Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER VI. A Suspncted Conspiracy—Lincoln's Departure for Washington—His Speeches at Springfield and on the road to the National Capital— Breaking out of the Rebellion—Treachery of President Buchanan— Treason in the Cabinet—Jefferson Davis's Message—'1 hreats of Massacre and Ruin to the North—Southern Sympathisers—Lincoln's Inaugural Address—The Cabinet—The Days of Doubt and of Darkness. IT was unfortunate for Lincoln that he listened to the predictions of his alarmed friends. So generally did the idea prevail that an effort would be made to kill him on his way to Washington, that a few fellows of the lower class in Baltimore, headed by a barber named Ferrandina, thinking to gain a little notoriety—as they actually did get some money from Southern sympathisers—gave out that they intended to murder Mr. Lincoln on his journey to Washington. Immediately a number of detectives was set to work; and as everybody seemed to wish to find a plot, a plot was found, or imagined, and Lincoln was persuaded to pass privately and disguised on a special train from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, to Washington, where he arrived February 23rd, 1861. Before leaving Springfield, he addressed his friends at the moment of parting, at the railway station, in a speech of impressive simplicity. The Springfield Speech. 89 " Friends,—No one who has never been placed in a like position can understand my feelings at this hour, nor the oppressive sadness I feel at this parting. For more than a quarter of a century I have lived among you, and during all that time I have received nothing but kindness at your hands. Here I have lived from youth until now I am an old man ; here the most sacred ties of earth were assumed; here all my children were born, and here one of them lies buried. To you, dear friends, ...