The Washington critic., 1889-01-22
LINCOLN'S GREAT NERVE.
HOW HE AvERTED A CABINET CRISIS
IN HIS ADMINISTRATIONS.
The Mastery Skiii with which He Per-
suadcd seward and Chase to Withdraw
Their designations.

will contain highly interesting account
retary Of State Seward in 1862. The
writer says:
The feeling against the Secretary Of
State at last attained such height in
the Senate that caucus was called to
consider the matter, which resulted in a
vote being taken demanding Of the Presi-
dent the dismissal Of Mr.. Seward from
his Cabinet. AS matter of taste and
expediency this resolution later in the
evening was withdrawn and another
adopted in its place requesting the Presi-
dent to reconstruct the Cabinet, in which,
although Mr.. Stewards name was not
mentioned, the int ntion of the Republi-
can Senators remained equally clear. A
committee was appointed to present the
sense of the caucus to the President, but
before this was carried into effect Senator
King of New York. meeting the Secre-
tary of State, acquainted him with these
proceedings, and he, with his son, the
Assistant Secretary of State, at once pre-
scnted their designations to the Presi-
dent.
On the morning Of the 10Th of Decem.
Der committee of nine waited upon the
President and presented him the resolu-
tions adopted the day before. A long
and earnest conference took place be-
tween the President and the committee,
which was marked on both sides by un-
usual candor and moderation. They at
tackled, one by one, the Secretary of
State, not for any specific wrongdoing,
but for supposed luke-warmness in the
conduct of affairs, and especially for a
lack Of interest in the anti.slavery
measures of the Administration, which
they considered essential to successful
prosecution of the war. When the Presi-
dent reported this conference to his
Cabinet afterward he said, in his own
peculiar imagery:
"While they seemed to believe in my
honesty, they also appeared to think that
when / had in me any good purpose or
intention Seward contrived to suck it out
of me unperceived.
The conference ended without other
result than an appointment for the com
mittce to call again in the evening. Lin
coin at once called the Cabinet together
and laid the entire matter before them.
He gave them to distinctly understand
that in this proceeding he was not invit-
ing or intimating that he desired the res
ignation of any of them. He said he
could not afford to lose any of them; that
he did not see how he could get on with
Cabinet composed of new material, and
he dismissed the council with the re-
quest that they also should meet him
that evening.
The committee and the Cabinet
Seward, of course, being absent--came
together in accordance with the Presi-
dents instruction, and each party was
greatly surprised to find the other there.
Mr.. Lincoln was determined, however,
to have thorough and frank discussion,
so that thereafter neither in his Govern
ment nor in the Senate should 1t be pos
sible to say that there were any points
between them concealed or unexplained.
The President stated the case and read
the resolution of the Senators, comment
ing upon parts of it with some gentle
severity. A general discussion then took
place, marked with singular frankness,
both in the attack and the defense, Col
lamer. and Fessenden speaking with more
mildness than the others, but Grimes,
Sumner and Trumbull attacking the Cab
met generally, and Mr.. Seward particu-
larly, with considerable sharpness The
Cabinet defended themselves In general
and their absent colleague with equal
Il.
Chase alone seemed to feel himself in a
false position.
AS we have seen in his interview with
Weed, he was in the habit of using pre-.
cisely the same expressions in regard tC
the Secretary of State as those employed
by the Senators. Brought to bay thus
Unexpectedly, and summoned to speak
before both parties to the controversy
he naturally felt the embarrassment Of
the situation. He could not Join the
Senate in their attack upon the Admins
tration and he could not effectively de-
fend his colleagues in the presence of
eight Senators, to all Of whom he had
probably spoken in derogation of the
President and the Secretary of State. He
protested with some heat against the atti
tude in which he was placed, and said hi
would not have come if he had expected
to be arraigned. When the fire of the
discussion had burned itself out, Mr.
Lincoln then took formal vote
''Do you, gentlemen" he said, "stil
think Seward ought to be excused ?"
Grimes Trumbull Sumner and Pome
roy said "Yes." Collamer, Fessender
and Howard declined to commit them
selves. Harris was opposed to it, anC
Wade was absent ,t
The meeting broke up late at night
says Secretary Welles. 'in milder spiri
than it met. The free talk had CLEARED
the air somewhat, and both parties to tn
controversy respected each other NOR
than before. AS the Senators were re
tiring, Mr.. Trumbull paused for mo
ment at the door, then turning, wake,
rapidly back to the President and sait
to him privately, but with great vehem
ence, that the Secretary of the Treasury
had held very different tone the las
time he had spoken with him.
The President, though deeply distresse
at the turn which affairs had TAKEN pre-
served his GOODNESS and kept his owl
counsel. On the morning of the Goth. il
presence Of several other members of tn
Cabinet who had called for further dis
cussion of the crisis, the Secretary Of tn
Treasury rendered his designations III
held the written paper in his hand, bu
did not advance to deliver it. The Pres
ident stepped forward and took 1t wit
an alacrity that surprised, and, it must b
said, disappointed Mr.. Chase, He the
at once dismissed the meeting. From tn
moment when he saw Mr.. Chase hole
ing his resignation in his hand his wa
was clear before him. He at once ser
an identical note to the Secretary of tn
Treasury and the Secretary of State, say
ing:
You have respectively rendered me your re
Equations as Secretary of state and Secretal
of the Treasury of the United states. am al
prised of the circumstances which NAV rgndt