On the floors of
Congress debate raged as to who was responsible for the military
inaction--for the country's "unpreparedness," we should say today
--and as to whether Cameron was honest. Eventually the House in
a vote of censure condemned the Secretary of War.
Long before this happened, however, Lincoln had interfered and
very characteristically removed the cause of trouble, while
taking upon himself the responsibility for the situation, by
nominating Cameron minister to Russia, and by praising him for
his "ability, patriotism, and fidelity to the public trust."
Though the President had not sufficient hold upon the House to
prevent the vote of censure, his influence was strong in the
Senate, and the new appointment of Cameron was promptly
confirmed.
There was in Washington at this time that grim man who had served
briefly as Attorney-General in the Cabinet of Buchanan--Edwin M.
Stanton. He despised the President and expressed his opinion in
such words as "the painful imbecility of Lincoln." The two had
one personal recollection in common: long before, in a single
case, at Cincinnati, the awkward Lincoln had been called in as
associate counsel to serve the convenience of Stanton, who was
already a lawyer of national repute.
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