Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1870-04-13
From Appletons' Journal April 1871
PRESIDENT LINCOLN.
The Selection of his Cabinet for his Secoud
Tcrm-A Chapter from Tburiow Weeds
Autobiog raphy.

Term--A Chapter from Tburiow Weeds
Autobiography.
In the winter of 1865, | received note
from President Lincoln asking me to come
to Washington. Immediately after my ar
rival / called at the White House, and al
though early, several persons We're waiting
to see the President. Mr.. Lincoln request
ed me to call at an hour indicated when l
found him alone. He commenced the con-
versaton by saving " You will remember
that after the result of the late Presidential
election was known / told you that / ex-
pected to have more influence with the
President now that he had got a new lease.
You and your friends thought that they
were severely tried during my first four
years. l did not say much about it then,
but intended, If circumstances were favor
able, to even up the account. / shall have
Mr.. Fessenden's resignation of the Treasu-
ry Department on Monday. Now, If you
had the vacancy to fill, whose name would
you send to the Senate?
replied that, although wholly unpre-
pared for such a question, yet l was not
unprepared with name that / would sug-
gest for his consideration, i then men,
toned GOV. Morgan as, in my judgment,
suitable man for the place, provided it
would answer to give the two leading
places in his Cabinet to the State of New
York.
81 anticipated this name," said Mr..
Lincoln, Sand even if had not intended
TO consult your wishes, L should have felt
quite safe in trusting the matter to your
Judgment. j can afford to give Mr.. Nor
gan the Treasury, even though Mr.. Sew
ard has the State Department ; because the
Governor can be confirmed, and the peo-
pie will sustain the appointment. Butt
he added, this could not be done if word
or whisper of it gets out. Can you and
keep the secretly" He then inquired if
there were any doubt of Gov. Morgans ac-
ceptance. told him I thought not that
he had been a capable and successful mer-
chant; that he had shown great executive
and financial ability as Governor of our
State; and that / could not doubt of his
| acceptance of department in which he
| could render much greater service to his
| country. And, after some further CONVEX
sation, Mr.. Lincoln allowed me to suggest
| in the strictest confidence, and in gene
raj terms-to Gov Morgan that a contin-
gency might happen, in which he would
be called to the discharge of other duties.
On my way to the cars | stopped at Gov.
Morgan's house and, after very earnest in
functions of secrecy, made the suggestion,
i'll terms so vague and general as to leave
the Governor wholly in the dark as to the
nature of the duties referred to, and as to
my authority to make the suggestion.
| Tt was understood between Mr.. Lincoln
without disclosing or intimating the posi-
bility of a vacancy in the United States
Senate, do whatever might be done, with
| the knowledge | possessed, to give the
proper direction to the question of filling
Gov. Morgan's place in the Senate.
| On my arrival at Albany, | had not lit
| tie curious conversation with Gov. Fenton,
without whose cooperation it would have
been impossible to move satisfactorily. /
| found that the gentlemen toward whom at
! tention would naturally be drawn for such
| o position, resided in the western part of
| the State. / suggested Lieut.. Gov. Selden
| or Judge j. c. Smith as available, but
soon discovered that the Governor, like
some of his predecessors, had aspirations
for the United States Senate, when the
time and opportunity should arrive. We
then talked with less restraint of candi-
dates in other portions of the State and
| left him with the belief that should it be-
come necessary to act, we could agree upon
a suitable candidate. / now, however,
with better knowledge of his tactics, am
confident that had Gov. Morgan accepted
the Treasury Department. Gov. Fenton
would have been candidate for the va
cancy.
When the time came for Mr.. Lincoln to
supply the vacancy occasioned by the re-
signatian of Mr.. Fessenden, he took the
Senate and the country by surprise in the
nomination of Gov Morgan, whose en-.
tirely had failed to prepare him for the
teyent-was quite az much surprised az his
colleagues. Gov. Morgan, as soon as he
could leave his seat, went over to the White
House and informed TIL President that he
must decline the appointment He con.
scented, however, to leave the matter ovel
two or three days, giving both himself anG
! the President time for consideration.
j returned immediately to Washington
and after q long interview with Gov. Nor
gan, was constrained to report his persist
ent declination to the President. failed
however, as i then and now believe, to as
certain what We're Gov. Morgan's real rea
sons for refusing the Treasury Department
Upon reporting that failure to Mr.. Lincoln
he said: (" That is very awkward, but w,
must look elsewhere for Secretary. Whs
Is your next man?'' replied that wa
too much mortified by this missfire to tr,
J again. Mr.. Lincoln said: I am disap
pointed, for thought Gov. Morgan would
be willing to help us run the machine
but i had two other men in my mind
: What do you say TO Mr.. MeCulloeh or Mr.
Hooper," l replied that i had high APP
probation of the character and services o
both gentlemen, but that / was PERSONAL,
almost unknown to them that Mr.. Nc
Culloch had been brought to Washington
+ by Secretary Chase, and might be fairl,
: supposed to have imbbed his views AM
, impressions and that had no reason t
believe that Mr.. Hooper sympathized witt
/, Gov. Seward or his friends. Mr.. Lincoli