Omaha daily bee., 1895-06-16

)f a distinctively lower order. although u |
had Legare and Calhoun for a short time in |
the State department. Polks cabinet. with |
Buchanan. Walker Uhe father OF the cele- |
brated free trade" tariff OF 1916, and subse- |
quently one Of the territorial governors OF |
Kansas, Marcy and Bancroft (the historian), |
favorably with all except the very
greatest before or since its day.
Some great names were on the cabinet |
rolls in the twelve years from the beginning
of Taylor's service to the end OF Buchanan's,
but not many simultaneously. Taylor had
two-Clayton and Ewing; Fillmore had
three-Webster, Corwin and Crittenden; and
Pierce had the same number-Marcy, Jeffer-
son Davis and Caleb Cushing. Pierce's has
the distinction of being the only cabinet
which remained unbroken to the end OF the
presidential term. Buchanan had in Cass.
the secretary Of state, the most prominent
and influential democrat of that day except
Douglas, and in jeremiah s. Black. attorney
general, he had one OF the most learned law
yers in the country. Howell Cobb. too. the
secretary Of the treasury, an eX-speaker and
an ex-governor. was a man of some standing
and power in his party. These we're the big
gest members of Buchanan's original cabinet.
Dix, Stanton and Holt, unfortunately for
Buchanan, came into his council near the
end, instead Of at the beginning. Had they
been with him two three years earlier
probably he would have resisted the secession
influence, which Cass was unable to brace
him up against, and his administration might
have found way to crush the disunion
spirit, as Jackson did thirty years earlier.
LTNCOLN'S CABINET
which holds a high place among presidential
ministerial councils on account Of the ability.
political experience and distinction Of several
OF Its members, was also representative Of the
different localities Of the loyal half of the
country. Welles the secretary OF the navy,
represented New England; Seward and Cam
eron (who preceded Stanton. the countrys
greatest war minister, the middle states;
Chase and Caleb b. Smith the west and
Montgomery Blair the eastern end and Ed
ward Bates the western end Of the border
slave region. 1t Is well known that Lin
coins early intention was to have the south
and the party which opposed him in the cleo
tion represented in the cabinet. but 1t is a
mistake to suppose as nearly all writers do
that in going outside Of his party he would
be following Washington's example. The
case Of Jefferson and Hamilton in this re-
spect Is misunderstood by most persons.
Those men, at the time of their appointment
to Washingtons cabinet did not belong in
opposite partisan camps. The federalists Of
| 1889, the year when Washingtons cabinet
| was formed, were the men who got the con-
| stitution ratified, and the anti-federaists were
| those who tried to have 1t rejected Federal
| ism and ant-federalism meant something
different from this two or three years after
ward, when, the constitution itself ceasing
| to be an issue, the powers of the govern
| ment under it became the burning question.
| In 1889 jefferson and Randolph were federal
| lists equally with Hamilton and Knox, the
| other members Of the cabinet. That is,
| though opposed to the constitution when 1t
first left the federal convention in 1887, Jeffer-
| son and Randolph turned around and worked
in favor OF 1t in 1888. and were glad in 1879
| and afterward that they did this. The parti-
| san divergence between Jefferson and Hamil-
| ,nt nltr anin Ia mi nj
National bank scheme was brought up early
| in 1791
Herndon, Lincolns friend and biographer
mentions that soon after the election Lin
| coin said che wanted to give the south, by
way of placation, a place in the cabinet,
and named three persons who would bt
| acceptable to him. They were Bolts OF
Virginia. Stephens of Georgia and Maynard
OF Tennessee" (Herndon's Abraham Lin
coin" vol. 3, page 473) From another
source, which will here be quoted, this pur
pose will be more fully revealed. ''Tht
question of taking part Of his constitutions
advisers from among his political opponents
and from the hostile or complaining southern
| states had been thoroughly debated in hi
own mind. The conclusion arrived at il
plainly evinced by the following, written b!
him and inserted as a short leading editorla
in the Springfield Qll) Journal on tn
morning of December IL (or 13). 1860: w
hear such frequent allus on to suppose
purpose on the part Of Mr.. Lincoln to cal
into his cabinet two or three southern gentle
men from the parties opposed to him politi
caly that we are prompted to ask a feN
questions. "a Is 1t known that any sue
gentleman of character would accept plac
in the cabinet? (2) If yea, on what term
does he surrender to Mr.. Lincoln or MI
Lincoln to him on the political difference
between them, or do they enter upon tn
administration in open opposition to eac
other" (Nlcolay and Hays Abraham Lin
con," vol. g. page 34S).
Seward, who soon after the election wa
offered and accepted the State portfolio, en-
listed in the search for southern man TO
the cabinet, and he suggested Randall Hun
, of Louisiana, John A. Gilmer or Kennel
, Rayner of North Carolina, Robert E. Scot
OF Virginia and Meredith p. Gentry of Ter
| nessee. Lincoln's preference, as he says l
| a note on January ~, 1861, to Seward
J printed Up. 36D in the Ncolay and Ha
: volume Just mentioned, was for Gilmer owe
= Hunt or Gentry, because, as he remarks, "h
I has living position in the south, while the
e have not" and he adds that II fear II W
+. could get we could not safely take more tina
5 one such man, that is not more than on
who opposed us in the election, the dar
d. ger being to lose the confidence of our ow
. friends" All of these men, however, VIII
{ we're asked to enter the cabinet declined
contest between the partisans of Mon
gomery Blair, former democrat, and Henr
4 Winter Davis, q former whg. for the plaC
e In the cabinet which was to be given
! either one of them, bothered Lincoln ft
. | awhile and on determining to appoint Bla
: he was reminded that this would put TO,
= ex-democrats and three ex-whigs in the cab
= net To this he replied that he was hmse
, an old-ne whig, and he should be there
make the parties even. This was the Je
/ fersonian idea of equality between presidei
e and cabinet members, indeed but of cour,
C neither jefferson nor Lincoln did or cou
{ carry 1t out very far.
: The cabinets since the war, with the e.
It ception of that Of Hayes, have been of
: lower level than many of the earlier one
r Fish, Boutwell, and Bristow of Grant
8 Blaine of Garfeld's and Harrson's, McCu
!, loch OF Arthur's, Bsyard of Cleveland's az
y Window of Harrison's comprise about all Il
:, members of the presidential councils of Il
- | past quarter of a century, except Hayes
- who will be remembered. Hayes cabin
q had three first class men-Evarts, Sherml
i and Schurz. In Sherman 1t had the create
V finance minister since Chase and one of Il
t four greatest-Hamilton and Gallatin bell
l. the other two-whom the country has know
a TIRE SONG INEVER SING.
James Whitcomb Riley.
n AS when in dreams we sometimes hear
40 faf fin