Evening journal., 1913-10-29
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
LinCOln'S Choice Of WeIIeS
for the Cabinet
By Holland.

happened to mention to Frederick
w. Seward some years ago that re-
mcmbered wildly the quaint appearance
which Gideon Welles made as he slowly
strollcd along the business streets in
Hartford four or five years after he re-
tired from the cabinet Of President
Johnson at the close OF Johnsons adj
ministration. said to Mr.. Seward that
few years after first meeting Mr.
Wolles ! met Potter Cooper and ] was
struck by tho strong personal rescm-
blance between the great secretary Of
the navy and the famous American phil
antthropist and great merchant. Both
wore their bair long. in clustered ring
lets resembling somewhat the wigs
which were in the fashion in the time
OF Shakespeare or a little later. Both
wore spectacles with strong lenses,
which caused their eyeballs TO seem UNI
naturally large. and thefcu OF beard. or
rather the lack of any cut. was in the
case of each OF these men idcnticsl with
the style adopted by the other.
Mr. Seward was very familiar with
President Lincoln's and President John
sons administration. His father. vii
liam H. Seward. was secretary of state
in both administrations and Frederick
w Seward was assistant secretary. He
frequently took his fathers place At
cabinet meetings when the secretary OF
state was out Of town or confined to his
house by illness
said TO Mr.. Seward that had
heard some of the older politicians Of
Connecticut say that it was always a
mystery in Connecticut and in New
England that Gideon Wcllcs should
have been selected by Lincoln as secre.
tary'o Of The navy
Yes, have heard tnat. or at least
used 70 hear il. said Mr. Seward.
'but there wasn't any mystery about
II. II was sometimes thought that
Gideon Weles was forced upon Presi-
dent Lincoln by political intrigue, and
chiefly from naming conspicuous Bos-
ton Republican as the New England
member Of the cabinet; but that was a
mistaken view.
Ny father never had any illusions
about Mr., l.incoln's selection of Mr..
Wcllcs for secretary Of the navy. It
was Mr.. tincoln's personal choice. and
it was perhaps his only appointment TO
his cabinet which was exclusively his
personal choice. Nobody recommended
Gideon Wcllcs 10 him. Nobody ever
said anything TO Mr. Lincoln about Mr..
Welles as an available New England
man for cabinet minister.
Lincoln knew that Mr. Wclles had
been an oid-time states rights Demo.
crat. He had however. differed with
tho Democrats upon the slavery ques
ton or at least. upon the question OF
permitting slavery 70 be established in
tho territories
"As an editor he had written very
strong and earnest articles in which he
supported the free soil doctrine of the
Republican party. Ie was in perfect
accord with Lincoln on this policy. Mr.
Lincoln reasoned that the appointment
TO his cabinet of 2 man who had beer
Democrat but who had parted with
his party upon tho frec-soii issue was =
very cxpedient thing 70 do ! think Mr.
Lincoln met Mr.. Wclles in Hartford IL
March. 1850, at time when Lincoln de
livercd a campaign speech in that city
II was always my impression that i'm
mediatelv after Mr.. Lincoln's election
he decided that he would call Gideon
Wcllcs 70 his cabinet"
"But why did he appoint him secre
tsry Of tho navvg" | asked.
~ don't think that the question o
Mr.. Wellcs' fitness 70 serve at the hea,
of the navy department over entered
Mr. Lincon's mind II IL did hc knew
very wel that II would he possible L
appoint a competent man for assstsn
secretary Of the navy. and he found ius
/ that man. I'm CAPTAIN e \ Fox who wa
( ? trained naval officer