Had he arrived a day earlier--in other words, had not Lew
Wallace's gallant little army of six thousand delayed him twenty-four
hours--he could have entered the city, raided the Treasury and burned
the Capitol.
Senator Winter was not slow to strike the blow for which he had been
eagerly waiting a favorable moment. He succeeded in detaching from the
President in this moment of panic a group of men who had stood squarely
for his nomination at Baltimore. He agreed to withdraw Fremont's name if
they would induce the President to withdraw and a new convention be
called.
So deep was the depression, so black the outlook, so certain was
McClellan's election, that the members of the National Republican
Executive Committee met and conferred with this Committee of traitors to
their Chief.
No more cowardly and contemptible proposition was ever submitted to the
chosen leader of a great party. It was not to be wondered at that Winter
and his Radical associates could stoop to it. They were theorists. To
them success was secondary. They would have gladly and joyfully damned
not only the Union--they would have damned the world to save their
theories. But that his own party leaders should come to him in such an
hour and ask him to withdraw cut the great patient heart to the quick.
He agreed to consider their humiliating proposition and give them an
answer in two weeks.
Pages:
496
497
498
499
500
501
502
503
504
505
506
507
508
509
510
511
512
513
514
515
516
517
518
519
520