Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1899-12-28
LiNCOLN's CABINEi.


Death Of the Last SURVIVOR
The death of James Harlan of Iowa
sewers the last link that connected the
administration of Abraham Lincoln
with the living Of today. Mr.. Harlan
was the last survivor of the Lincoln
cabinet.
ihe original Lincoln cabinet con.
sisted of William H. Seward as Sec
rotary of state, Salmon P. Chase as
secretary of the treasury, Simon Cam
eron as secretary Of war, Caleb b.
Smith as secretary Of the interior,
Gideon Weles as secretary OF the
navy, Montgomery Blair as postmaster
general, and Edward Bates as attor-
ney general. OF these Seward and
Welles alone remained in the cabinet
until the death Of Lincoln. Seward,
Chase, Cameron and Bates were prom
inent candidates against Mr.. Lincoln
for the Republican nomination for
president in 1860.
Lincoln had three secretaries of the
treasury-Salmon P. Chase, William P.
Fessenden. and Hugh McCulloch; two
secretaries of war-siimon Cameron
and Edwin NJ. Stanton; three secre-
taries of the interor-Caleb b. Smith,
John ?. Usher, and James Harlan;
two postmasters general-Montgom-
cry Blair and William Dennison, and
two attorneys general--Edward Bates
and James Speed. with Titan ]. COT
fey acting briefly ad interim.
The Lincoln cabinet never was nota-
BILE for its harmony. Each Of the sew
eral presidential candidates who were
in the original cabinet hoped to sue
coed Lincoln in 1864, and Chase was
most aggressive in seeking to sup
plant Lincoln during the entire period
of his stay in the treasury. Strained
relations between him and the presi-
dent made him tender his resignation
on several different occasions, but Lin
coin, who was broad-gauge and big
hearted man. refused his consent to
Chase's retirement until early in 1864,
when both agreed that Chases's use
fulness in the cabinet was ended.
Cameron. Blair and Smith all had Sc.
rious difficulties in their cabinet serv-
ices, and Cameron and Smith dropped
out, but Blair remained until the Bal
timore convention that renominated
Lincoln demanded his retirement.
OF all the presidents we have had
since jackson, Lincoln depended the
least upon his cabinet TO aid him in
shaping the policy of his administra-
ton. They were never harmonious
during the war, and equally discord-
ant as to methods of reconstruction,
but Lincoln allowed each to 60 his
way. and always waited until time for
action came. when he was reasonably
certain to know Just about the right
thing to be done
Harlan's service in the cabinet was
brief, as he did not enter it until near
the close of l.incoln's career. He was
one of the few public men in whose
judgment and fidelity Lincoln had
great confidence Harlan served
long period in the senate. and had
been one Of the pioneers of Republic
cansm in the West lie was man of
unblemished character,
and sturdy in his convictions and ac-
tons. He was just The man to win
the confidence of Lincoln. Both were
honest, and earnest
patriots; both hated sham and honor
ed merit wherever found, and it was
his confidence and sympathy between
Lincoln and Harlan that doubtless
led to the marriage of their children,
as Harlan's daughter has long been
he wife of Robert I. Lincoln.
Extreme age, with the infrmities it
usually brings, had made Mr.. Harlan
lnfelt and comparatively unknown in
The political struggles of the last de-
,ade or more. but the west has pro-
1uced no statesman whose memory
will be more gratefully cherished by
Western people than that of James
Harlan.-Philadelphia Times.