nists received no
hint. The country rang with their denunciations of the President. At
length, Greeley printed in The Tribune an open letter called "The Prayer
of Twenty Millions." It was an arraignment of what Greeley chose to
regard as the pro-slavery policy of the Administration. This was on
August twentieth. Lincoln, in high hope that a victory was at hand,
seized the opportunity both to hint to the country that he was about to
change his policy, and to state unconditionally his reason for changing.
He replied to Greeley through the newspapers:

"As to the policy I 'seem to be pursuing,' as you say, I have meant to
leave no one in doubt.

"I would save the Union. I would save it the shortest way under the
Constitution. The sooner the national authority can be restored, the
nearer the Union will be 'the Union as it was' If there be those
who would not save the Union unless they could at the same time save
Slavery, I do not agree with them. If there be those who would not save
the Union, unless they could at the same time destroy slavery, I do not
agree with them. My paramount object in this struggle is to save the
Union, and it is not either to save or destroy slavery. If I could save
the Union without freeing any slave, I would do it; and if I could save
it by freeing all the slaves, I would do it; and if I could save it by
freeing some of the slaves and leaving others alone, I would also do
that. What I do about slavery and the colored race, I do because I
believe it will help to save the Union; and what I forbear, I forbear
because I do not believe it would help to save the Union. I shall do
less whenever I shall believe that what I am doing hurts the cause;
and I shall do more whenever I believe that doing more will help the
cause."(8) The effect of this on the Abolitionists was only to increase
their rage. The President was compared to Douglas with his indifference
whether slavery was voted "up or down."(9) Lincoln, now so firmly
hopeful, turned a deaf ear to these railing accusations. He was intent
upon watching the army. It was probably at this time that he reached an
unfortunate conclusion with regard to McClellan. The transfer of forces
from the James River to northern Virginia had proceeded slowly. It gave
rise to a new controversy, a new crop of charges. McClellan was accused
of being dilatory on purpose, of aiming to cause the failure of Pope.
Lincoln accepted, at last, the worst view of him. He told Hay