e public liberty and
the private right alike trodden down and the material prosperity of the
country essentially impaired, justice, humanity, liberty and the
public welfare demand that immediate efforts be made for a cessation
of hostilities, with a view to an ultimate convention of the States, or
other peaceable means to the end that at the earliest practicable moment
peace may be restored on the basis of the Federal Union of the States."

Some of the outlying conspirators also suffered a revival of hope. The
Cincinnati Gazette came out flat foot for the withdrawal of Lincoln.(13)
So did The Cincinnati Times, pressing hard for the new convention.(14)
On the second of September, three New York editors, Greeley for The
Tribune, Parke Godwin for The Post, and Tilton for The Independent, were
busily concocting a circular letter to Governors of the States with a
view to saving the conspiracy.(15)

But other men were at work in a different fashion, that same day.
Lincoln's cause had been wrecked so frequently by his generals that
whenever a general advanced, the event seems boldly dramatic. While the
politicians at New York and Chicago thought they were loading the scales
of fate, long lines of men in blue were moving through broken woodland
and over neglected fields against the gray legions defending Atlanta.
Said General Hood, it was "evident that General Sherman was moving with
his main body to destroy the Macon road, and that the fate of Atlanta
depended on our ability to defeat this movement." During the fateful
pow-pow at the house of Dudley Field, Sherman's army like a colossal
scythe was swinging round Atlanta, from the west and south, across Flint
River, through the vital railway, on toward the city. On the second of
September, the news that Atlanta was taken "electrified the people of
the North."(16)

The first thought of every political faction, when, on the third,
the newspapers were ringing with this great news, was either how to
capitalize it for themselves, or how to forestall its capitalization
by some one else. Forbes "dashed off" a letter to Andrew urging an
immediate demonstration for Lincoln.(17) He was sure the Raymond group
would somehow try to use the victory as a basis for recovering their
leadership. Davis was eager to issue the "call" at once.(18) But his
fellows hesitated. And while they hesitated, Andrew and the people
acted. On the sixth, a huge Lincoln rally was held at Faneul Hall.
Andrew pr