nfidence
of the people--the silent millions whom I don't see, but love and trust.

"This war was not of my choosing. Once begun, it must be fought to the
end and the Nation saved. It will then be proved that among free men
there can be no successful appeal from the ballot to the bullet, and
that they who take such appeal are sure to lose their case and pay the
cost. To preserve the life of the Constitution I must strain some of its
provisions in time of war----"

"And you will not interfere to give these accused men a trial?" John
Vaughan interrupted in hard tones.

"I cannot, my boy, I dare not interfere. The civil law must be suspended
temporarily in such cases. I cannot shoot a soldier for desertion and
allow the man to go free who, by denouncing the war, causes him to
desert. It cuts to the very heart of the Nation--its life is
involved----"

He rose again and paced the floor, turning his back on his visitor in
utter unconsciousness of the dangerous glitter in his eyes.

He paused and placed his big hand gently on John's arm:

"I know in doing this I am wielding a dangerous power--the power of
kings--not because I love it, but because I must save my country. And
I'm the humblest man who walks God's earth to-night!"

In spite of his bitterness, the simplicity and honesty of the President
found John Vaughan's heart. No vain or cruel or selfish man could talk
or feel like that. In the glow of his eager thought the ashen look of
his face disappeared and it became radiant with warmth and tenderness.
In dreamy, passionate tones he went on as if talking to convince himself
he must not despair. The younger man for the moment was swept
resistlessly on by the spell of his eloquence.

"They are always asking of me impossible things. Now that I shall remove
Grant from command. I know that his battles have been bloody. Yet how
else can we win? The gallant, desperate South has only a handful of men,
ragged and half starved, yet they are standing against a million and I
have exhaustless millions behind these. With Lee they seem invincible
and every move of his ragged men sends a shiver of horror and of
admiration through the North. Yet, if Grant fights on he must win. He
will wear Lee out--and that is the only way he can beat him.

"Besides, his plan is bigger than the single campaign against Richmond.
There's a grim figure at the head of a hundred thousand men fighting his
way inch by inch toward Atlanta. If Sherman sho