Evening star., 1933-03-05

period.
Though Gen. Harrison tchafed under the
restrictions placed upon him, yet for peace sake,
he refrained at the time from asserting his
authority, though, according to reports, he did
say his wish was to make John Sergeant, Sec
retary of State; John Davis, Secretary of the
Treasury and Thomas Butler King, of Georgia
Secretary of the Navy; but he was overruled
in everything" However, he had great respect
for his cabinet members, and generally needed
their advice an exception being when his cab
met attempted to fill an Office he desired for
q friend.
"Col. Chambers" so the story goes, 'an
intimate personal friend, who had served on the
staff of Gen. Harrison in one of his cam
paigns against the Indians, was under an en-
gagement of marriage with the widow of his
son. Chambers accompanied him to Washing
ton, at his request and the arrangement was
that he should have the appointment of regis
ter of the Treasury, and after the marriage he
was to reside at the White House, Mrs. Cham
bers to be the presiding lady Of the Executive
Mansion. She was an accomplished, elegant
woman, greatly caressed in Washington society
The finished gentlemen by whom she was sur
rounded at the seat of Government contrasted
so strikingly with her Kentucky lover who was
plain man, OF brusque mannerism, that she
finally declined to fulfill her engagement.
Gen Harrison was much concerned at
this unfortunate contretemps, and perceiving
tudI OHdulDeTS WOulQ De uQCOm1OrLaDly placed
in Washington, offered him any appointment
elsewhere that he might select The unlucky
slutor asked for the Office of Governor of the
Territory of Iowa. The place was assured him,
as matter of course. Meantime Mr.. Webster
had promised the Office to his friend, Gen. Will
son, of New Hampshire. At the cabinet meet
ing Mr.. Webster informed the President that it
had been decided by the gentlemen of the
cabinet that James Wilson should be Governor
of Iowa.
"'Ah! That is the decision. then, is it?' said
Gen. Harrison
THE gentlemen of the cabinet replied in the
affirmative. Without making any further re-
mark the old gentleman wrote a few words
upon piece of paper and handed it to Mr.
Webster, requesting him to read it aloud. The
Secretary of State looked little embarrassed
but there was no alternative and he read in an
audible voice William Henry Harrison, Presi-
dent of the United States The general rising
to his feet, said, And William Henry Harrison
President Of the United States, tells you gentle
Governor of Iowa. OF course, that concluded
the subject, and Chambers was appointed"
HE Republican party in 1860 was young
Abraham Lincoln being only the second
candidate it had put in the field, John C. FIRE.
mont having been defeated four years before
and it is doubtful if it expected to elect Presi-
dent SO soon. For this reason. perhaps, few -ty
pledges were made, am -.vaI of
two members of his cabinet, all were of Mr.
Lincolns own choosing. True, they might not
have been personal friends, but nevertheless
they were not thrust upon him. The original
cabinet included william H. Seward of New
York, Secretary of State; Salmon P. Chase of
Ohio, Secretary of the Treasury; Simon Cam
eron. of Pennsylvania, Secretary of War; Ed
ward Bates of Missouri, Attorney General;
loir 1f <1xo
Postmaster General; Gideon Weles of Con-
necticut. Secretary of the Navy; and Caleb B.
Smith of Indiana. Secretary of the Interior.
Secretary Seward came into Office with Mr.
Lincoln, and after the latter's death continued
to serve at the head of the State Department
in the cabinet of Andrew johnson. He came
very near losing his life on the evening of the
assassination of President Lincoln and entirely
through his own presence of mind was able to
hive and tell the story.
He undoubtedly of the great Secre-
taries of State; a man of ability. force and
energy. He was Lincoln's choice for the Office.
Indeed. the martyr President sought the best
men he could find for his advisers even though
they did include the four men who were candi-
dates for the coveted nomination which he him
self received. and Seward was one of these, the
others being Bates, Cameron and Chase.
Seward had reason for being disappointed at
not being selected as his partyS candidate in
1860. since four years before Fremont had re-
ceived the nomination instead of himself. But
he accepted his second defeat gracefully and
did all in his power for Lincolns election and
for the success of his administration. His ac-
complishments were many, but If he never did
anything else in his life but to negotiate the
treaty by which Alaska was ceded to the United
States for the sum of $7,200,000 in gold. this
alone should place him among the immortal5
His home in Washington was historic one,
having been erected in 1881 by Commodore
John Rodgers. on the east side of Lafayette
Square close to the White House, and it was
here that his life was attempted April IA,
1865, and only saved by miracle
At the time, the Secretary was confined to
his bed with injuries sustained from having
been throur, frora his carriane during a r1In-