He announced it himself in a special message to Congress on the 8th of January, 1861.

The tone was so different from the message of December, that it did not seem possible that the two could have been written by the same man.

It was evident from many passages in the second message that he was trying to reconcile it with the first.

This was the natural course suggested by the pride of one who overrated the virtue of consistency.
The attempt was useless.

The North with unaffected satisfaction, the South with unconcealed indignation, realized that the President had entirely escaped from the influences which dictated the first message.