Team of Rivals_ The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln - Doris Kearns Goodwin [266]
Washington insiders attributed the choice to the combined influence of Seward and Chase. These two rivals rarely agreed on policy or principle, but each had his own reasons for advocating Stanton. Seward would never forget Stanton’s contribution as his informant during the last weeks of the Buchanan tenure. The intelligence provided by Stanton had helped root out traitors and keep Washington safe from capture. It had also fortified Seward’s role as the central figure in the critical juncture between Lincoln’s election and inauguration. Chase’s far more intimate friendship with Stanton had grown from their earlier days in Ohio when Stanton had assured Chase that “to be loved by you, and be told that you value my love is a gratification beyond my power to express.” Equally important, Chase believed that Stanton would be a steadfast ally in the struggle against slavery.
Lincoln had his own recollections of Stanton, not all of which were negative. He had watched Stanton at work on the Reaper trial and had been impressed instantly by the powerful reasoning of Stanton’s arguments, the passion of his delivery, and the unparalleled energy he had devoted to the case. “He puts his whole soul into any cause he espouses,” one observer noted. “If you ever saw Stanton before a jury,” you would see that “he toils for his client with as much industry as if his case was his own…as if his own life depended upon the issue.” Energy and force were desperately needed to galvanize the War Department, and Stanton had both in abundance.
On Saturday, January 11, the president sent an uncharacteristically brusque letter to Cameron. In light of the fact that the war secretary had previously “expressed a desire for a change of position,” he wrote, “I can now gratify you, consistently with my view of the public interest,” by “nominating you to the Senate, next monday, as minister to Russia.” After receiving the dismissal letter on Sunday, Cameron is said to have wept. “This is not a political affair,” he insisted, “it means personal degradation.”
After dinner that night, Cameron went to see Chase. They apparently talked over the troubled situation and decided to enlist Seward’s help. Chase drove Cameron back to Willard’s and then went alone to Seward’s house. As planned, Cameron came in soon after, brandishing the president’s letter, which, he said, was “intended as a dismissal, and, therefore, discourteous.” Cameron was finally convinced “to retain the letter till morning, and then go and see the President.” Later that night, Chase confided in his diary: “I fear Mr. Seward may think Cameron’s coming into his house pre-arranged, and that I was not dealing frankly.” As usual, however, so long as the high-minded Chase was certain that he had “acted right, and with just deference to all concerned,” he was able to rationalize his machinations.
The next day, presumably briefed by Seward and Chase, Lincoln agreed to withdraw his terse letter and substitute a warm note indicating that Cameron had initiated the departure. Since the desirable post at St. Petersburg was vacant, the president would happily “gratify” Cameron’s desire. “Should you accept it, you will bear with you the assurance of my undiminished confidence, of my affectionate esteem, and of my sure expectation that…you will be able to render services to your country, not less important than those you could render at home.” He also asked Cameron to recommend a successor. Cameron expressed his fervent opinion that his fellow Pennsylvanian Stanton was the best man