoftranceasitwere——whenallthingsseemedtotrembletowardthelastjudgment：
“Andwhereas，itisthedutyofnationsaswellasofmentoowntheirdependenceupontheoverrulingpowerofGod；toconfesstheirsinsandtransgressionsinhumblesorrow，yetwithassuredhopethatgenuinerepentancewillleadtomercyandpardon；andtorecognizethesublimetruthannouncedintheHolyScripturesandprovenbyallhistory，thatthosenationsonlyareblessedwhoseGodistheLord：
“AndinsomuchasweknowthatbyHisdivinelawnations，likeindividuals，aresubjectedtopunishmentsandchastisementsinthisworld，maywenotjustlyfearthattheawfulcalamityofcivilwarwhichnowdesolatesthelandmaybebutapunishmentinflicteduponusforourpresumptuoussins，totheneedfulendofournationalreformationasawholepeople。WehavebeentherecipientsofthechoicestbountiesofHeaven。Wehavebeenpreserved，thesemanyyears，inpeaceandprosperity。Wehavegrowninnumbers，wealthandpowerasnoothernationhasevergrown；butwehaveforgottenGod。Wehaveforgottenthegracioushandwhichpreservedusinpeace，andmultipliedandenrichedandstrengthenedus；andwehavevainlyimagined，inthedeceitfulnessofourhearts，thatalltheseblessingswereproducedbysomesuperiorwisdomandvirtueofourown。
Intoxicatedwithunbrokensuccess，wehavebecometooself-sufficienttofeelthenecessityofredeemingandpreservinggrace，tooproudtopraytoGodthatmadeus：
“ItbehoovesusthentohumbleourselvesbeforetheoffendedPower，toconfessournationalsins，andtoprayforclemencyandforgiveness。
“Allthisbeingdoneinsincerityandtruth，letusthenresthumblyinthehopeauthorizedbythedivineteachings。thattheunitedcryofthenationwillbeheardonhigh，andansweredwithblessingsnolessthanthepardonofournationalsinsandtherestorationofournowdividedandsufferingcountrytoitsformerhappyconditionofunityandpeace。“[14]
Alas，forsuchmenasHooker!WhatseemedtohiminhisvainglorybeyondthereachofOmnipotence，wasaccomplishedbyLeeandJacksonandaConfederatearmyatChancellorsville。
ProfoundgloomfelluponWashington。WellesheardtheterriblenewsfromSumnerwhocameintohisroom“andraisingbothhandsexclaimed，’Lost，lost，allislost!’“[15]
TheaftermathofManassaswasrepeated。InthecaseofPope，noefforthadbeensparedtosavethefriendoftheCommittee，tofindsomeoneelseonwhomtoloadhisincompetence。Thecoursewasnowrepeated。Again，theJacobinsraisedthecry，“Wearebetrayed!“Again，thestirtoinjurethePresident。
Verystrangearetheironiesofhistory!Atthiscriticalmoment，Lincoln’samiablemistakeinsendingBurnsidetoCincinnatidemandedexpiation。AlongwiththedefinitenewsofHooker’soverthrow，camethenewsthatBurnsidehadseizedtheCopperheadleader，Vallandigham，andhadcasthimintoprison；
thatahubbubhadensued；that，asthesayinggoes，thewoodswereburninginOhio。
Vallandigham’soffensewasapublicspeechofwhichnoaccuratereportsurvives。However，thefragmentsrecordedby“plainclothes“meninBurnside’semploy，whensetintheperspectiveofVallandigham’sthinkingasdisplayedinCongress，makeitstenorplainenough。itwasanout-and-outCopperheadharangue。
Ifhewastobetreatedashundredsofothershadbeen，thecaseagainsthimwasplain。ButtheAdministration’spolicytowardagitatorshadgraduallychanged。Therewasnotthesamefearofthemthathadexistedtwoyearsbefore。NowthetendencyoftheAdministrationwastoignorethem。
TheCabinetregrettedwhatBurnsidehaddone。Nevertheless，theMinistersfeltthatitwouldnotdotorepudiatehim。
Lincolntookthatview。HewrotetoBurnsidedeploringhisactionandsustaininghisauthority。1[6]Andthen，asasortofgrimpracticaljoke，hecommutedVallandigham’ssentencefromimprisonmenttobanishment。TheagitatorwassentacrossthelinesintotheConfederacy。
Burnsidehadeffectuallyplayedthemarplot。VerylittlechancenowofanunderstandingbetweenLincolnandeitherwingoftheDemocrats。Theopportunitytomakecapitaloutofthewarpowerswasquitetoogoodtobelost!VallandighamwasnominatedforgovernorbytheOhioDemocrats。InallpartsofthecountryDemocraticcommitteesresolvedinfuriousprotestagainstthedictator。Andyet，onthewhole，perhaps，theincidentplayedintoLincoln’shands。Atleast，itsilencedtheJacobins。WiththeDemocratsringingthechangesontheformerdoctrineofthesupplepoliticians，howcertainthattheironlycourseforthemomentwastolielow。Atimecame，tobesure，whentheythoughtitsafetoresumetheirowncreed；butthatwasnotyet。
ThehubbuboverVallandighamcalledforthtwolettersaddressedtoprotestingcommittees，thathavetheirplaceamongLincoln’smostimportantstatementsofpoliticalscience。HisargumentisbasedonthepropositionwhichBrowningdevelopedayearbefore。Thecoreofitis：
“YouaskinsubstancewhetherIreallyclaimthatImayoverrideallguaranteedrightsofindividualsonthepleaofconservingthepublicsafety，wheneverImaychoosetosaythepublicsafetyrequiresit。Thisquestion，divestedofthephraseologycalculatedtorepresentmeasstrugglingforanarbitrarypersonalprerogative，iseithersimplyaquestionwhoshalldecide，oranaffirmationthatnooneshalldecide，whatthepublicsafetydoesrequireincasesofrebellionorinvasion。
“TheConstitutioncontemplatesthequestionaslikelytooccurfordecision，butitdoesnotexpresslydeclarewhoistodecideit。Bynecessaryimplication，whenrebellionorinvasioncomes，thedecisionistobemadefromtimetotime；
andIthinkthemanwhom，forthetime，thepeoplehave，undertheConstitution，madetheCommander-in-chiefoftheirarmyandnavy，isthemanwhoholdsthepowerandbearstheresponsibilityofmakingit。Ifheusesthepowerjustly，thesamepeoplewillprobablyjustifyhim；ifheabusesit，heisintheirhandstobedealtwithbyallthemodestheyhavereservedtothemselvesintheConstitution。“[17]
Browning’sargumentoveragain-thePresidentcanbebroughttobookbyaplebiscite，whileCongresscannot。ButLincolndidnotrest，asBrowningdid，onmereargument。Theold-timejurylawyerrevived。Hewasdoingmorethanarguingatheoremofpoliticalscience。Hewasontrialbeforethepeople，thegreatmass，whichheunderstoodsowell。Hemustreachtheirimaginationsandtouchtheirhearts。
“Mr。VallandighamavowshishostilitytothewaronthepartoftheUnion，andhisarrestwasmadebecausehewaslaboringwithsomeeffect，topreventtheraisingoftroops，toencouragedesertionsfromthearmy，andtoleavetherebellionwithoutanadequatemilitaryforcetosup-pressit。HewasnotarrestedbecausehewasdamagingthepoliticalprospectsoftheAdministrationorthepersonalinterestsoftheCommandingGeneral，butbecausebewasdamagingthearmy，upontheexistenceandvigorofwhichthelifeofthenationdepends。
Hewaswarringuponthemilitary，andthisgavethemilitaryconstitutionaljurisdictiontolayhandsuponhim。
“IunderstandthemeetingwhoseresolutionsIamconsidering，tobeinfavorofsuppressingtherebellionbymilitaryforce-byarmies。Longexperiencehasshownthatarmiescannotbemaintainedunlessdesertionshallbepunishedbytheseverepenaltyofdeath。Thecaserequires，andtheLawandtheConstitutionsanctionthispunishment。MustIshootasimple-mindedsoldierboywhodesertswhileImustnottouchahairofawilyagitatorwhoinduceshimtodesert？“[18]