id not
witness the weakness and the panic of the administration and the painful
imbecility of Lincoln."

To Buchanan, his ex-Chief, he wrote:

"A strong feeling of distrust in the candor and sincerity of Lincoln's
personality and of his Cabinet has sprung up. It was the imbecility of
this administration which culminated in the catastrophe of Bull Run.
Irretrievable misfortune and National disgrace never to be forgotten are
to be added to the ruin of all peaceful pursuits and National bankruptcy
as the result of Lincoln's running the machine for five months.
Jefferson Davis will soon be in possession of Washington."

Not only in letters to the leaders of public opinion in the Nation did
the aggressive and powerful lawyer seek to destroy the Government, but
in his conversation in Washington he was equally daring, venomous and
personal in his abuse of the President. "A low, cunning clown" and "the
original gorilla" were his choice epithets.

Stanton's influence over McClellan was decided and vital from the moment
of their introduction. It was known among the General's intimate friends
that he had advised again and again that he use his power as Commander
of the Army to declare a Dictatorship, depose the President and dissolve
the sittings of Congress until the war should be ended.

How far McClellan had dallied with this dangerous and alluring scheme
was a matter of conjecture. It is little wonder that the wildest rumors
of intrigues, of uprisings, of mutiny, filled the air.

McClellan had doggedly refused either to move his army or to formally go
into winter quarters until the middle of December, when he took to his
bed and announced that he was suffering from an attack of typhoid fever.

The President was further embarrassed by the course of his Secretary of
War, Cameron, who, while laboring under the censure of Congress for the
conduct of his office, had allowed Senator Winter to stab his chief in
the back by recommending in his report that the slaves be armed by the
Government and put into the ranks of the armies. Senator Winter, as the
Radical leader, knew that to meet such an issue once raised the
President must rebuke his Secretary and apologize to the Border Slave
States. He would thus alienate from his support all Cameron's friends,
and all friends of the negro. The Senator did not believe the President
would dare to fight on such an issue.

He had misjudged his man. The President not only rebuked his Secr