In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

263 32 A Very Busy Year The administration of public affairs by Abraham Lincoln actually began on the day of his nomination for the presidency. From that day forward, he became an important factor in all the political movements in the United States and also in some which apparently belonged across the Atlantic. All the country and a large part of the outside world began listening and waiting to discover what there might be in him. The interest deepened and his actual administrative work increased enormously upon his election, although it would even then be months before he could take the oath of office. Nobody understood him as yet, and as for myself I was but dimly aware of the manner in which I was studying him. I got a better and better idea of him as I went along, so that I appeared to myself to know, as if by a kind of instinct, precisely what he would do in any given matter. At all events, I referred papers to Departments and bureaus and officials, with remarks and recommendations, or put untellable quantities of stuff into my wastebaskets, with the most supreme calmness, and not once was my decision overruled, not even when a western murderer, a guerilla, was hung in consequence, while his advocates were trying to engineer his pardon. If I was beginning to understand Mr. Lincoln, I believe he understood me perfectly well, or he would not have placed such confidence in me. He must have seen how entirely I was devoted to him and to the correct performance of my duties. I think I did not understand myself very well. I was really only a very green, energetic sort of fellow, who was fast growing into a knowledge of the ways of a new world which was itself growing along in 264 a very busy year the mistiest kind of semi-darkness. Nearly all the men and women whom I met, great or small, conveyed to me the idea that they were at sea, or at least were lost in a fog. I could see into it only a little distance myself, but I could see Mr. Lincoln. The year 1861 was exceedingly busy, but it was a time of the confused, perplexing reorganization of an entirely shattered government. It cannot be too distinctly understood that the old Republic had temporarily disappeared and that all men evidently expected Mr. Lincoln to assume the undefined powers given to the President in emergencies by the unwritten clauses of the Constitution. He became practically dictator, by the common consent of the people, and was therefore not unjustly held responsible for the results of all sorts which were crowding upon us. I did not see much of him, and for that matter, nobody else did. Nicolay and Hay never entered his office except on business, and they both performed admirably well their manifest duty of keeping out of it as many intruders as they could, high or low. The Winter passed slowly, with the armies apparently almost inactive in their camps and with general dissatisfaction all over the country, as well as a wonderful and increasing amount of utterly devoted patriotism. Opposed to this was also the tremendous natural reaction which called itself the Democratic Party, although the Old Democratic Party was pouring recruits into the army and many of its leading men were among the staunchest supporters of Mr. Lincoln and of whatever he might see fit to do. The Democratic Cave of Adullam was gathering its clans rapidly, however, and the Republican Party itself was greatly in need of a more thorough organization all over the country. Not only was it new, but a large part of its effective membership was in the army. How the work of reorganization was to be accomplished was ingeniously pointed out to us by our good friends the enemy. Even before the war, and much more so after it began, the whole South had been honeycombed with political secret societies. One of these was known as The Golden Circle,1 and it was well understood that it had its branches all over the North. How many other such vipers were wriggling in and out among the anti-Administration elements of the loyal states was more than any one could guess and as for myself I had somehow let my imagination loose in guessing at them. Evidently this devil might be fought with his own kind of...

Share