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frightful slaughter, Lee and Johnston still bore aloft the defiant banner of the unconquered Confederacy, and the North was disheartened.

Drooping spirits were revived for a while by Grant's ringing message, "I propose to fight it out on this line if it takes all summer." The terrible sacrifices in the battles of the Wilderness, Spottsylvania, and Cold Harbor, however, sent a shudder through the land. In forty days, Grant had lost fifty thousand men battling with Lee and settled down to the grim siege of Petersburg. At the same time, Sherman was paying for every inch of ground he slowly gained against Johnston in Georgia.

In a season of doubt and gloom, Lincoln himself must fight a battle at the polls for his reëlection to the Presidency. The radicals in the Republican party were in open revolt against him. They held a National Convention and nominated John C. Frémont for President.

The Republican politicians were equally opposed to the President. "Anybody but Lincoln" seemed to be the well-nigh unanimous sentiment among them. He himself admitted he had only one friend in the entire House of Representatives on whom he could rely.

The leaders did not complain of any personal slight at Lincoln's hands. On the contrary, he

UNIV. OF

[graphic]

From the collection of Frederick H. Meserve, Esq., New York City

ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING OF ALL LINCOLN PORTRAITS

had shown rare consideration for the feelings of all. His marvelous temper had withstood the great strain of his duties and troubles, and he had quarreled with no one. Indeed, the natural dignity of the man's mind was such as to restrain him from entering into controversies. He would not turn around to repel even the most unjust attack. "If the end brings me out all right, what is said against me won't amount to anything," he reasoned; "if the end brings me out wrong, ten angels swearing I was right would make no difference."

He never criticised, complained, or explained. It was not his habit to discuss his associates in public life. He made no threats against individuals, and took no revenges. He even permitted a member of his cabinet, Secretary Chase, to be a candidate against him for the nomination.

Lincoln's opponents objected to him chiefly because he had not yet conducted the war to a success, and because he was not as much of a partisan as they wished to see in the White House. He was ruled by his conscience and not by a caucus. would be bound to no faction, but insisted on keeping his hands free to serve the whole people.

He

Once he illustrated his position in this respect with a "little story." It was of a roving family who were so much on the move that their chickens

would lie on their backs and cross their legs, ready to be tied, whenever they saw the wagon brought out. "Now," Lincoln explained by way of a moral for the tale, “if I were to listen to every committee that comes in at that door, I might just as well cross my hands and let you tie me."

In the midst of war, with the life of the nation in jeopardy, party with him was only a means to an end. His devotion to the Union rose above everything else. Former Democrats were in a majority in his cabinet, and McClellan, Burnside, Meade, and Grant among his generals were not regarded as Republicans. He forgot party prejudices, and even his own personal feelings in his passion for the Union.

When he heard of an order driving a general out of the army for having made a speech in support of the Democratic candidate, McClellan, the President stopped it. "Supporting General McClellan for the Presidency," he said, "is no violation of army regulations, and as a question of taste in choosing between him and me, — - well, I'm the longest, but he's better-looking."

As soon as the masses of Lincoln's party were heard from, it was clearly seen that their faith in him had not been weakened by his critics, and that they would not accept any other leadership. Little

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