Buttherewasanobstacleinhispath。ItwasLincoln。Ofcourse，itwasfollytoproposeaschemewhichtheincomingPresidentwouldnotsustain。LincolnandSewardmustcometoanunderstanding。TobringthataboutSewarddespatchedapersonallegatetoSpringfield。ThurlowWeed，editor，manoftheworld，politicalwire-pullerbeyondcompare，Seward’sdevotedhenchman，wasthelegate。OneofthegreateventsofAmericanhistorywastheconversationbetweenWeedandLincolninDecember，1860。Byarareproprietyofdramaticeffect，itoccurredprobably，ontheverydaySouthCarolinabroughttoanenditscampaignofmenaceandadopteditsOrdinanceofSecession，Decembertwentieth。[1]
WeedhadbroughttoSpringfieldadefiniteproposal。TheCrittendencompromisewasbeinghotlydiscussedinCongressandthroughoutthecountry。AlltheNorthernadvocatesofconciliationwereeagertoputitthrough。TherewassomegroundtobelievethattheSouthernmachineatWashingtonwouldacceptit。IfLincolnwouldagree，Sewardwouldmakeitthebasisofhispolicy。
ThisCompromisewouldhaverestoredtheoldlineoftheMissouriCompromiseandwouldhaveplaceditundertheprotectionofaconstitutionalamendment。This，togetherwithaguaranteeagainstcongressionalinterferencewithslaveryintheStateswhereitexisted，aguaranteetheRepublicanshadalreadyoffered，seemedtoSeward，toWeed，toGreeley，tothebulkoftheparty，asatisfactorymeansofpreservingtheUnion。Whatwasitbutafallingbackontheoriginalpolicyoftheparty，theundoingofthosemeasuresof1854whichhadcalledthepartyintobeing？WasitconceivablethatLincolnwouldbalkthewishesofthepartybyobstructingsuchanaturalmodeofextrication？ButthatwaswhatLincolndid。
Hisviewshadadvancedsince1854。Then，hewasmerelyforrestoringtheolddualityofthecountry，thetwo“dominions，“
NorthernandSouthern，eachwithitsownsocialorder。Hehadadvancedtothebeliefthatthisdualitycouldnotpermanentlycontinue。JusthowfarLincolnrealizedwhathewasdoinginrefusingtocompromisewillneverbeknown。Threemonthsafterward，hetookacoursewhichseemstoimplythathisvisionduringtheinterimhadexpanded，hadopenedbeforehimanewrevelationofthenatureofhisproblem。AttheearlierdateLincolnandtheSouthernpeople——nottheSouthernmachine——