. Abraham Lincoln; a history . tely but quite as accu-rately from Springfield; that the wisdom of trainedactors in the political drama was as much becloudedby interest or prejudice as was his own by inex-perience and diffidence. After a weeks patient listening he found hiswell-formed judgment about the composition ofhis Cabinet unshaken. He had by this time finallydetermined to place Cameron in the War Depart-ment, and Chase was understood to have acceptedthe Treasury. Hence the East and the West, thegreat pivotal States, the Whig and Democraticelements of the Republican party each by threemem
. Abraham Lincoln; a history . tely but quite as accu-rately from Springfield; that the wisdom of trainedactors in the political drama was as much becloudedby interest or prejudice as was his own by inex-perience and diffidence. After a weeks patient listening he found hiswell-formed judgment about the composition ofhis Cabinet unshaken. He had by this time finallydetermined to place Cameron in the War Depart-ment, and Chase was understood to have acceptedthe Treasury. Hence the East and the West, thegreat pivotal States, the Whig and Democraticelements of the Republican party each by threemembers, were all believed to be fairly and accept-ably represented. The slave States too, throughMr. Bates, of Missouri, had a voice in the newcouncil; but the charge of sectionalism had beenso persistently iterated by the South, that it wasthought best to give the single remaining place toMaryland, even then balancing between loyaltyand open secession; and the final controversy waswhether that choice should fall upon Montgomery. V ^ MONTGOMERY BLAIR. LINCOLNS CABINET 369 Blair, a Democrat, and member of a historic and ch. family, or upon Henry Winter Davis, ayoung Whig of rising fame. Something of the obstinacy and bitterness of theentire contest was infused into this last struggleover a really minor place. This was partly be-cause so little remained to quarrel about, butmainly because it was supposed to be the castingvote of the new Cabinet, which should decide thedominancy of the Wliig Republicans or DemocraticRepublicans in Mr. Lincolns Administration. Inthe momentary heat and excitement this phase ofthe matter expanded beyond any original design,until Mr. Lincoln realized that it was no longera merely local strife between Blair and Davisin Maryland, but the closing trial of strengthand supremacy between Whigs and Democrats ofthe new party throughout the Union, headed re-spectively, though perhaps unconsciously, by Sew-ard and Chase. This contingency, too, ha
Size: 1410px × 1772px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectuniteds, bookyear1890
