New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1873-10-30

all times, bot he claimed for him almost cx-
clusively the merit of saving and preserving
the Union, while, according 70 Sfr. Adams,
he was so selfsacri6cing and uno.tentatious
as TO give magnanimously all the credit and
honor justly due to him, to the President,
who is represented as a man with " a mind
not opened to the nature Of the crisis" de-
ficient in intellect, irresolute and destitute OF
executive aud administrative talent. This
disparagement Of Mr.. Lincoln could not fail
10 provoke Indignation and Mr.. Adams was
justly criticised for it; yet most severely by
Mr.. Welles who, through his position as a
member OF Mr.. Lincoln's Cabinet is able to
speak from his own experi~nce and the know
ledge Of facts not accessible to the unnitiated.
In his former article Mr.. welles gave re-
view of Mr.. Stewards earlier political career
as Wing his association with Mr.. ThurlOw
Weed, his attitude in the Presidential cleo
! ton Of lSC0, showing him to have been
man Of expedients rather than of principle,
politician rather than statesman. The
second article treats particularly Of Mr.. Sew
ards career as Secretary of State under Mr..
! Lincoln, and dscloses some highly interest
| ing details in the secret history Of the admin
istration, which reflect anything but favor
ably on Mr.. Seward. Mr.. Lincoln is vindi-
Gated as the patriotic, earnest, clear-slShted
man that he was, and as he lives in the men,
ory of those who knew him best, the man,
who in his plain, unassuming way yet was
the head and soul of the administration, the
leading spirit of the Cabinet. Mr.. Seward,
on the contrary, appears much given to in
trigue, pusilanimous in his policy, full of a
desire to be always in the foreground, and to
reap even honor due to others, and possessed
of such an inordinate love of power that FREE
Guently in highly critical moments he would
act arbitrarily without the advice and know
ledge of the President, and Of his colleagues
and even so far transcend his powers as to
NEEDLE with the business of the other De.
partments, cOunteract their measures and is
sue orders to their subordinates. 1t is true
that the present has always the advantage
over the absent, the living over the dead,
and il would by no means be strange if Mr..
Welles with an earnest desire to be strictly
truthful should be somewhat partial when
discussing events in which he took an active
. part himself, but the picture he draws of Mr.
Seward is in every feature so exactly like the
man as he discloses himself especially in the
later part of his career, and he brings, more
over, such heavy documentary evidence fol
his most important statements that no room
is left to doubt his fairness and justice. The
evidence most damaging to Mr.. Seward re
fers to his course during the early stages o
: the rebellion, previous to the bombardmen
of Fort Sumter, and leaves no doubt that hi
not only counteracted and thwarted every
y measure for the object of reinforcing ant
provisioning Fort Sumter, but actually hat
> an understanding with the southern leaders
had pledged his faith to use all his influence
!. against coercion, and consequently opposes
to the last almost every energetic step pro
posed either by the President or any other o
his advisers.
Charity might suggest that Mr.. Sewar,
had no correct idea of the magnitude and sig
nilicance of the contest, and imagined t.
avert it by concessions and conciliatory mea
sures. His prediction that the war would b.
ended in ninety days seems to confirm thi
Interpretation, which although vindicatin
II his sincerity and honesty, would strip hin
: completely Of the luster Of statesmansh
u with which Mr.. Adams has endeavored t.
surround him, and show him to have beef
singularly deficient in judgment and sagacity
L consequently unfit for the responsible posi-
ton he occupied. But even thsm friend
ly view of the case is contradcted by Mr.
Stewards course under Andrew johnson
, whom he followed through thick and thin to
wards the reasonable object of deliverin,
- the country into the hands of the rebels ant
copperheads. At that time Mr.. Seward coul,
no longer entertain any illusions yet h.
conformity with Mr.. Chase used all his infu
ence to shield that individual from his well
: the impeachment trial. Indeed, everythin;
: in the communication of Mr.. Welles serve
to strengthen the opinion that Mr.. Sewar,
whose virtue was no more proof against tn
temptation Of the Presidential chair thai
that of any other American politician, en-
tertained Srudge against the Republican
., party, because it had failed. and very wisely
To tender him the nomination in 1860. If il
his chagrin and modification he did not de
: liberately set out on the task to undermine
the party, at least he did not hesitate to sac
riice it for the object Of promoting his Owl
9 ambitious plans and to ingratiate himsel
. with the Democrats, with a view to Obtain
' from their hands the honors which the Re
- publicans had not seen fit to bestow on him
: 1he PATHWAY az SutC,ss