Evening journal., 1912-11-09
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
How Lincoln Selected His
First Attorney General
BY Holland.

! once asked Frederick w Seward,
who is the last survivor of the admin
istration Of President Lincoln. he hav-
ing served as Assistant Secretary Of
State under his father throughout
Bincoln's and Johnson's adminstra-
tions, TO explain to me, If he could.
why Mr. Lincoln was persuaded to
appoint Edward Bates. of ST. Louis, as
Attorney-General in his first cabinet.
! said that Mr.. Bates was the most
inconspicuous member OF that cab
met, that his name was rarely men
toned publicly, even In civil war
days, and that ! had been told by
some persons who knew Mr.. Bates
that, while he was man of fine char
acter, nevertheless he was really not
quito up intellectually, to some of tho
other members Of President Lincoln's
cabinet
preston Of that kind did prevail
during Mr.. Lincoln's time" said Mr.
Seward, "and ] presume that II is
true that there are very few persons
now living who ever heard the name
pressed by it.
1T was assumed at the time Lin
coin made up his cabinet, In the early
winter of 1861. that he had made
choice of Mr. Bates as Attorney-Gen-
eral solely for the reason that Bates
was supported in the Republican ma
tional convention OF 1860 for the pres
idential nomination. Now my reco-
fc hof
ly about thirty votes in support of
his nomination for president in 1860
That certainly was not large enough
vote of itself to justify Mr.. Lincoln
in calling Mr.. Bates to the cabinet
"Millard Fillmore was always per-
suaded that he was in part RESPONSE
BILE for Mr. Lincoln's choice Of Judge
Bates as a cabinet officer: not en-
tirely responsible, but yet responsible
for the great prominence NJ. Bates
gained in the ten years preceding Mr..
Lincoln's election. I think this is
rather interesting unwritten bit Of
our political history.
Judge Bates and Mr.. Fillmore were
very prominent Wings. Fillmore's at
tention was attracted to Judge Bates
through the latter's earnest advocacy
OF certain public improvements in the
Mississippi Valley. especially i'm Mis-
souri,. You know that was old Wing
doctrine, that party standing for in =
ternal improvements on a grand scale
as we'll as for a protective tariff. Fill
more, after he became president, in
vited Judge Bates to enter his cabinet
as Secretary of War and, although
the offer was declined, yet Fillmore
and Bates maintained a very close
personal friendship. It was due en-
tirely to the suggestion of Millard
Fillmore that Judge Bates was elect
ed chairman OF the Whip national
convention of 1856. That convention
nominated Millard Fillmore for the
presidency.
"At that time Abraham Lincoln
learned of the strong ground which
Judge Bates had taken in advocating
vast system OF internal improve
ments in the Mississippi Valley and it
was this which especially interested
Lincoln In Judge Bates and in his
career Therefore, when he was turn
Ing over in HIS mind the proposition
of his cabinet and reached the Office
OF Attorney-General, Lincoln reason
ed. first, that Judge Bates was a very
good lawyer; second, that he was
popular in Missouri; third. that he
would represent the country west of
the Mississippi river; fourth, that he
was very strong advocate of in
ternal improvements and of a proteo-
tive tariff. and. fifth, that he repre-
sented that element In the old Whip
patry OF the West which had come
over between 1856 and 1860 to the
Republican party
These we're the reasons which
really induced President Lincoln to
appoint Edward Bates Attorney Gen
eral, and not the fact that Judge
Bates had received a few votes for
the presidential nomination in the
Republican convention of 1S60.'
Copyright, 1912. by E. J. Edwards.