ButtheJacobinswerenotthementogiveupthegameuntiltheywerecertainlyinthelastditch。Thoughtheirissueshadbeenslippedoutoftheirhands；thoughforthemomentatleast，itwasnotgoodpolicytofightthePresidentonaprinciple；itmightstillbepossibletorecovertheirprestigeonsomeothercontention。ThefirstofJanuarywasapproaching。ThefinalproclamationofemancipationwouldbringtoanendthetemporaryallianceoftheAdministrationandtheAbolitionists。Whocouldsaywhatnewpatternofaffairsthepoliticalkaleidoscopemightnotsoonreveal？
SurelytheJacobincuewastobusythemselves，straightway，makingtroubleforthePresident。Principlesbeingunavailable，practicesmightdo。Andwhowassatisfiedwiththewaythewarwasgoing？TorousethepartyagainsttheAdministrationonthegroundofinefficientpractices，ofunsatisfactorymilitaryprogress，mightbethefirststeptowardregainingtheirformerdominance。
Therewasafeatherinthewindthatgavethemhope。TheominousfirstparagraphoftheEmancipationProclamationwasevidencethatthePresidentwasstillstubbornlyforhisownpolicy；thathehadnotsurrenderedtotheoppositeview。Butthiswasnottheironlystrategichope。Lincoln’sdealingswiththearmybetweenSeptemberandDecembermight，especiallyifanythinginhiscourseprovedtobemistaken，deliverhimintotheirhands。
FollowingAntietam，LincolnhadurgeduponMcClellanswiftpursuitofLee。Hisdespatcheswerestrikinglydifferentfromthoseoftheprecedingspring。Thathalfapologetictonehaddisappeared。Thoughtheydidnotcommand，theygaveadvicefreely。Thetonewasatleastthatofanequalwho，whilenotanauthorityinthisparticularmatter，isentitledtoexpresshisviewsandtohavethemtakenseriously。
“YouremembermyspeakingtoyouofwhatIcalledyourovercautiousness？Areyounotover-cautiouswhenyouassumethatyoucannotdowhattheenemyisconstantlydoing？Shouldyounotclaimtobeatleasthisequalinprowessandactuponthatclaim……oneofthestandardmaximsofwar，asyouknow，istooperateupontheenemy’scommunicationsasmuchaspossiblewithoutexposingyourown。Youseemtoactasifthisappliesagainstyou，butcannotapplyinyourfavor。ChangepositionswiththeenemyandthinkyounothewouldbreakyourcommunicationswithRichmondwithinthenexttwenty-fourhours……