John Pope was perhaps his worst instance.An incompetent general,he was capable of things still less excusable.Just after McClellan had so tragically failed in the Seven Days,when Lincoln was at the front,Pope was busy with the Committee,assuring them virtually that the war had been won in the West,and that only McClellan's bungling had saved the Confederacy from speedy death.[7]But somehow Lincoln trusted him,and continued to trust him even after he had proved his incompetency in the catastrophe at Manassas.
During August,Pope marched gaily southward issuing orders that were shot through with bad rhetoric,mixing up army routine and such irrelevant matters as "the first blush of dawn."Lincoln was confident of victory.And after victory would come the new policy,the dissipation of the European storm-cloud,the break-up of the vindictive coalition of Jacobins and Abolitionists,the new enthusiasm for the war.But of all this,the incensed Abolitionists received no hint.The country rang with their denunciations of the President.At length,Greeley printed in The Tribune an open letter called "The Prayer of Twenty Millions."It was an arraignment of what Greeley chose to regard as the pro-slavery policy of the Administration.This was on August twentieth.Lincoln,in high hope that a victory was at hand,seized the opportunity both to hint to the country that he was about to change his policy,and to state unconditionally his reason for changing.
He replied to Greeley through the newspapers:
"As to the policy I 'seem to be pursuing,'as you say,I have meant to leave no one in doubt.
"I would save the Union.I would save it the shortest way under the Constitution.The sooner the national authority can be restored,the nearer the Union will be 'the Union as it was'
If there be those who would not save the Union unless they could at the same time save Slavery,I do not agree with them.
If there be those who would not save the Union,unless they could at the same time destroy slavery,I do not agree with them.My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union,and it is not either to save or destroy slavery.if Icould save the Union without freeing any slave,I would do it;and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves,I would do it;and if I could save it by freeing some of the slaves and leaving others alone,I would also do that.What I do about slavery and the colored race,I do because I believe it will help to save the Union;and what I forbear,I forbear because Ido not believe it would help to save the Union.I shall do less whenever I shall believe that what I am doing hurts the cause;and I shall do more whenever I believe that doing more will help the cause."[8]The effect of this on the Abolitionists was only to increase their rage.The President was compared to Douglas with his indifference whether slavery was voted "up or down."[9]Lincoln,now so firmly hopeful,turned a deaf ear to these railing accusations.He was intent upon watching the army.It was probably at this time that he reached an unfortunate conclusion with regard to McClellan.The transfer of forces from the James River to northern Virginia had proceeded slowly.It gave rise to a new controversy,a new crop of charges.McClellan was accused of being dilatory on purpose,of aiming to cause the failure of Pope.Lincoln accepted,at last,the worst view of him.He told Hay that "it really seemed that McClellan wanted Pope defeated....
The President seemed to think him a little crazy."[10]
But still the confidence in Pope,marching so blithely through "the blush of dawn,"stood fast.If ever an Administration was in a fool's paradise,it was Lincoln's,in the last few days of August,while Jackson was stealthily carrying out his great flanking movement getting between Pope and Washington.
However,the Suspicious Stanton kept his eyes on McClellan.He decided that troops were being held back from Pope;and he appealed to other members of the Cabinet to join with him in a formal demand upon the President for McClellan's dismissal from the army.While the plan was being discussed,came the appalling news of Pope's downfall.
The meeting of the Cabinet,September second,was another revelation of the new independence of the President.Three full days had passed since Pope had telegraphed that the battle was lost and that he no longer had control of his army.The Ministers,awaiting the arrival of the President,talked excitedly,speculating what would happen next."It was stated,"says Welles in his diary,"that Pope was falling back,intending to retreat within the Washington entrenchments,.
Blair,who has known him intimately,says he is a braggart and a liar,with some courage,perhaps,but not much capacity.The general conviction is that he is a failure here,and there is a belief ...that he has not been seconded and sustained as he should have been by McClellan ..."Stanton entered;terribly agitated.He had news that fell upon the Cabinet like a bombshell.He said "in a suppressed voice,trembling with excitement,he was informed that McClellan had been ordered to take command of the forces in Washington."Never was there a more tense moment in the Cabinet room than when Lincoln entered that day.And all could see that he was in deep distress.But he confirmed Stanton's information.
That very morning he had gone himself to McClellan's house and had asked him to resume command.Lincoln discussed McClellan with the Cabinet quite simply,admitting all his bad qualities,but finding two points in his favor--his power of organization,and his popularity with the men.[11]
He was still more frank with his Secretaries."'He has acted badly in this matter,'Lincoln said to Hay,'but we must use what tools we have.There is no man in the army who can man these fortifications and lick these troops of ours into shape half as well as he.'I spoke of the general feeling against McClellan as evinced by the President's mail.He rejoined:
