ions of the
Presidency at that time is further proved by his experiences with the
recalcitrant McClellan. The General had been drilling and getting
ready for six months,--both President and public desired action; but the
General wished to become so fully prepared that an assured and decisive
victory would end the war. The President was patient, persuasive,
reasonable: the General was querulous, petty and sometimes actually
insulting. The two differed as to their plans for advancing upon the
Confederates. While the General assumed a contempt for the opinions of a
civilian, time has shown that the President was wise.

Burdened as the great heart was with the weight of the nation,
additional sorrows came into the White House when his two boys, Willie
and Tad, fell ill with typhoid fever. By day and by night the
grief-crazed father divided his time between watching the bedside of his
boys and watching over the struggling nation. Though always religious in
the deepest sense, the death of Willie seemed to strengthen his insight
into the mysteries of the spiritual life. For awhile he seemed
grief-crazed, and ever after, the great soul that had always been
compassionate was even more tender in its broodings over all the people
of the nation, both South and North, and in many beautiful instances he
softened the severities of war.

During the early part of the war the North was not at all unanimous in
its opposition to slavery, and could only be united in the purpose to
save the Union; but slavery could not be ignored. From the Southern
standpoint the war was caused by slavery, and even the Union generals
were compelled to deal with fugitive slaves that came within their
lines. Halleck sent them out of camp; Buell and Hooker allowed their
owners to come and take them; Butler held them as "contraband of war."
As the war dragged on longer than the people had anticipated the
abolition sentiment in the North grew until from press and pulpit there
came adjurations to "free the slaves." The politicians told the
President the "will of the people," and the preachers told him the "will
of God"; but the great mind of the President held his own counsel, for
he knew that the slave-holding but loyal border states presented a
peculiar problem.

Early in 1862 he recommended to Congress the adoption of a joint
resolution that the "United States co-operate with any state which may
adopt gradual abolishment of slavery, giving to such state pecu