April 8, 1864. |
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Lee been less selfish and cold, and more humane, they might, by the simple fiat of their will, have closed the war six months before the time of its ending, saved thousands of precious lives, and hastened the return of peace and prosperity upon the land upon which they and their fellows had brought the terrible ravages of civil war. Upon these two men, more than upon all others, will the judgment of history and the verdict of posterity leave the stain of the guilt of prosecuting a hopeless war.
When Congress assembled, on the 6th of December, a month after the election, the President, in his annual message, spoke of “the purpose of the people within the loyal States to maintain the integrity of the Union,” as having never been more firm, ag evinced by the late vote; and he alluded with gratification to “the extraordinary calmness and good order with which the millions of voters met and mingled at the polls.”
He also noticed the pleasant fact that “on the distinct issue of Union, or no Union, the politicians had shown their instinctive knowledge that there is no diversity among the people.”
From this fact he derived the most precious hopes for the National cause.
He deprecated any further attempts at “negotiation with the insurgent leaders,” for the positive terms of fixed disagreement had been given by both parties, in the preceding summer.1 He said, “I retract nothing heretofore said as to slavery.
I repeat the declaration made a year ago, that while I remain in my present position, I shall not attempt to retract or modify the Emancipation Proclamation, nor shall I return to slavery any person who is free by the terms of that Proclamation, or by any of the acts of Congress.
If the people should, by whatever mode or means, make it an executive duty to re-enslave such persons, another, and not I, must be their instrument to perform it. In stating a single condition of peace, I mean simply to say that the war will cease on the part of the Government whenever it shall have ceased on the part of those who began it.”
These declarations found a cordial response in the hearts of the loyal millions.
In that message the President urged the House of Representatives to concur with the Senate in adopting a Thirteenth Amendment of the National Constitution, for prohibiting slavery in the Republic forever.
The Senate had adopted it
at the preceding session by the strong vote of thirty-eight to six.2 The President's recommendation was acted upon, and the subject was taken up for consideration in the House on the 6th of January, 1865.
On the 31st of the same month, it was adopted by a vote of one hundred and nineteen against fifty-six.3 Thus the nation,
1 See page 447.
2 The following was the vote: yeas.--Maine--Fessenden, Morrill; Yew Hampshire, Clark, Hall; Massachusetts--Sumner, Wilson; Rhode Island--Anthony, Sprague; Connecticut--Dixon, Foster; Vermont--Collamer, Foot: New York, Harris, Morgan; New Jersey, Tenyck; Pennsylvania--Cowan; Maryland, Reverdy Johnson; West Virginia--Van Winkle, Willey; Ohio--Sherman, Wade; Indiana--Lane; Illinois--Trumbull; Missouri--Brown, Henderson; Michiyan--Chandler, Howard; Iowa--Grimes, Harlan; Wisconsin--Doolittle, Howe; Minnesota--Ramsay, Wilkinson; Kansas--Lane, Pomeroy; Oregon--Harding, Nesmith; California--Conness.--38.
Only two of these affirmative votes were Democrats, namely, Johnson and Nesmith. The nays were all Democrats, namely: Delaware--Riddle, Saulsbury; Kentucky--Davis, Powell; Indiana--Hendricks; California--McDougall.--6. Six Democrats did not vote, namely, Buckalew of Pennsylvania; Wright of New Jersey; Hicks of Maryland; Bowden and Carlisle, of West Virginia; Richardson of Illinois. This measure was first submitted to the Senate by Mr. Henderson, of Missouri, on the 11th of January, 1864, and, as we have observed, was adopted on the 8th of April following.3 The following was the vote: yeas.--Maine--Blair, Perham, Pike, Rice; New Hampshire--Patterson, Rollins; Massachusetts--Alley, Ames, Baldwin, Boutwell, Dawes, Elliott, Gooch, Hooper, Rice, W. D. Washburn; Rhode Island--Dixon, Jenckes; Connecticut--Brandegee, Deming, English, Hubbard; Vermont--Baxter, Morrill, Woodbridge; New York--A. W. Clark, Freeman Clark, Davis, Frank, Ganson, Griswold, Herrick, Hotchkiss, Hulburd, Kellogg, Littlejohn, Marvin, Miller, Morris, Nelson, Odell, Pomeroy, Radford, Steele, Van Valkenburg; New Jersey--Starr; Pennsylvania--Bailey, Broomall, Coffroth, Hale, Kelly, McAllister, Moorhead, A. Myers, L. Myers, O'Neill, Scofield, Stevens, Thayer, Tracy, Williams; Delaware--Smithers; Maryland--Cresswell, Davis, Thomas, Webster; West Virginia--Blair, Brown, Whaley; Kentucky--Anderson, Kendall, Smith, Yeaman; Ohio--Ashley, Eckley, Garfield, Hutchins, Schenck, Spaulding; Indiana--Colfax, Derwent. Julian, Orth; Illinois--Arnold, Farnsworth, Ingersoll, Norton, E. B. Washburne; Missouri--Blow, Boyd, King, Knox, Loan, McClurg, Rollins; Michigan--Baldwin, Beaman, Driggs, Kellogg, Longyear, Upson; Iowa--Allison, Grinnell, Hubbard, Kasson, Price, Wilson; Wisconsin--Cobb, McIndoe, Sloan, Wheeler; Minnesota--Donnelly, Windom; Kansas--Wilder; Oregon--McBride; Nevada--Worthington; California--Cole, Higby, Shannon.--119.
Fifteen of the above were Democrats. The nays were all Democrats, as follows: Maine--Sweat; New York--Brooks, Chanler, Kalbfleisch, Keirnan, Pruyn, Townsend, Ward, Winfield, B. Wood, F. Wood; New Jersey--Perry, Steele; Pennsylvania--Ancona, Dawson, Denison, Johnson, Miller, Randall, Styles, Strause; Maryland--Harris; Kentucky--Clay, Grider, Harding, Malloy, Wadsworth; Ohio--Bliss, Cox, Finck, Johnson, Long, Morris, Noble, O'Neill. Pendleton, C. A. White, J. W. White; Indiana--Cravens, Edgerton, Harrington, Holman, Law; Illinois--J. C. Allen, W. T. Allen; Edw. Harris; Wisconsin--Brown, Eldridge; Missouri--Hall, Scott.--56. Eight Democrats did not vote, namely, Lazear, Pennsylvania; Marcy, New Hampshire; McDowell and Voorhees, Indiana; Le Blond and McKinney, Ohio; Middleton and Rogers, New Jersey.
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