Secretary
Chase--Anecdote of Governor Tod of Ohio--Nomination of William P.
Fessenden to Succeed Chase--The Latter Made Chief Justice--Lincoln's
Second Nomination--Effect of Vallandigham's Resolution--General
Sherman's March to the Sea--Second Session of the 38th Congress.

The 38th Congress met on the 7th of December, 1863. The Members
of the House of Representatives were elected in the fall of 1862,
perhaps the darkest period of the war for the Union cause. The
utter failure of McClellan's campaign in Virginia, the defeat of
Pope at the second battle of Bull Run, the jealousies then developed
among the chief officers of the Union army, the restoration of
McClellan to his command, the golden opportunity lost by him at
Antietam, the second removal of McClellan from command, the slow
movement of Halleck on Corinth, the escape of Beauregard, the
scattering of Halleck's magnificent army, the practical exclusion
of Grant and his command, and the chasing of Bragg and Buell through
Kentucky--these, and other discouraging events, created a doubt in
the public mind whether the Union could be restored. It became
known during the happening of these events that Mr. Lincoln had
determined upon the emancipation of slaves in states in rebellion
by an executive act. He said to the artist, F. B. Carpenter:

"It had got to be midsummer, 1862; things had gone on from bad to
worse, until I felt that we had reached the end of our rope on the
plan of operations we had been pursuing; that we had about played
our last card, and must change our tactics, or lose the game. I
now determined upon the adoption of the emancipation policy; and
without consultation with, or the knowledge of, the cabinet, I
prepared the original draft of the proclamation."

Of the cabinet, Blair deprecated this policy on the ground that it
would cost the administration in the fall elections. Chase doubted
the success of the measure and suggested another plan of emancipation,
but said that he regarded this as so much better than inaction on
the subject that he would give it his entire support. Seward
questioned the expediency of the issue of the proclamation at that
juncture. The depression of the public mind consequent upon repeated
reverses was so great that he feared the effect of so important a
step.

In consequence of the opposition, the proclamation was postponed.
On the 22nd of September, the President, having fully made up his
mind, announced to th