Lincoln; An Account of his Personal Life, Especially of its Springs of Action as Revealed and Deepened by the Ordeal of WarStephenson, Nathaniel W. (Nathaniel Wright)
History
Lincoln; An Account of his Personal Life, Especially of its Springs of Action as Revealed and Deepened by the Ordeal of War
Stephenson, Nathaniel W. (Nathaniel Wright)
Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865; Presidents -- United States -- Biography
Fremont was not the man to understand instruction of this sort. He would
make no compromise with the President. If Lincoln wished to go over
his head and rescind his order let him do so-and take the consequences.
Lincoln quietly did so. His battle with the Vindictives was on. For
a moment it seemed as if he had destroyed his cause. So loud was the
outcry of the voluble people, that any one might have been excused
momentarily for thinking that all the North had risen against him. Great
meetings of protest were held. Eminent men--even such fine natures as
Bryant--condemned his course. In the wake of the incident, when it was
impossible to say how significant the outcry really was, Chandler,
who was staunch for Fremont, began his active interference with the
management of the army. McClellan had insisted on plenty of time
in which to drill the new three-year recruits who were pouring into
Washington. He did not propose to repeat the experience of General
McDowell. On the other hand, Chandler was bent on forcing him into
action. He, Wade and Trumbull combined, attempting to bring things to
pass in a way to suit themselves and their faction. To these men and
their followers, clever young Hay gave the apt name of "The Jacobin
Club."
They began their campaign by their second visit to the army. Wade was
their chief spokesman. He urged McClellan to advance at once; to risk
an unsuccessful battle rather than continue to stand still; the country
wanted something done; a defeat could easily be repaired by the swarming
recruits.(12)
This callous attitude got no response from the Commanding General. The
three Senators turned upon Lincoln. "This evening," writes Hay in
his diary on October twenty-sixth, "the Jacobin Club represented by
Trumbull, Chandler and Wade, came out to worry the Administration into
a battle. The agitation of the summer is to be renewed. The President
defended McClellan's deliberateness. The next night we went over
to Seward's and found Chandler and Wade there." They repeated their
reckless talk; a battle must be fought; defeat would be no worse than
delay; "and a great deal more trash."
But Lincoln was not to be moved. He and Hay called upon McClellan. The
President deprecated this new manifestation of popular impatience, but
said it was a reality and should be taken into account. "At the same
time, General," said he, "you must not fight until you are ready."(13)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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