shington the next day. Another day, and by a
sweeping order he created a new army for the protection of Washington,
and placed in command of it, a western general who was credited with
a brilliant stroke on the Mississippi.(31) No one will now defend the
military genius of John Pope. But when Lincoln sent for him, all the
evidence to date appeared to be in his favor. His follies were yet to
appear. And it is more than likely that in the development of Lincoln's
character, his appointment has a deep significance. It appears to mark
the moment when Lincoln broke out of the cocoon of advisement he had
spun unintentionally around his will. In the sorrows of the grim year,
new forces had been generated. New spiritual powers were coming to his
assistance. At last, relatively, he had found peace. Worn and torn as
he was, after his long inward struggle, few bore so calmly as he did
the distracting news from the front in the closing days of June and the
opening days of July, when Lee was driving his whole strength like
a superhuman battering-ram, straight at the heart of the wavering
McClellan. A visitor at the White House, in the midst of the terrible
strain of the Seven Days, found Lincoln "thin and haggard, but cheerful
. . . quite as placid as usual . . . his manner was so kindly and so
free from the ordinary cocksureness of the politician, and the vanity
and self-importance of official position that nothing but good will was
inspired by his presence."(32)

His serenity was all the more remarkable as his relations with
Congress and the Committee were fast approaching a crisis. If McClellan
failed-and by the showing of his own despatches, there was every reason
to expect him to fail, so besotted was he upon the idea that no one
could prevail with the force allowed him--the Committee who were leaders
of the congressional party against the presidential party might be
expected promptly to measure strength with the Administration. And
McClellan failed. At that moment Chandler, with the consent of the
Committee, was making use of its records preparing a Philippic against
the government. Lincoln, acting on his own initiative, without asking
the Secretary of War to accompany him, went immediately to the front.
He passed two days questioning McClellan and his generals.(33) But there
was no council of war. It was a different Lincoln from that other who,
just four months previous, had called together the general officers and
promised t