The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-08-23

On the I'd OF March, the di0rist is filled
gloom by the news OF the doings Of
the Confederate Congress at Montgomery,
and that Toombs had been made Secretary
Of State, than whom there is mo wilder
and more unsafe man alive" He refers
TO his last speech in the Senate in reply to
the maiden speech Of that noisy and vul.
gar coCkney, Orator Puff, Senator Baker,"
who q few months after at Balls Blul
that he could die for his country.
II could hardly speak to him civilly,"
wrote the diarist. AS to the Cabinet,
there can be no doubt about it any longer.
This man from Illinois is not in the hands
Of Mr.. Seward. Heaven grant that he
may not be in other hands-not to be
thoughtoi with patience!" He continues
- has Just left me. He was one ofthe
party who called on Mr.. Lincoln to-day to
bring matters to a head, and prevent the
nomination OF Chase at all hazards. A
nice mess they have made Of it! Mr.. Lin.
coin received them ciyilly enough, and
listened to all they had 10 say. Speaking
one after another, they all urged the abso:
lutely essential importance OF the pres.
ence Of Mr.. Seward in the cabinet, to SO.
cure for 1t either the support Of the North
or any hearing at the South; and they all
set forth the downright danger to the
cause OF the Union Of putting into the
cabinet a man like Mr.. Chase, identified
with and supported by men who did not
desire to see the Union maintained on
its existing and original basis at all,
and who would rather take their chances
with q northern republic, extending itself
to Canada, than sec tho Union Of our
fathers kept up on the principles Of our
fathers. After they had all said their say
in this vein, Mr.. Lincoln, who had set
watching them one after another, and lust
dropping in a word here and there, waited
a moment, and then asked what they
wanted him to do, or to forbear. They
all replied that they wished him to for.
bear from nominating Mr.. Chase as n
member OF his Cabinet, because it would
not be possible for Nj. Seward to sit in
the same administration with Mr.. Chase,
He wouldn't wish it, and his friends and
his State would not tolerate it-Couldn't
tolerate tit must not be.
Then Mr.. Lincoln sat looking yerymuch
distressed for a few moments, after which
he began speaking in a very low voice,
like q man quite oppressed and worn
down, saying 1t was very hard to reconcile
conflicting claims and interests; that he
only desired to form an administration
that would command the confidence Of
the country and the party; that he had
the deepest respect for htr. Seward, his
services, his genius, and all that sort OF
that Mr.. Chase had great claims
also, which no one could contest-perhaps
not so great as Mr.. Seward; but what tho
party and country wanted was the hearty
cooperation OF all COED men OF all sec.
tons, and so on, and so on for some time.
They all thought he was weakening, and
they were sure Of it, when, after a pause.
no opened q table-drawer and took ont a
paper, saying: II had written out
my choice here Of Secretaries in the
cabinet after o great deal OF pains and
trouble; and now you tell me l must break
the slate and begin a~llover!n He went on
then to admit, which still more
ed them, that he had sometimes feared
that 1t would be as they said it was-that
he might be forced to reconsider his mn.
tured and he thought judicious conclu.
In view Of that possibility, he said
had constructed an alternative list Of
his cabinet. He did not like it half as well
as the one ofhis own deliberate preference,
in which he would frankly say he had hon.
ed to see Mr.. Seward sitting as Secretary
Of State, and Mr.. Chase sitting as Secretary
the Treasury-not half as well; but he
could not expect to have things exactly as
he liked them; and much more to The
same effect, which set the listeners quite
with suppressed expectations OF car.
rying their great point.
rms being the case, gentlemen" he
said, finally, after giving the companv
time to drink in all he had said-Gthis IN.
ing the case, gentlemen, how would Il do
Tor US to agree upon a change like this?o
Everybody, Of course, was all attention.
How would 1t do to ask Mr.. Chase to take
The Treasury, and to offer the State De.
.artment to Mr.. William F. Dayton, Of
New jersey"
told him he could have knocked him
Or any man in the room down with a
Not one Of them could speak'
Mr.. Lincoln went on in amoment, eSpatiat.
on his thoughtfulness about Nh.
seward. MI. Dayton, he said was an Old
like himself and like MI, Seward,
He was from New Jersey, which tis next
door to New York" He had been fra
Vice Presidential candidate with General
Fremont, and was a most conservatives
able and sensible man. Mr.. Seward coulj
20 as Minister to England, where his
would find great scope in KEEPING
europe straighta as to the trobles here, and
20 on and 80 forth, for 20 minutes.
When he got through, one OF tho com.
panY spoke, and said he thought they had
better thank him for his kindness in
listening to them, and retire for consulta.
which they did. But l fear from
he tone and language OF - that there
more cursing than consultation going
On just now. 1 must own that l Heard
With something like CONSERVATION.
Whether this prefigures the exclusion Of
w. Seward from the cabinet, who can
ell? Nor does that possibility alone
make 1t alarming. It does not profionreE
proves that the new administration will
be pitched ona dangerous and not s SE'
skey. II makes what was dark enough he.
ore midnight black. What is 10 come Of
All this shows how little Mr.. Lincoln,s
Keen discernment Of character was an.
preciated when he first went to Washing.
on. And yet how amlable, shsewd and
irm he was under great pressure. HO
lad his own choice at last asto his cabinet
md history will record that he chose with