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With this weariness of war, and a corresponding desire for peace, which was gaining strength with every unsuccessful onslaught made upon the seemingly invincible breastworks before Richmond, General M'Clellan, the Democratic candidate had been long more or less identified. The fall of Atlanta, however, had the doubly damaging effect upon his aspirations of at once infusing new hopes and new determination in the Northern masses, and of operating a change in his policy which partially deprived him of the support of even those who continued to clamour for peace. In short, after vacillating between the two wings of his party, the war and peace democrats, the success of the Federal arms determined his leaning to the former, and he thus forfeited all claim to support from that section which advocated peace. Mr. Lincoln was re-elected by a large majority. There can be no doubt that this event in itself contributed no little to the triumph of the Union cause. Southerns had expected with anxiety the close of Mr. Lincoln's term. The hope that the usual party excitements attending the Presidential election would effect fatal dissensions among their enemies, had helped to buoy them through the terrible hardships and preternatural exertions of the last year of the war. With this hope now vanished, they beheld before them the long dreary perspective of another four years' desperate struggle. It is impossible not to suppose that the deep despondency flowing from this discouraging and hopeless prospect had much to do with hastening the catastrophe. That catastrophe was much nearer than even the most despondent Southron or the most hopeful Unionist imagined; for while the Federal army of the South-west contrived to slowly drive before it the Secession forces

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in that quarter, General Lee continued to hold Richmond with a tenacity that seemed to augur a tedious prolongation of the contest. But while the destinies of the great Republic still tremble in equipoise at the great centre of hostilities, a diversion was unexpectedly made in another quarter, which changed in a few weeks the whole aspect of the contest. The capture of Vicksburg had already severed the Confederacy at one point, and now the capture of Atlanta, with its four converging lines of railway, linking every part of the Confederacy, almost completed the division and isolation of its different sections. The taking of Savannah and Branchville completed this disabling process, and placed the Confederacy in a condition which rendered impossible that ability to command and concentrate at will her whole strength, which had heretofore availed her in so many desperate straits.

Nevertheless, the press of the Confederacy, boastful to the last, and to the last deceiving the people with false hopes, never failed of plausible reasons for the Fabian policy of General Johnston, who it was constantly predicted would soon realize for Sherman another Moscow retreat; or reinforced by Lee, would overwhelm him in one disastrous overthrow. Meanwhile Charleston, after a siege unprecedented in history, was abandoned and burned by its defenders; and finally by the capture of Wilmington, the umbilical cord of this embryo State, which after four years' throes was destined never to live the outward life, was cut-what more? Upon this terrible tragedy the curtain fell amidst blood and death. The last of the long series of battles for the possession of Richmond was one of the most destructive. The number of killed and wounded was about ten thou

sand men, of which by far the greater number were Southrons. In one week afterwards, on the 9th of April, 1865, General Robert Lee made an unconditional surrender of his sole remaining army to the Acting Commander-in-Chief of the forces.

It may yet be premature to pronounce that the war is at an end. Small bodies of desperate men may continue for months, possibly years, to keep up a desultory guerilla war in remote and inaccessible portions of the Southern States, and would doubtless be at least as difficult of entire subjection as the Seminole Indians, who for years defied the whole power of the United States. Such a mode of warfare is to be deprecated by the South even more than the North. Yet it cannot be doubted that the probabilities at least of such a termination of the great rebellion are strong. Its leaders are men of high passions and a haughty, indomitable spirit, and now are placed in a position utterly desperate. Their fate is confiscation, and if captured, perhaps death. Their influence over many of the deluded men who followed their fortunes so long must be immense, and may possibly be exerted in the concoction of some mode of resistance which may entail on the country the horrors of long-continued irregular warfare. A conciliatory policy on the part of the North would do much to prevent or cut short a denouement of this kind by ranging the mass of the Southrons themselves in hostility to so desperate and suicidal a course.

Until the death of Mr. Lincoln, the adoption of lenient and gentle measures was universally and reasonably anticipated. Mr. Lincoln himself had not, it is true, definitely announced any settled plan of pacification; but such was the faith everywhere felt in his good

sense and benevolence, that in Europe people had begun to rest their minds in the conviction that a wise and judicious clemency would be employed as the most potent engine to extinguish old animosities, and reunite the alienated peoples of the two sections in a social as well as political sense. This hope had been strengthened by the few cautious but kindly expressions which he had yet permitted himself. He "had spoken kindly of Lee," and it is said that his utterances at the council board were in a similar spirit. But while all large-minded and philanthropic men were eagerly expecting the first step of conciliatory overture, which was already thus foreshadowed, the American President, to the horror and amazement of the whole civilized world, fell beneath the hand of an assassin.

The following is the official report of the death of Mr. Lincoln, addressed to the Legation in London :

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Washington, April 15. "SIR,-It has become my distressing duty to announce to you that last night his Excellency Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, was assassinated, about the hour of half-past ten o'clock, in his private box at Ford's Theatre, in this city. The Presi dent, about eight o'clock, accompanied Mrs. Lincoln to the theatre. Another lady and gentleman were with them in the box. About half-past ten, during a pause in the performance, the assassin entered the box, the door of which was unguarded, hastily approached the President from behind, and discharged a pistol at his head. The bullet entered the back of his head, and penetrated nearly through. The assassin then leaped from the box upon the stage, brandishing a large knife or dagger, and exclaiming, "Sic semper tyrannis!" and escaped in the rear of the theatre. Immediately upon the discharge, the President fell to the floor insensible, and continued in that state until twenty minutes

past seven o'clock this morning, when he breathed his last. About the same time the murder was being committed at the theatre, another assassin presented himself at the door of Mr. Seward's residence, gained admission by representing he had a prescription from Mr. Seward's physician, which he was directed to see administered, and hurried up to the third story chamber, where Mr. Seward was lying. He here discovered Mr. Frederick Seward, struck him over the head, inflicting several wounds, and fracturing the skull in two places, inflicting, it is feared, mortal wounds. He then rushed into the room where Mr. Seward was in bed, attended by a young daughter and a male nurse. The male attendant was stabbed through the lungs, and it is believed will die. The assassin then struck Mr. Seward with a knife or dagger twice in the throat and twice in the face, inflicting terrible wounds. By this time Major Seward, eldest son of the Secretary, and another attendant reached the room, and rushed to the rescue of the Secretary; they were also wounded in the conflict, and the assassin escaped. No artery or important blood vessel was severed by any of the wounds inflicted upon him, but he was for a long time insensible from the loss of blood. Some hope of his possible recovery is entertained. Immediately upon the death of the President, notice was given to Vice-President Johnston, who happened to be in the city, and upon whom the office of President now devolves. He will take the office and assume the functions of President to-day. The murderer of the President has been discovered, and evidence obtained that these horrible crimes were committed in execution of a conspiracy deliberately planned and set on foot by rebels, under pretence of avenging the South and aiding the rebel cause; but it is hoped that the immediate perpetrators will be caught. The feeling occasioned by these atrocious crimes is so great, sudden, and overwhelming, that I cannot at present do more than communicate them to you. At the earliest moment yesterday the President called a Cabinet meeting, at which General Grant was present. He was more cheerful and

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