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]