Lincoln, the unknown

LINCOLN THE UNKNOWN• 149grocery store in New Salem, and he had "run that in theground."Oh, yes, and he had had a post-office once, which he carriedaround in his hat.That was the extent of the executive experience of this"prairiepolitician."And now here he sat, blundering and confused, in the WhiteHouse, letting things drift, doing nothing, while the countrywas on a greased chute headed straight for disaster.Seward believed—and thousands of others believed—thathe had been made Secretary of State in order to rule the nation,that Lincoln was to be a mere figurehead. People called Sewardthe Prime Minister. He liked it.He believed that the salvationof the United States rested with him and him alone."I will try," he said when accepting his appointment, "to savefreedom and my country."Before Lincoln had been in office five weeks Seward sent hima memorandum that was presumptuous. Amazing. It was morethan that. It was positively insulting. Never before in the historyof the nation had a Cabinet member sent such an impudent,arrogant document to a President."We are at the end of a month's administration," Seward began,"and yet without a policy either domestic or foreign." Thenwith a calm assumption of superior wisdom, he proceeded tocriticizethis ex-grocery, store keeper from New Salem and informhim how the Government ought to be run.He ended by brazenly suggesting that from now on Lincolnought to sit in the background where he belonged, and let thesuave Seward assume control and prevent the country fromgoing to hell.One of Seward's suggestions was so wild and erratic as tostun Lincoln. Seward didn't like the way France and Spain hadbeen carrying on lately in Mexico. So he proposed to call themto account. Yes, and Great Britain and Russia, too. And if"satisfactory explanations are not received"—what do you supposehe intended to do?Declare war. Yes. One war wasn't enough for this statesman.He was going to have a nice little assortment of wars going fullblast at the same time.He did prepare an arrogant note which he proposed sendingto England—a note bristling with warnings, threats, and insults.