The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-01-15
NEW YORK HERALD, TUESDAY, JANUARY Is. 1861
Rail Splitting and Cabinet Making.

Rail Splitting and Cabinet Making.
1t is only latterly, and in this country, that
rail splitting has come to be considered one OF
the fine arts. Up to last May, rail splitters
were looked upon as very worthy members of
society, but not as persons calculated by their
occupation and education to assume leading
positions in the community. That this inn
preston was altogether fallacious has been
proven by the fact that the people have adj
vanced the chief of the rail splitters to the po-
sition of a master cabinet maker, and ever
since the 7th of November this ancient type of
rail splitting superiority has been hard at work
in his new vocation, and has not met with any
very wonderful amount of success. To drop
metaphor, the newly elected President of the
United States seems to have had con-
siderable difficulty in the selection of
bis constitutional advisers. IT did not
require any especial sagacity on his part to
designate Mr.. Seward as the mainstay of
the new Cabinet; Mr.. Seward is the founder
and father OF the republican party, and is q
practical statesman of the first order. He ap-
pears, when compared with his confreres, like
great golden nugget lying upon the seashore
in the full glare of the MONDAY sun, adver-
Using its value to the immediate perception Of
the most ordinary intellect. So the selection
of the Sage Of Auburn as the rail splitter's
Premier was one that could not well be
avoided.
After picking up this nugget, the next inn
portant post to be filed was the Department
of the Treasury, which was rendered to Sena-
tor Cameron, of Pennsylvania. This tender
was made orally by Mr.. SWEET, con-
fidential friend of the President elect
Cameron who is business man as
well as politician, desired that the
offer should be made in writing, and in the
Presidents own hand. This was done-Lin-
coin writing direct to Cameron, and Cameron
accepting the post. The news of Cameron's
appoin ment raised tremendous breeze in
Pennsylvania The ancient fossilized fogies-
galvanized old wings, such as Curtin and
McClure-got up severe outside pressure
upon Old Abe, objecting particularly to the
election of wide awake democrat like Came
ron. Under this pressure Lincoln succumbed,
and wrote to Cameron, asking him to withdraw
his acceptance. To this last communication
no answer has yet been returned. So that ap-
pointment remains in stdtu quo.
Going along little further in our examina-
ton of the Lincoln Cabinet, we come across
very curious antique-a fossil which would de-
light the heart of political geologist. It is
intended for Mr. Lincoln's Attorney General,
and is labelled "Old Mr.. Bates, of st. Louis"
Bates is known as having added literally to the
population of Missouri, and that is about his
only recommendation for a seat in the
Cabinet. We believe that Bates ought to have
a medal and the thanks of the Census Marshal,
but not a Cabinet Office in troublous times.
Going down to the political stratum where
old Mr.. Bates is embedded was pretty tough
job, but old Abe was not daunted by it. On
the contrary, he excavatcd still further, and
brought up the remains Of Gideon Welles We
remember that Welles was known in Con-
necticut (not elsewhere) thirty years ago as
the editor of democratic newspaper and
busy country politician. But the history of
political geology during the last thirty years
records SO many changes and new formations
that we really are astonished that any one
should have gone down into the depths Of old
iogyism to dig out Gideon Welles.
Such is Lincoln's Cabinet, SO far. One
prominent statesman, one clever man,
hung up, like Mahomet's coffin, between
heaven and earth, and two old fogies, whom no
body objects to, because nobody knows any
thing about them, provided with portfolios.
In the matter Of the distinguished Senator from
Pennsylvania, Lincoln's course has been a very
unfortunate one, showing ignorance and imbe-
cility at the outset. If he expects to have ca
pable men as his advisers, the President elect
must make his selections and stick to them in
spite Of parties and feuds or personal prejudices.
If he appoints people who have no enemies, he
must take old fogies or incapables. These are
not times when important positions can be
given, with safety, to either.