The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-02-15

How Ltncoin was dominated ana bis
Cabinet Fiiltd.
Washington Letter 10 the Cleveland leader
Leonard SWEET. the old law partner OF
Abraham Lincoln, is still prscucing law In
Chicago, and he tt ,nds. i am told. at the
head OF the bar of the West. he was during
Lincoln's life. bic most iAtimate friend aud
confidential adviser. Many times Lincoln
called him 10 Washington to talk over mat
tiers which ne did not dare to trust 20 others,
aud to take adya ,tage OF SWEETS hard sense.
Several weeks begore tie emsD c. patton proc
lamstion was issued, friend or Mr. Swett's
tells me, Mr.. SWEET received d dispatch to
come 10 WashiDgtan 81 once. he aid 20,
and went directly TO the White House. Pres
ident Lincoln received b IN with open arms,
aud took him into bis private room and shut
the door He then TOOK letter from his
pocket and read IL To Mr. SWEET IL was q
petition. signed by Lloyd Garrison and a
number OF other Ao. litiohisls. urging the
proclamation ofemancpation. Itwssa strong
paper and enforced its ideas with the best
argum ants that could be made for them.
After he had concluded ii Mr.. LiDcoln took
out another letter which he told Mr. S~ett
was written by q patriotic and liberty loving
Swiss. This letter which he read prese ted
just as strongly the other side of the ques.
ton, and urged him as he hoped TO save the
Union not 10 drive the border States, now
practically neutral, into the Confeoerscy by
such an act The Persistent then t5ok M
the whole subject, aud went oyor ia every
point to Mr.. SWEET He did not decide in
favor OF either side, nor did be ask MIR.
Swett's advice After he hsd finished he ois-
missed he subject and talked az other mat
| tiers. The next day Sgett went back to Iii.
nois. The President had merely called him
here for the purpose of having talk with
one whom he knew he Juld trust. He mad
already decided on the emancipation and
L at at M Il sal n lie inp
| written.
1T was SWEET and Judge David Davis"
coDtln1 this gentleman, who aid more to
secure the nomination OF Lincoln in 1860
than any other Two men In tins country. Mr..
S~ett told me the story illinois went into
| the Convention with little expectation of
| securing Lincoln's nomination. The dele
CATION had no heart in their work, ard Davis
aud SWEET were the only iwo real workers In
| the delegation. They brsced up the Others
and they secured Lincoln's nomination by
| promising Cabinet places 10 other States II
they would vote for Lincoln. Before the
| Convention met they were sure OF Illinois
only. AS soon as the delegates had arrived
q. Chcsgo they went to the Indiana dc lega-
| ton and promised Indiana a Cabinet place
: in case Lincoln was elected, III Indiana
would vote solidity for him on the first bs'
| lot, and stick to him thereafter rs long rs he
seemed to have chance OF being nominated.
agreement. Kentucky was fixed IN the
same way, and they then approached Penn
sylvania- Here the trade was more difficult.
Simon Cameron was the candidate. and be
bad his State solidly for him. At last they
persuaded Peunsylvania TO 90 for Lincoln
on the second ballot with the promise that
Cameron should 20 into the Cabinet on his
election. The result was that with Illinois.
Indiana aud Kentucky solid. they received
enough scattering votes to run their total on
the first ballot to 102 Seward had l73 and
Cameron 80 On the second ballot PenDeyl-
vaDfs came in for Lincoln. and ii became q
C. ose fight between Lincoln and Seward; and
ON the third ballot Lincoln was DomiD sted.
After the nomination Davis and Ssett
told Lincoln how II had been acc Dmplished.
and urged upon his duty ss ID carrying out
the contracts which they had made de OBJ
jecfed considerably 20 some Of them. As to
Indiana said he. Cab 3, Smith | know is
O good man, aud would be glad to have
him in nv Cabinet 1 don't object 70 James
Speed, of Kentucky. but don know abont
Simon Cameron. Either Justly Or unlustly,
Cameron has been charged with being ac-
ceseory to certain Dbs. and | am making
this csmpapn as Honest Old Abe and
want to avoid even the appearance OF evil. !"
1T was long time before Davis and
SWEET c. uld persuade Mr.. Lincoln TO say
that Cameron should have place. He did
80 finally, and in tie end gave him the War
Department Smith. If Indians got the In
terror, aud as TO Kentucky. ils part of the
spoils vas not gwen until later in the ad-
ministrstion, when James Speed. of that
State, was put in the place OF Bates ss Az
torpey General