A very protracted
session of the Cabinet. The chief subject was the Treasury regulations. There
was unanimity, except McCulloch, who clings to the schemes of Chase and
Fessenden. The latter can, however, hardly be said to have schemes of his own.
But the policy of Chase and his tools, which F. adopted, is adhered to by McCulloch,
who is new in place and fears to strike out a policy of his own. He fears to
pursue any other course than the one which has been prescribed.
McCulloch is a
correct man in business routine but is not an experienced politician or
educated statesman. He wants experience in those respects, and needs grasp and
power to extricate himself from among a rotten and corrupt swarm of leeches who
have been planted in the Treasury. Some legal points being raised, the subject
was referred to Attorney-General Speed to examine and report.
Stanton produced a
paper from Judge-Advocate-General Holt, to the effect that Jeff Davis, Jacob
Thompson, Sanders,1 and others were implicated in the conspiracy to assassinate
President Lincoln and others. A proclamation duly prepared was submitted by
Stanton with this paper of Holt, which he fully indorses, offering rewards for
their apprehension. McCulloch and Hunter, whose opinions were asked, went with
Stanton without a question. I, on being asked, remarked if there was proof of
the complicity of those men, as stated there was, they certainly ought to be
arrested, and that reward was proper, but I had no facts.
_______________
1 George N. Sanders, a Confederate agent in
Canada.
SOURCE: Gideon
Welles, Diary of Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy Under Lincoln and
Johnson, Vol. 2: April 1, 1864 — December 31, 1866, p. 299-300
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