The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-01-03
LINCoLN's CABINET.
His Advisers Chosen on Election Night In
the Telegraph Office.

His Advisers Chosen Election Night in
the Telegraph Office.
Hay and Nicoay's History.
''There is distinguished authority for the
statement that the work of framing the new
Cabinet WAS mainly performed the evening
of the presidential election. After the polls
closed the 9th OF November ESQ Mr..
n related q year or two later), the super.
l. emit of the telegraph Office at Springfield
In Vi him to come and remain in his Office and
read the dispatches as they should come in. He
time at the telegraph ONCE, from which all
other visitors were excluded az o'clock,
awaited the result of the eventful day. Soon
the kilograms came thick and fast, first from
the neighborng precincts and counties: then
from the great Western cities. Chicago, St Louis,
Cincinnati and finally from the capitals OF the
doubtful States Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania,
and the Empire State Of New York. Here in
this little room, 10 the company of two or three
silent operators moving about their mys-
teriously clicking instruments and recording
with lmperturbable gravity the swift-throbbing
messages from near and far. Mr.. Lincoln read
the reports as they came in, first in vague and
fragmentary driblets, and later in the rising
and swelling stream of cheering news There
was never nicer closer calculator of po-
hticai probabilities than himself. He was
empbat ically at home among election figures.
All his political life he had scanned tables
OF returns with much care and
curacy as he analysed and scrutnized max
inns of government platforms of parties
Now, as formerly hs familiar with all the
turning points In contested counties and close
districts and knew by heart the the value of each
and every local loss gain in its relation to the
grand result. In past years. at the close Of
many hot campaign he had searched out the
comforts of victory from a discouraging and ad-
verse-looking column of figures, correctly
read the fatal omen of defeat in some fragment
airy announcement from precinct county.
Silently, as they were transcribed, the operators
handed him the messages, which he laid on his
knee while he adiusted his spectacles and then
read and re read several times with deiiberation.
He bad not long to wait for indications
From a scattering beginning, made mp of en-
couragng local fragments, the hopeful news
rose to almost uninterrupted tidings of victory.
Soon shower of congratulatory kilograms fell
from the wires and while his partisans and
friends from all parts of the country were thus
shaking hands with him by lightning over the
result he could hear the shouts and speeches Of
his Springfield followers, gathered in the great
hall of the State house, across the street. and
fairly making that building shake with their re-
joicings.
"Of course his first emotions were those of a
kindline pleasure and pride at the sweeping
completeness of his success But this was only
a momentary glow. He was indeed President
elect. but with that consciousness there fell
upon him the appalling shadow OF his mighty
task and responsibility. It seemed as if he sud.
denly bore the whole world upon his shoulders,
and could not shake it off; and, sitting there in
the yet early watches of the night, he read the
kilograms in a sort of absent
minded mechanical routine. while his inner
man took up the crushing burden of his coun-
try's troubles and traced out the laborious path
of coming duties. When I finally babe my
friends goodnight and left that room,' said
Lincoln, Il had substantially comnieted the
framework of my Cabinet as it now exists.
IF the grouping and com bining of the new
Presidents intended councillors occurred at this
time, 1t is no less true that some of them were
selected at much earlier date. In the mean
this regard. For full month after the election
he gave no intimation whatever of his purpose"