ubal Early had been a little _earlier_, he would have
burned Washington, too--but thank God, Grant got here in time--didn't
he? What have you got to say to that?

STEVENS

That Lee's strategy has been superb, his moral victory complete! He
holds Grant by the throat while he invades the North, and _shells_
our Capitol--a feat that not one of your generals has yet done for
Richmond in four years--and still you cling to Grant----!

LINCOLN

[_Angrily._]

Now, I'm going to talk plain English to you, Stevens. You're an
Abolitionist, and you can't do Grant justice. Your crowd demanded his
removal after the battle of Shiloh--and you made it so hot for me then,
I had to appoint General Halleck his superior, to save him for the
country. You can't forget that Grant is a Democrat, and therefore he
may vote for McClellan against our party, in this election!

STEVENS

I've heard that he _is_ for McClellan.

LINCOLN

Exactly! And you can't forget that his wife is a Southern woman whose
dowry was in Slaves, and therefore at this moment, Grant is constructively
a slaveholder, whose slaves I have not freed----

STEVENS

I protest----

LINCOLN

It's no use--I know the process of your mind--I can see the wheels go
round inside! You tell me that the star of Grant has set in a welter of
blood before Lee's army. I do not believe it. I know that miles of
hospital barracks are the witnesses of our agony. I know that every
city, town and village is in mourning. From these stricken homes there
has arisen a storm of protest against the new leader of the army. The
word butcher is bandied from lip to lip. They tell me that Grant is
merely a bulldog fighter--that he can win only as long as thousands are
poured into his ranks to take the place of the dead--They tell me that
he has no genius, no strategy, no skill. My reply to this is simple but
unanswerable. We must fight to win. Grant is the ablest general we have
developed. His losses are appalling--but the struggle is on now to the
bitter end! Our resources are exhaustless. The South cannot replace
_her_ fallen soldiers--and therefore _her_ losses are fatal! If we
continue to fight, five millions cannot whip twenty millions--the end
is certain--and we're now locked in the last death grapple
before--VICTORY