Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-02-15

toned OCnor names LndI 90 uOL HOW re-
call. He then strongly urged the appoint
ment of Southern man. remember that
he said it would be good stroke of policy
to get one from North Carolina, as that
would doubtless keep that state in the
Union in case the cotton states provoked
war. Mr.. Lincoln thought well Of the
idea, and it was decided that Mr.. Weed
should confer with Mr.. Mangum, think,
although 1 am not sure of the
name. Mr.. Weed tried to find the man in
Mort Carolina, but failed, and Mr.. Lincoln
| followed his original idea and appointed
Montgomery Blair. Caleb B. Smith, of
Indiana, had been decided upon for the
| interior department before Mr.. Weeds ar
rival. These are the real facts in relation
with the organization of Mr.. Lincoln's
cabinet SO far as Mr. Weed is concerned"
''What was NJ. Weeds objection IL
| Montgomery Blair
HE disljked the Blair family on accJl.l.
of some antagonism between the ft,brs
ard himself, think. I do not think liz
admired the Jacksonian quality of force
i'll the family"
GLOW was Gideon Welles appointed"
''He was the only man in the cabinet
! that Mr.. Lincoln did not select himself
Hannibal Hamlin named him. He came
to Chicago and Mr.. Lincoln met him her..
During their talk he told Mr.. HamIin that
he wanted cabinet officer from New Eng
land, and would appoint whomever he
would name. He selected Gideon Welles,
and MIR. Lincoln, IS good az his word; made
him secretary o. gne navy. You see, then,
that MI rIanlIin had better success in
getting binet officer of his own selec-
ton than i Weed did,
How d., ne come to appoint Gen. Cam
eron?'
''For the same reason that he appointed
Mr.. Seward I was one of the presidential
electors in Illinois that year, and was Sc
lected to carry the vote of our state to
hingtoH. Mr.. Lincoln asked me, as l
was passing through Harrisburg on my
way to the capital, to stop and request
Gen. Cameron to come to Springfield for
conference with him. I did so, and he
went out. I then knew that he was to go
into the cabinet, because had heard Mr..
Lincoln say so I do not think that he
knew it then. He was the unanimous choice
of his state for the place.
.Did Mr.. Lincoln offer him any particu-
lar placer
the conference. I think Mr.. Lincoln
wrote to him after they had their talk that
he would make him secretary OF the treas
ury or secretary of war. know that
there was quite good deal of uncertainty
for some time as to whether Mr.. Cameron
or Mr.. Chase should be secretary of the
treasury. 1t was finally decided in Mr..
Chase's favor, but for what reason l do not
know"
''Was there any friction between Mr..
Lincoln and Gen. Cameron when he left
the cabinet?''
''None at all. I know that Mr.. Lincoln
always retained the highest respect for
him, and the most perfect confidence in
his integrity. I heard him rebuke man
one evening who had made some refec-
tons upon the honesty of his administra-
ton of the war department.. He answered
the gentleman's structures by saying: 1
know of nothing to justify your remarks;
there certainly was nothing in the admins
tration of the war Office that reflected up
on his integrity The facts in relation to
| the change in the war Office that sent Mr..
Cameron to st. Petersburg are well known
| to many men. There was a great deal of
| friction in the cabinet between the con-
servative element represented by Seward
and Chase and the aggressive war spirit
represented by Gen. Cameron and Mont
gemery Blair. Almost all the cabinet ex-
cept these two believed the differences be-
tween the sections could be settled without
a resort to arms. Cameron as we'll as Blaine
thought a war inevitable, and wanted
to make active preparations for 1t. This
conflict of ideas and purposes naturally
caused more or less feeling. Then Gen.
Cameron in his first annual report recon-
mended arming the negroes, and the pres
ident was not up to that advanced posi-
ton. To be sure, this recommendation
did not get into the presidents message,
but it was printed in the newspapers, and
called out vast amount of severe criti-
cism. The cabinet was afraid of its effect
upon the border states"
did Gen. Cameron leave the cabinet on
this account?"
''No. He changed the war Office for the
mission to Russia on his own motion. He
felt the discomfort in the cabinet and was
glad to get rest. L recall distinctly the
circumstances under which he left. Thur
low Weed came on to Washington, as he
| free uently did, for conference with the
administration. He saw the feeling OF I'M
rest in the cabinet and went to have talk
| with Gen. Cameron about it. Cameron
was not very we'll, and Mr.. Weed began
the conversation by telling him that he
ought to take a vacation. what, vacation,
with the war on our hands" Weed sug-
gested that he should exchange the war de-
partment for foreign mission. 1T
would be a great relief if 1 COULD
was Mr.. Cameron's response. The
Russian mission is vacant replied Weed.
4 should be glad to make the exchange
was Cameron's answer. They went to the
president upon the subject. and the trans
| fer made, without any feeling whatever on
either side. / know that by Mr.. Lincoln's
| acts and utterances."
s'Mr Weed played quite an important
part. then, in MIR. Lincoln's administration
during the WARP"
eyes, quite hand. The president was
very fond of him, and had great respect
for his ability. A conference with Mr..
Weed was always valuable to any public
man. From that standpoint Mr. Weed had
a powerful influence everywhere among
men of his own party. His advice was all
the better and safer because he didn't want
| Office"