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Banks was opposed to him and cast his influence in favor of a Pittsfield candidate, left a sort of political vacuum in the more populous portion of the State, which Frank W. Bird and Henry L. Pierce took advantage of to bring his name forward.
Sumner and Wilson threw their weight into the scales, and Andrew was easily nominated; but he owed this to Frank W. Bird more than to any other supporter.
In the New York Herald of December 20, 1860, there was the following item: “Governor-elect Andrew, of Massachusetts, and George L. Stearns have gone to Washington together, and it is said that the object of their visit is to brace up weak-kneed Republicans.”
This was one object of their journey, but they also went to survey the ground and see what was the true state of affairs at the Capital.
Stearns wrote from Washington to the Bird Club: “The watchword here is ‘keep quiet,’ ” a sentence full of significance for the interpretation of the policy pursued by the Republican leaders that winter.
Andrew returned with the conviction that war was imminent and could not be prevented.
His celebrated order in regard to the equipment of the State militia followed immediately, and after the bombardment of Fort Sumter this was looked upon as a true prophecy.
He foresaw the difficulty at Baltimore, and had already chartered steamships to
1905. E. P. DUtton and Co. Boston,.
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