Twenty Years of Congress, Vol. 1 | Page 5

erected in
Virginia.--Recognized by Congress and Senators admitted.--Desire for
a New State.--The Long Dissatisfaction of the People of Western

Virginia.--The Character of the People and of their Section.--Their
Opportunity had come.--Organization of the Pierpont Government.--
State Convention and Constitution.--Application to Congress for
Admission.--Anti-slavery Amendment.--Senate Debate: Sumner, Wade,
Powell, Willey, and Others.--House Debate: Stevens, Conway,
Bingham, Segar.--Passage of Bill in Both Branches.--Heavy Blow to
the Old State.--Her Claims deserve Consideration.--Should be treated
as generously at least as Mexico.
CHAPTER XXII.
National Currency and State Bank Currency.--In Competition.--Legal-
tender Bill tended to expand State Bank Circulation.--Secretary Chase's
Recommendation.--Favorably received.--State Bank Circulation,
$150,000,000.--Preliminary Bill to establish National Banks.--
Fessenden.--Sherman.--Hooper.--National Bank System in 1862.--
Discussed among the People.--Recommended by the President.--Mr.
Chase urges it.--Bill introduced and discussed in Senate.--Discussion in
the House.--Bill passed.--Hugh McCulloch of Indiana appointed
Comptroller of the Currency.--Amended Bank Act.--To remedy
Defects, Circulation limited to $500,000,000.--National Power.--State
Rights. --Taxation.--Renewed Debate in Senate and House.--Bill
passed.-- Merits of the System.--Former Systems.--First Bank of the
United States.--Charters of United-States Banks, 1791-1816.--National
Banks compared with United-States Banks.--One Defective Element.--
Founded on National Debt.
CHAPTER XXIII.
Depression among the People in 1863.--Military Situation.--Hostility to
the Administration.--Determination to break it down.--Vallandigham's
Disloyal Speech.--Two Rebellions threatened.--General Burnside takes
Command of the Department of the Ohio.--Arrests Vallandigham.
--Tries him by Military Commission.--His Sentence commuted by Mr.
Lincoln.--Habeas Corpus refused.--Democratic Party protests.--
Meeting in Albany.--Letter of Governor Seymour.--Ohio Democrats
send a Committee to Washington.--Mr. Lincoln's Replies to Albany

Meeting and to the Ohio Committee.--Effect of his Words upon the
Country.--Army of the Potomac.--General Hooker's Defeat at
Chancellorsville.--Gloom in the Country.--The President's Letters to
General Hooker.--General Meade succeeds Hooker in Command of the
Army.--Battle of Gettysburg.--Important Victory for the Union.
--Relief to the Country.--General Grant's Victory at Vicksburg.--
Fourth of July.--Notable Coincidence.--State Elections favorable to the
Administration.--Meeting of Thirty-eighth Congress.--Schuyler Colfax
elected Speaker.--Prominent New Members in Each Branch.--E. D.
Morgan, Alexander Ramsey, John Conness, Reverdy Johnson, Thomas
A. Hendricks, Henry Winter Davis, Robert C. Schenck, James A.
Garfield, William B. Allison.--President's Message.--Thirteenth
Amendment to the Constitution.--First proposed by James M. Ashley.
--John B. Henderson proposes Amendment which passes the Senate.--
Debate in Both Branches.--Aid to the Pacific Railroads.--Lieutenant-
General Grant.
CHAPTER XXIV.
Presidential Election of 1864.--Preliminary Movements.--General
Sentiment favors Mr. Lincoln.--Some Opposition to his Renomination.
--Secretary Chase a Candidate.--The "Pomeroy Circular."--Mr. Chase
withdraws.--Republican National Convention.--Baltimore, June 7.--
Frémont and Cochrane nominated.--Speech of Dr. Robert J.
Breckinridge. --Mr. Lincoln renominated.--Candidates for
Vice-President.--Andrew Johnson of Tennessee
nominated.--Democratic National Convention.-- Chicago, August
29.--Military Situation discouraging.--Character of the
Convention.--Peace Party prevails.--Speeches of Belmont, Bigler, Hunt,
Long, Seymour.--Nomination of General McClellan for
President.--George H. Pendleton for Vice-President.--Platform.-- Suits
Vallandigham.--General McClellan accepts, but evades the
Platform.--General Frémont withdraws.--Success of the Union Army.
--Mr. Lincoln's Popularity.--General McClellan steadily loses
Ground.--Sheridan's Brilliant Victories.--General McClellan receives
the Votes of only Three States.--Governor Seymour defeated in New
York.

CHAPTER XXV.
President's Message, December, 1864.--General Sherman's March.--
Compensated Emancipation abandoned.--Thirteenth
Amendment.--Earnestly recommended by the President.--He appeals to
the Democratic Members. --Mr. Ashley's Energetic Work.--Democratic
Opportunity.--Unwisely neglected.--Mr. Pendleton's Argument.--Final
Vote.--Amendment adopted.--Cases arising under it.--Supreme
Court.--Change of Judges at Different Periods.--Peace Conference at
Fortress Monroe.-- Secretary Chase resigns.--Mr. Fessenden succeeds
him.--Mr. Fessenden's Report.--Surrender of Lee.--General Grant's
Military Character.-- Assassination of President Lincoln.--His
Characteristics.--Cost of the War.--Compared with Wars of Other
Nations.--Our Navy.--Created during the War.--Effective
Blockade.--Its Effect upon the South.-- Its Influence upon the
Struggle.--Relative Numbers in Loyal and Disloyal
States.--Comparison of Union and Confederate Armies.-- Confederate
Army at the Close of the War.--Union Armies compared with Armies
of Foreign Countries.--Area of the War.--Its Effect upon the
Cost.--Character of Edwin M. Stanton.
CHAPTER XXVI.
Relations with Great Britain.--Close of the Year 1860.--Prince of
Wales's Visit to the United States.--Exchange of Congratulatory
Notes.--Dawn of the Rebellion.--Lord Lyons' Dispatch.--Mr. Seward's
Views.--Lord John Russell's Threats.--Condition of Affairs at Mr.
Lincoln's Inauguration.--Unfriendly Manifestations by Great Britain.
--Recognizes Belligerency of Southern States.--Discourtesy to
American Minister.--England and France make Propositions to the
Confederate States.--Unfriendly in their Character to the United
States.--Full Details given.--Motives inquired into.--Trent Affair.
--Lord John Russell.--Lord Lyons.--Mr. Seward.--Mason and Slidell
released.--Doubtful Grounds assigned.--Greater Wrongs against us by
Great Britain.--Queen Victoria's Friendship.--Isolation of United
States.--Foreign Aid to Confederates on the Sea.--Details given.--
So-called Neutrality.--French Attempt to establish an Empire in

Mexico.--Lord Palmerston in 1848, in 1859, in 1861.--Conclusive
Observations.
ADDENDUM
ERRATUM
APPENDICES
LIST OF STEEL PORTRAITS.
THE AUTHOR ABRAHAM LINCOLN CHARLES SUMNER
STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS WILLIAM PITT FESSENDEN JOHN C.
BRECKINRIDGE HENRY WINTER DAVIS THADDEUS
STEVENS BENJAMIN F. WADE ELIHU B. WASHBURNE
ROBERT C. SCHENCK WILLIAM D. KELLEY SAMUEL
SHELLABARGER JUSTIN S. MORRILL GEORGE S. BOUTWELL
REUBEN E. FENTON OLIVER P. MORTON ZACHARIAH
CHANDLER HENRY B. ANTHONY THOMAS A. HENDRICKS
SIMON CAMERON JAMES W. GRIMES JOHN P. HALE JOHN
SHERMAN WILLIAM WINDOM JOHN B. HENDERSON JOHN J.
INGALLS FREDERICK T. FRELINGHUYSEN CARL SCHURZ
JOHN A. LOGAN
MAP SHOWING THE TERRITORIAL GROWTH OF THE UNITED
STATES
TWENTY YEARS OF CONGRESS.
CHAPTER I.