ction had, therefore, little bearing on the presidential
campaign, and appealed more to individual critics of the President than
to the mass of the people.

Mr. Chase entered in his diary: "The President pocketed the great
bill.... He did not venture to veto, and so put it in his pocket. It was
a condemnation of his amnesty proclamation and of his general policy of
reconstruction, rejecting the idea of possible reconstruction with
slavery, which neither the President nor his chief advisers have, in my
opinion, abandoned." Mr. Chase was no longer one of the chief advisers.
After his withdrawal from his hopeless contest for the presidency, his
sentiments toward Mr. Lincoln took on a tinge of bitterness which
increased until their friendly association in the public service became
no longer possible; and on June 30 he sent the President his
resignation, which was accepted. There is reason to believe that he did
not expect such a prompt severing of their official relations, since
more than once, in the months of friction which preceded this
culmination, he had used a threat to resign as means to carry some point
in controversy.

Mr. Lincoln, on accepting his resignation, sent the name of David Tod of
Ohio to the Senate as his successor; but, receiving a telegram from Mr.
Tod declining on the plea of ill health, substituted that of William
Pitt Fessenden, chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, whose
nomination was instantly confirmed and commanded general approval.

Horace Greeley, editor of the powerful New York "Tribune," had become
one of those patriots whose discouragement and discontent led them,
during the summer of 1864, to give ready hospitality to any suggestions
to end the war. In July he wrote to the President, forwarding the letter
of one "Wm. Cornell Jewett of Colorado," which announced the arrival in
Canada of two ambassadors from Jefferson Davis with full powers to
negotiate a peace. Mr. Greeley urged, in his over-fervid letter of
transmittal, that the President make overtures on the following plan of
adjustment: First. The Union to be restored and declared perpetual.
Second. Slavery to be utterly and forever abolished. Third. A complete
amnesty for all political offenses. Fourth. Payment of four hundred
million dollars to the slave States, pro rata, for their slaves. Fifth.
Slave States to be represented in proportion to their total population.
Sixth. A national convention to be called at once.

Thou