Lincoln, the unknown

152•LINCOLN THE UNKNOWNSalmon P. Chase had been running things he would have beentreated fairly."Chase is like the blue-bottle fly," said Lincoln; "he lays hiseggs in every rotten place he can find."For months Lincoln knew all of this; but with a magnanimousdisregard of his own rights, he said:"Chase is a very able man, but on the subject of the Presidency,I think he is a little insane. He has not behaved verywell lately, and people say to me, 'Now is the time to crushhim out.' Well, I'm not in favor of crushing anybody out. Ifthere is anything that a man can do and do it well, I say, lethim do it. So I am determined, so long as he does his dutyas head of the Treasury Department, to shut my eyes to hisattack of the White House fever."But the situation grew steadily worse. When things didn't goChase's way, he sent in his resignation. He did this five times,and Lincoln went to him and praised him and persuaded himto resume his duties. But finally even the long-suffering Lincolnhad enough of it. There had now developed such ill feeling betweenthem that it was unpleasant for them to meet each other.So the next time, the President took Chase at his word and acceptedhis resignation.Chase was amazed. His bluff had been called.The Senate Committee on Finance hurried to the WhiteHouse in a body. They protested. Chase's going would be amisfortune, a calamity. Lincoln listened, and let them talk themselvesout. He then related his painful experiences with Chase;said that Chase always wanted to rule, and resented his (Lincoln's)authority."He is either determined to annoy me," said Lincoln, "orthat I shall pat him on the shoulder and coax him to stay. Idon't think I ought to do it. I will take him at his word. Hisusefulness as a Cabinet officer is at an end. I will no longercontinue the association. I am willing, if necessary, to resignthe office of President. I would rather go back to a farm inIllinois and earn my bread with a plow and an ox than to endureany longer the state I have been in."But what was Lincoln's estimate of the man who had humiliatedand insulted him? "Of all the great men I have everknown, Chase is equal to about one and a half of the best ofthem."Despite all the ill feeling that had been stirred up, Lincoln