ABSTRACT
In Detroit, the Free Press blamed the Peninsula failure on "Stanton and the abolition politicians," asserting: "It has come solely from the mean partisan hatred of McClellan." Despite the attacks upon the Administration's conduct of the war, Lincoln made no Cabinet changes. In his approach to the slavery question, Lincoln was concerned with keeping the Border States from joining the Confederacy. Despite his belief that slavery was a "monstrous injustice," he never favored "bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races." Upon the policy of using negroes as laborers, the confiscation of Rebel property, and the feeding of National troops upon the granaries of the enemy, the President said there was no division of sentiment. Barney said he had mingled with all descriptions of persons, and particularly with men connected with the army, and perhaps could speak from actual knowledge of public sentiment better than either of us.
