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ve and defensive。〃 Reliance on the support of the societies was the will…o'…the…wisp that deceived General John Morgan in his desperate attempt to carry out Beauregard's programme。 Though brushed aside as a mere detail by military historians； Morgan's raid； with his force of irregular cavalry； in July； 1863； through Indiana and Ohio； was one of the most romantic episodes of the war。 But it ended in his defeat and capture。 While his gallant troopers rode to their destruction； the men who loved to swear by Arcturus and to gabble about the Pleiades showed the fiber to be expected of such people； and stayed snug in their beds。
But neither their own lack of hardihood nor the disasters of their Southern friends could dampen their peculiar ardor。 Their hero was Vallandigham。 That redoubtable person had fixed his headquarters in Canada； whence he directed his partisans in their vain attempt to elect him Governor of Ohio。 Their next move was to honor him with the office of Supreme Commander of the Sons of Liberty； and now Vallandigham resolved to win the martyr's crown in very fact。 In June； 1864； he prepared for the dramatic effect by carefully advertising his intention and came home。 But to his great disappointment Lincoln ignored him； and the dramatic martyrdom which he had planned did not come off。
There still existed the possibility of a great uprising； and to that end arrangements were made with Southern agents in Canada。 Confederate soldiers； picked men； made their way in disguise to Chicago。 There the worshipers of Arcturus were to join them in a mighty multitude； the Confederate prisoners at Camp Douglas in Chicago were to be liberated； around that core of veterans； the hosts of the Pleiades were to rally。 All this was to coincide with the assembling at Chicago of the Democratic national convention； in which Vallandigham was to appear。 The organizers of the conspiracy dreamed that the two events might coalesce； that the convention might be stampeded by their uprising； that a great part； if not the whole； of the convention would endorse the establishment of a Northwestern Confederacy。
Alas for him who builds on the frame of mind that delights in cheap rhetoric while Rome is afire！ At the moment of hazard； the Sons of Liberty showed the white feather； were full of specious words； would not act。 The Confederate soldiers； indignant at this second betrayal； had to make their escape from the country。
It must not be supposed that this Democratic national convention was made up altogether of Secessionists。 The peace party was still； as in the previous year； a strange complex； a mixture of all sorts and conditions。 Its cohesion was not so much due to its love of peace as to its dislike of Lincoln and its hatred of his party。 Vallandigham was a member of the committee on resolutions。 The permanent chairman was Governor Seymour of New York。 The Convention was called to order by August Belmont； a foreigner by birth； the American representative of the Rothschilds。 He was the head and front of that body of Northern capital which had so long financed the South and which had always opposed the war。 In opening the Convention he said： 〃Four years of misrule by a sectional； fanatical； and corrupt party have brought our country to the verge of ruin。〃 In the platform Lincoln was accused of a list of crimes which it had become the habit of the peace party to charge against him。 His administration was described as 〃four years of failure；〃 and McClellan was nominated for President。
The Republican managers called a convention at Baltimore in June； 1864； with a view to organizing a composite Union Party in which the War Democrats were to participate。 Their plan was successful。 The second place on the Union ticket was accepted by a War Democrat； Andrew Johnson； of Tennessee。 Lincoln was renominated； though not without opposition； and he was so keenly aware that he was not the unanimous choice of the Union Party that he permitted the fact to appear in a public utterance soon afterward。 〃I do not allow myself；〃 he said； in addressing a delegation of the National Union League； 〃to suppose that either the Convention or the League have concluded to decide that I am either the greatest or the best man in America； but rather they have concluded it is not best to swap horses while crossing the river； and have further concluded that I am not so poor a horse that they might not make a botch of it in trying to swap。〃
But the Union Party was so far from being a unit that during the summer factional quarrels developed within its ranks。 All the elements that were unfriendly to Lincoln took heart from a dispute betweenthe President and Congress with regard to reconstruction in Louisiana； over a large part of which Federal troops had established a civil government on the President's authority。 As an incident in the history of reconstruction； this whole matter has its place in another volume。* But it also has a place in the history of the presidential campaign of 1864。 Lincoln's plan of reconstruction was obnoxious to the Radicals in Congress inasmuch as it did not definitely abolish slavery in Louisiana； although it required the new Government to give its adherence to the Emancipation Proclamation。 Congress passed a bill taking reconstruction out of the President's hands and definitely requiring the reconstructed States to abolish slavery。 Lincoln took the position that Congress had no power over slavery in the States。 When his Proclamation was thrown in his teeth； he replied； 〃I conceive that I may in an emergency do things on military grounds which cannot be done constitutionally by Congress。〃 Incidentally there was a further disagreement between the President and the Radicals over negro suffrage。 Though neither scheme provided for it； Lincoln would extend it； if at all； only to the exceptional negroes； while the Radicals were ready for a sweeping extension。 But Lincoln refused to sign their bill and it lapsed。 Thereupon Benjamin Wade of Ohio and Henry Winter Davis of Maryland issued a savage denunciation of Lincoln which has been known ever since as the 〃Wade…Davis Manifesto〃。
* Walter L。 Fleming； 〃The Sequel of Appomattox〃。 In 〃The Chronicles of America〃。
There was a faction in the Union Party which we may justly name the Vindictives。 The 〃Manifesto〃 gave them a rallying cry。 At a conference in New York they decided to compel the retirement of Lincoln and the nomination of some other candidate。 For this purpose a new convention was to be called at Cincinnati in September。 In the ranks of the Vindictives at this time was the impetuous editor of the 〃New York Tribune〃； Horace Greeley。 His presence there calls for some explanation。 Perhaps the most singular figure of the time； he was one of the most irresponsible and yet； through his paper； one of the most influential。 He had a trick of phrase which； somehow； made him appear oracular to the plain people； especially in the rural districtsthe very people on whom Lincoln relied for a large part of his support。 Greeley knew his power； and his mind was not large enough to carry the knowledge well。 Furthermore； his was the sort of nature that relates itself to life above all through the sensibilities。 Kipling speaks scornfully of people who if their 〃own front door is shut will swear the world is warm。〃 They are relations in the full blood of Horace Greeley。
In July； when the breach between the President and the Vindictives was just beginning to be evident； Greeley was pursuing an adventure of his own。 Among the least sensible minor incidents of the war were a number of fantastic attempts of private persons to negotiate peace。 With one exception they had no historic importance。 The exception is a negotiation carried on by Greeley； which seems to have been the ultimate cause of his alliance with the Vindictives。
In the middle of July； 1864； gold was selling in New York at 285。 There was distress and discontent throughout the country。 The horrible slaughter of the Wilderness； still fresh in everybody's mind； had put the whole Union Party into mourning。 The impressionable Greeley became frantic for peace peace at any price。 At the psychological moment word was conveyed to him that two persons in Canada held authority from the Confederacy to enter into negotiations for peace。 Greeley wrote to Lincoln demanding negotiations because 〃our bleeding； bankrupt； almost dying country longs for peace； shudders at the prospect of fresh conscriptions； of further wholesale devastations； and of new rivers of human blood。〃
Lincoln consented to a negotiation but stipulated that Greeley himself should become responsible for its conduct。 Though this was not what Greeley wanted for his type always prefers to tell others what to dohe sullenly accepted。 He proceeded to Niagara to meet the reputed commissioners of the Confederacy。 The details of the futile conference do not concern us。 The Confederate agents were not empowered to treat for peaceat least not on any terms that would be considered at Washington。 Their real purpose was far subtler。 Appreciating the delicate balance in Northern politics； they aimed at making it appear that Lincoln was begging for terms。 Linco