The West of that day was represented by Caleb B. Smith of
Indiana.
Seward disapproved of the composition of the Cabinet so much
that, almost at the last moment, he withdrew his acceptance of
the State Department. It was Lincoln's gentleness of argument
which overcame his reluctance to serve. We may be sure, however,
that Seward failed to observe that Lincoln's tactlessness in
social matters did not extend to his management of men in
politics; we may feel sure that what remained in his mind was
Lincoln's unwillingness to enter office without William Henry
Seward as Secretary of State.
The promptness with which Seward assumed the role of prime
minister bears out this inference. The same fact also reveals a
puzzling detail of Seward's character which amounted to
obtuseness--his forgetfulness that appointment to cabinet offices
had not transformed his old political rivals Chase and Cameron,
nor softened the feelings of an inveterate political enemy,
Welles, the Secretary of the Navy. The impression which Seward
made on his colleagues in the first days of the new Government
has been thus sharply recorded by Welles: "The Secretary of State
was, of course, apprised of every meeting [of ministers] and
never failed in his attendance, whatever was the subject-matter,
and though entirely out of his official province.
Pages:
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116