ThoughtheVindictiveskeptastealthysilenceduringJuly，theyweresharpeningtheirclawsandpreparingforatigerspringwheneverthepsychologicalmomentshouldarrive。ThosetwowhohadhadchargeoftheReconstructionBillpreparedapaper，insomewaysthemostsingularpaperofthewarperiod，whichhasestablisheditselfinourhistoryastheWade-DavisManifesto。ThiswastobethedeadlyshotthatshouldunmasktheVindictivebatteries，bringtheirwaruponthePresidentoutoftheshadowsintotheopen。
Greeley’sfiascoandGreeley’smortificationbothplayedintotheirhands。ThefiascocontributedtodepressstillmorethedespairingNorth。Bythistime，therewasgeneralappreciationoftheimmensityofGrant’sfailure，notonlyatColdHarbor，butinthesubsequentslaughterofthefutileassaultuponPetersburg。WehavethewordofamemberoftheCommitteethatthedespairoverGranttranslateditselfintoblameoftheAdministration。[1]TheDraftProclamation；theswiftlytravelingreportthatthegovernmenthadwilfullybroughtthepeacenegotiationstoastand-still；thecontinuedcrythatthewarwashopeless；alltheseproduced，aboutthefirstofAugust，anemotionalcrisis——justthesortofoccasionforwhichLincoln’senemieswerewaiting。
Then，too，therewasGreeley’smortification。TheAdministrationpapersmadehimatargetforsarcasm。TheTimessetthepacewithscornfuldemandsfor“Nomorebackdoordiplomacy。“[2]Greeleyansweredinarage。HepermittedhimselftoimplythatthePresidentoriginatedtheNiagaranegotiationandthatGreeley“reluctantly“becameapartytoit。That“reluctantly“wasthetruth，inasense，buthowfalselytrue!
WadeandDavishadhimwheretheywantedhim。OnthefifthofAugust，TheTribuneprintedtheirmanifesto。Itwasanappealto“thesupportersoftheAdministration……tochecktheencroachmentoftheExecutiveontheauthorityofCongress，andtorequireittoconfineitselftoitspropersphere。“ItinsinuatedthebasestmotivesforthePresident’sinterestinreconstruction，andforrejectingtheirownbill。“ThePresidentbypreventingthisbillfrombecomingalaw，holdstheelectoralvotesoftheRebelStatesatthedictationofhispersonalambition……IfelectorsforPresidentbeallowedtobechosenineitherofthoseStates，asinisterlightwillbecastonthemotiveswhichinducedthePresidentto’holdfornaught’thewillofCongressratherthanhisgovernmentinLouisianaandArkansas。“
Afteralongdiscussionofhiswholecoursewithregardtoreconstruction，havingheapedabuseuponhimwithshockingliberality，theManifestoconcluded：