There his ships lay idle
until the fort was surrendered, waiting for the Powhatan--for
whose detachment from the squadron Seward was responsible.
To return to the world of intrigue at Washington, however, it
must not be supposed, as is so often done, that Fort Sumter was
the one concern of the new government during its first six weeks.
In fact, the subject occupied but a fraction of Lincoln's time.
Scarcely second in importance was that matter so curiously bound
up with the relief of the forts--the getting in hand of the
strangely vain glorious Secretary of State. Mention has already
been made of All-Fools' Day, 1861. Several marvelous things took
place on that day. Strangest of all was the presentation of a
paper by the Secretary of State to his chief, entitled "Thoughts
for the President's Consideration". Whether it be regarded as a
state paper or as a biographical detail in the career of Seward,
it proves to be quite the most astounding thing in the whole
episode. The "Thoughts" outlined a course of policy by which the
buoyant Secretary intended to make good his prophecy of domestic
peace within ninety days. Besides calmly patronizing Lincoln,
assuring him that his lack of "a policy either domestic or
foreign" was "not culpable and.
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