*Frederic Bancroft, "Life of William H. Seward".
** Gamaliel Bradford, "Union Portraits".
But of one thing with regard to Seward, in the first week of
March, 1861, there can be no doubt: he thought himself a great
statesman --and he thought Lincoln "a Simple Susan." He
conceived his role in the new administration to involve a subtle
and patient manipulation of his childlike superior. That Lincoln
would gradually yield to his spell and insensibly become his
figurehead; that he, Seward, could save the country and would go
down to history a statesman above compare, he took for granted.
Nor can he fairly be called conceited, either; that is part of
his singularity.
Lincoln's Cabinet was, as Seward said, a compound body. With a
view to strengthening his position, Lincoln had appointed to
cabinet positions all his former rivals for the Republican
nomination. Besides Seward, there was Chase as Secretary of the
Treasury; Simon Cameron of Pennsylvania as Secretary of War;
Edward Bates of Missouri as Attorney-General. The appointment of
Montgomery Blair of Maryland as Postmaster-General was intended
to placate the border Slave States. The same motive dictated the
later inclusion of James Speed of Kentucky in the Cabinet. The
Black-Stanton wing of the Democrats was represented in the Navy
Department by Gideon Welles, and in course of time in the War
Department also, when Cameron resigned and Stanton succeeded him.
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