Lincoln, the unknown

LINCOLN THE UNKNOWN•187Some of his most bitter enemies declared that he ought to bekilled. And one evening as he was riding out to his summerheadquarters at the Soldiers' Home, a would-be assassin firedat him and put a bullet through his tall silk hat.A few weeks later the proprietor of a hotel in Meadville,Pennsylvania, found this inscription scratched on a windowpane:"Abe Lincoln Departed this Life August 13, 1864, by theeffect of poison." The room had been occupied the night beforeby a popular actor named Booth—John Wilkes Booth.The preceding June the Republicans had nominated Lincolnfor a second term. But they felt now that they had made amistake, a woeful mistake. Some of the most prominent men inthe party urged Lincoln to withdraw. Others demanded it. Theywanted to call another convention, admit that Lincoln was afailure, cancel his nomination, and place another candidate atthe head of the ticket.Even Lincoln's close friend Orville Browning recorded in hisdiary in July, 1864, that the "nation's great need is a competentleader at the head of affairs."Lincoln himself now believed that his case was hopeless. Heabandoned all thought of being elected for a second term. Hehad failed. His generals had failed. His war policy had failed.The people had lost faith in his leadership, and he feared thatthe Union itself would be destroyed."Even the heavens," he exclaimed, "are hung in black."Finally a large group of radicals, disgusted with Lincoln,called another convention, nominated the picturesque GeneralJohn C. Fremont as their candidate, and split the Republicanparty.The situation was grave; and there is hardly a doubt that ifFremont hadn't withdrawn from the race later, General Mc-Clellan, the Democratic candidate, would have triumphed overhis divided opponents and the history of the nation would havebeen changed.Even with Fremont out of the race, Lincoln received only200,000 more votes than McClellan.Notwithstanding the vitriolic condemnation poured upon him,Lincoln went calmly on, doing his best and answering no one."I desire," he said, "to so conduct the affairs of this administrationthat if, at the end, when I come to lay down the reinsof power, I have lost every other friend on earth, I shall at leasthave one friend left, and that friend shall be deep down inside