Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1862-06-12

Mr.. SEWARD.
or Mr.. Seward can speak more freely,
from the fact that at the present day he
does not stand high in popular favor. Ate,
all, explain it ~ you will, the beau role 10
4 the Trent affair" was not that of the
United States, and the Americans are too
sharp people to be able long to delude
themselyes with the AatteIing nnctioD that
they had won great diploma attic victory. -
Heace, the Secretary of State has suffered.
perhaps unjustly, as the scapegoat Of the
national humiliation. Mr.. Stanton has
taken his place in the favor Of the people,
and, il is rumored, of the President. IL IS
to the setting then, and not TO the rising
SUM- that l wish to do justice. My first
thought at meeting Mr. Seward, Was one ol
wonder that 80 small man should have
been 20 near creating war between two
great nations. A man, should think, un.
der five feet in hight, and Of some sixty
years in age small made, with small hands
and feet, and small, wiry body, scanty
brown gray hair, deep set, clear gray eyes, a
face perfectly clean shaved and smooth
coloress skin Of asort Of parchment texturel
Such were the outward features that struck
me at once. He was in his Office when first
! saw him, dressed in black, with his waist
coat half unbuttoned, one leg over the side
Of his arm chair, and cigar stuck between
his lips Barring the cigar and attitude
should have taken him for shrewd, we'll
to do attorney, waiting to learn new client S
business. You are at ease with him at once.
There is frankness and bon hon,nue about
his manner, which renders it to my mind a
very pleasant one. In our English phrase,
MIR. Seward is good company. A good cigar,
a good glass of wine, and good story, even
IT It is TINT soft peu r7sqne, are pleasures
which he obviously enjoys keeuly. Still, a
glance at that spare hard knit frame, aud
that clear bright eye, shows you that no
pleasure, however keenly appreciated, has
been INDUCED in to excess throughout his
long, labori0us career. And, more than
that, no one who has had the pleasure of
seeing him amongst his own family can
doubt about the kindliness of his disposition.
II is equally impossible to talk much with
hun without perceiving that he is man Of
remarkable ability. He has read much,
especially Of modern literature travelled
much, and seen much of the world, of man,
as well as that Of books. His political prin-
cipes. seem to me drawn from the old Wing
school Of the bygone Edinburg Review days,
and you can trace easily the influence which
the teachings of Brougham and Jeffreys
and Sidney Smith have had upon his mind.
hat strikes me most iu conversation with
him Is largeness of view very rare among
American politicians. The relative position
OF America with regard to Europe, and the
future Of his country, are matters he can
discuss with sense as well as patriotism.
That his intellect is practical rather than
philosophical, aud that he is unduly impa-
Of hctra q II i
suspect. In other words he is mon OF
action rather than of thought-a politician,
not a reformer 1t was by sheer vigor of
mind and force of will that he acquired his
pre-eminence in the ministry. According
to the theory of the American Constitution
there is no such thing as ministry, and
the ministers are only heads of departments.
One department is equal to another, and the
Secretary of the head of any department
has no power to issue orders to any other
When the insurrection broke out, and every
department was in disorder, Mr. Seward
virtually assumed a temporary premiership.
His colleagues yielded, because they felt
the need o. one directing head, or had not
strength enough to resist his superior en-
ergy. When the pressure Of danger was
removed, the other departments threw off
the supremacy of the Depai tment of State;
and it was only by his energy that Mr..
Seward held his place after the reaction. 1t
is reported that, not long ago, some inHu-
ential politicians requested the President to
remove Mr. Seward, on the ground of in
competency, to which application the answer
was made, that man who worked three
times as many hours, and did three times as
much in one hour, as any Of his colleagues,
could hardly be incompetent, whatever else
might be his failings.
MR.. CHASE.
Probably the most striking looking of the
ministers is Mr.. Chase, the Secretary of the
Treasury. His head would be treasure to
any sculptor, as model of benevolence.
His lofty, spacious forehead, his fresh,
smooth shaved countenance, his portly
figure and his pleasant, kindly smile, all
seem to mark the model benevolent old man,
created to be the victim and providence of
street beggars. One wonders how so kind
looking a man can find it in his heart to tax
anybody; and believe this much is true,
that man OF less ability and sterner mould
would have made better financior than
MIR. Chase has proved.
MR.. BLAIR.
Mr. Blair, though Maryland man, is the
only one of the ministers, who has what we
consider the characteristic Yankee type of
face, the high cheek-bones, sallow complex
ion, and long straight hair.