New York, November 10, 1860
To A. Lincoln, President-elect:
You will not, I hope, find what I have to say in this letter
intrusive or unreasonable. If you should, you will, of course, treat it as it
deserves to be treated. I have no doubt that you receive frequent suggestions
from various quarters respecting the selection of your Cabinet when you take
the Executive chair. It is natural that your fellow-citizens who elected you to
office should feel a strong interest in regard to the choice of those men who
are to act as your advisers and your special assistants in the administration
of affairs. The confidence of the people in the wisdom and the virtue of the
Government depends in a good degree on that choice. You will therefore, I
trust, most readily pardon a little zeal in this matter, even if it should go
somewhat beyond the limits of a well-bred courtesy.
You have numerous friends in this quarter, and they are
among the most enlightened and disinterested of the Republican party, who would
be greatly pleased if your choice of a Secretary of State should fall on Mr.
Salmon P. Chase, of Ohio. He is regarded as one of the noblest and truest of
the great leaders of that party, as a man in all respects beyond reproach — which
you know few men are. He is able, wise, practical, pure — no associate of bad
men, nor likely to counsel their employment in any capacity. A Cabinet with
such a man in its principal department, associated with others worthy to be his
colleagues, would immediately command the public confidence. Of course, I do
not expect you to make any reply to this letter. You will receive it as an
expression of my sincere desire for the success of your administration.
SOURCE: Parke Godwin, A
Biography of William Cullen Bryant, Volume 1, p. 150
No comments:
Post a Comment