Again，theironicalsituationofthepreviousDecember；thewrathfulJacobins，themostdangerousbecausethemostsincereenemiesofthepresidentialdictatorship，silent，trapped，bidingtheirtime。Butthesituationhadforthemadistinctconsolation。AhundredtooneithadkilledthehopeofaLincoln-Democraticalliance。
However，thePresidentwouldnotgiveuptheDemocratswithoutonelastattempttogetroundtheLittleMen。Again，hecouldthinkofnomodeofnegotiationexcepttheonehehadvainlyattemptedwithSeymour。Asearnestofhisowngoodfaith，hewouldoncemorerenouncehisownprospectofasecondterm。
ButsinceSeymourhadfailedhim，whowastherethatcouldservehispurpose？ThepopularityofMcClellanamongthoseDemocratswhowerenotCopperheadshadgrownwithhismisfortunes。TherehadbeenawidedemandforhisrestorationafterFredericksburg，andagainafterChancellorsville。
LincolnjustifiedhisreputationforpoliticalinsightbyconcludingthatMcClellan，amongtheDemocrats，wasthecomingman。AgainWeedwascalledin。Againhebecameanambassadorofrenunciation。ApparentlyhecarriedamessagetotheeffectthatifMcClellanwouldjoinforceswiththeAdministration，Lincolnwouldsupporthimforpresidentayearlater。ButMcClellanwastooinveterateapartisan。Perhapshethoughtthatthefuturewashisanyway。[19]
AndsoLincoln’spersistentattempttowinovertheDemocratscametoanend。ThefinalsealingoftheirantagonismwaseffectedatagreatDemocraticrallyinNewYorkontheFourthofJuly。Thedayprevious，amanifestohadbeencirculatedthroughthecitybeginning，“Freemen，awake!Ineverything，andinmoststupendousproportion，isthisAdministrationabominable!“[20]Seymourreaffirmedhispositionofout-and-outpartisanhostilitytotheAdministration。Vallandigham’scolleague，PendletonofOhio，formulatedtheDemocraticdoctrine：thattheConstitutionwasbeingviolatedbythePresident’sassumptionofwarpowers。Hiscrywas，“TheConstitutionasitisandtheUnionasitwas。“Hethunderedthat“Congresscannot，andnooneelseshall，interferewithfreespeech。“Thequestionwasnotwhetherweweretohavepeaceorwar，butwhetherornotweweretohavefreegovernment；“ifitbenecessarytoviolatetheConstitutioninordertocarryonthewar，thewaroughtinstantlytobestopped。“[21]