NOVEMBER 11, 1864:
John Hay, one of President Lincoln’s two
secretaries (the other being John Nicolay), and a future Secretary of State
under President Theodore Roosevelt, writes of the first post-election Cabinet
meeting in Washington. Back in the dark summer, Lincoln had written a letter
and had had his Cabinet all endorse the back on trust without knowing the
contents. Hay writes:
At
the meeting of the Cabinet today, the President took out a paper from his desk
and said, "Gentlemen, do you
remember last summer I asked you all to sign your names to the back of a paper
of which I did not show you the inside? This is it. Now, Mr. Hay, see if you
can get this open without tearing it!"
He
has pasted it up in so singular style that it required some cutting to get it
open.
It
read: "This morning, as for some
days past, it seems exceedingly probable that this Administration will not be
re-elected. Then it will be my duty to so co-operate with the President elect,
as to save the Union between the election and the inauguration; as he will have
secured his election on such ground that he can not possibly save it
afterwards."
When
he revealed the contents of the note, the President said,
'You will remember that
this was written at a time when as yet we had no adversary, and seemed to have
no friends. I then solemnly resolved on the course of action indicated above. I
resolved, in case of the election of General McClellan, being certain that he
would be the candidate, that I would see him and talk matters over with him. I
would say, 'General, the election has demonstrated that you are stronger, have
more influence with the American people than I. Now let us together, you with
your influence and I with all the executive power of the Government, try to
save the country. You raise as many troops as you possibly can for this final
trial, and I will devote all my energies to assisting and finishing the
war.'"
Mr.
Seward said, 'And the General would
answer you, 'Yes, Yes;' and the next day when you saw him again and pressed
these views upon him, he would say, 'Yes, Yes;' & so on forever, and would
have done nothing at all.'
"At least,' answered Mr. Lincoln, 'I should have done my duty and have stood
clear before my own conscience."
