Chapter 10:
- The Congress in Washington. -- New development of Northern policy. -- Lincoln's political discovery. -- his remarkable measures of war. -- an era of despotism. -- violent acts of Congress. -- the seed of Abolition. -- suspension of the habeas corpus. -- curious apology for it. -- military arrests. -- a “Confidential” document from McClellan. -- curious disposition of the Northern people to surrender their liberties. -- Conservatism of the Confederate cause. -- Lincoln's view of State “neutrality” in the war. -- application of it to Kentucky. -- the elections in Kentucky. -- the Confederates anticipate the Federal occupation of Kentucky. -- Zollicoffer's command. -- Polk's command. -- justification of the Confederate occupation. -- claims and designs of the Federals in Kentucky. -- Polk's occupation of Columbus. -- his proffer of withdrawal. -- arrests in Kentucky. -- despotic and brutal legislation. -- distinguished refugees. -- Breckinridge's address. -- Early military movements in Kentucky. -- Zollicoffer's operations. -- Buckner's occupation of Bowling Green. -- the battle of Belmont. -- movement of U. S. Grant. -- Gen. Pillow's command engaged at disadvantage. -- the Confederates driven back. -- timely reinforcements. -- sudden conversion of a defeat into a victory. -- retreat of Grant. -- his official misrepresentation of the day. -- prospect of the war in the West
The new Federal Congress, pursuant to the summons of President Lincoln, met in Washington on the 4th of July. The event was the occasion of a new development of the Northern policy, and a remarkable enlargement of the operations of the war. In his message, Mr. Lincoln announced a great political discovery. It was that all former statesmen of America had lived, and written, and labored under a great delusion that the States, instead of having created the Union, were its creatures; that they obtained their sovereignty and independence from it, and never possessed either until the Convention of 1787. This singular doctrine of consolidation was the natural preface to a series of measures to strengthen the Government, to enlarge the Executive power, and to conduct the war with new decision, and on a most unexpected scale of magnitude. President Lincoln had already instituted certain remarkable measures of war. He had published his proclamation declaring the ports of the
