while, contrarywise,
the radicals clamored loudly that he had been altogether too slow. We
have seen how his decision was unalterably taken and his course
distinctly marked out, but that he was not yet ready publicly to
announce it. Therefore, during this period of waiting for victory, he
underwent the difficult task of restraining the impatience of both
sides, which he did in very positive language. Thus, under date of July
26, 1862, he wrote to a friend in Louisiana:

"Yours of the sixteenth, by the hand of Governor Shepley, is received.
It seems the Union feeling in Louisiana is being crushed out by the
course of General Phelps. Please pardon me for believing that is a false
pretense. The people of Louisiana--all intelligent people
everywhere--know full well that I never had a wish to touch the
foundations of their society, or any right of theirs. With perfect
knowledge of this, they forced a necessity upon me to send armies among
them, and it is their own fault, not mine, that they are annoyed by the
presence of General Phelps. They also know the remedy--know how to be
cured of General Phelps. Remove the necessity of his presence.... I am a
patient man--always willing to forgive on the Christian terms of
repentance, and also to give ample time for repentance. Still, I must
save this government if possible. What I cannot do, of course I will not
do; but it may as well be understood, once for all, that I shall not
surrender this game leaving any available card unplayed."

Two days later he answered another Louisiana critic:

"Mr. Durant complains that, in various ways, the relation of master and
slave is disturbed by the presence of our army, and he considers it
particularly vexatious that this, in part, is done under cover of an act
of Congress, while constitutional guarantees are suspended on the plea
of military necessity. The truth is that what is done and omitted about
slaves is done and omitted on the same military necessity. It is a
military necessity to have men and money; and we can get neither in
sufficient numbers or amounts if we keep from or drive from our lines
slaves coming to them. Mr. Durant cannot be ignorant of the pressure in
this direction, nor of my efforts to hold it within bounds till he and
such as he shall have time to help themselves.... What would you do in
my position? Would you drop the war where it is? Or would you prosecute
it in future with elder-stalk squirts charged with rose-water