Lincoln (88 page)

“By
me?
” Chase was pleased at his own coolness under what was, after all, as real fire as ever came a soldier’s way.

“By you, sir,” said Henry D.

“What am I supposed to have done?” Chase tried to recall a relevant passage from St. Paul’s correspondence with the Ephesians; but failed.

“I’m sure that Frank is pretty vague,” said Pomeroy, who had lived through so much of this sort of thing, but, unlike Chase, as the guilty party.

“Yes, he was vague as to specifics. But he is saying that he has reason to believe that you have given—or sold—permits, secretly and illegally, to various businessmen in order to trade with the enemy, and that if this is true and if the enemy has been aided, then you must be impeached and tried for treason.”

Chase felt, for an instant, as if he might faint—with fury. Then he tried to console himself with the marvelous irony of it all. He may, at times, have gone to the outer edge of propriety but no further. On trade permits he had been impeccable, as his own son-in-law knew most bitterly. “I believe,” said Chase, focussing his anger, “that it is now necessary for us to destroy Mr. Frank Blair, Junior, and break once and for all that … infernal family.” Chase rang for his secretary. When the man appeared, Chase said, “Bring me the
specified
Frank Blair file, the Vicksburg file and the
specified
Montgomery Blair file.” The secretary disappeared. Chase turned to Pomeroy. “We shall see to it that General Blair is charged with defrauding the government at Vicksburg. I shall also explore, one by one, his shady associates in Missouri. As for Montgomery Blair …”

Pomeroy raised his hand. “Now then let’s hold our horses for a moment. I agree, Mr. Chase, that you should pile up all the ammunition you can. But we hold it for now. We keep our powder dry for now.” Pomeroy turned to Henry D. “Blair has asked for a committee of investigation, you say?”

“Yes, Senator. There’s been no vote yet. But …”

Pomeroy smiled. “If there’s been no vote yet, that is the end of that.” He turned to Chase. “Privately, the Speaker opposes Mr. Lincoln’s reelection. Privately, he supports you. Publicly, he dislikes the Blairs, as who does not? Between the Speaker and General Garfield, there will
never
be an investigation. Consider the resolution as dead. I know the votes we got. The House will split seventy-something to sixty-something in your favor.”

In a sense, Chase was relieved. But, in another sense, “How will it look if my friends block an investigation of my department?”

“Why like nothing at all, Mr. Chase. Just yesterday’s wind across the lonesome prairie.”

“It would be good to be exonerated—” Chase began.

But Henry D. finished for him, “—but a bad idea to have the business of the trade permits gone into.
You
have done nothing illegal, Mr. Chase. But we have seen to it that, by and large, permits go only to men who are loyal supporters of your candidacy. That’s what Blair hopes to reveal—at the least.”

“I agree,” said Pomeroy. “It wouldn’t look too good, even though there is nothing unlawful in helping friends.” Pomeroy was on his feet. “I shall start circulating our views.” He held high the manuscript in his hand as though it were Excalibur.

In Chase’s eyes the pamphlet was indeed well done, the work of a New York journalist named Winchell. The case against Lincoln’s renomination was made with dignity and cogency. First, Lincoln would lose to the combinations arrayed against him. McClellan would be a formidable candidate. If Grant were to enter the field, as a Democrat, there would be no contest at all. Second, another term of shilly-shallying might bankrupt the nation, as the war dragged on. Third, patronage was now out of control; only single-term presidents could control this. Chase somewhat doubted the logic of this point, as he himself had increased the number of clerks in his department more rapidly than that of any other, including the War Department. But his political managers thought the sentiment sounded well. Fourth, Chase was the better man, the better administrator and the purest in the management of public affairs. Chase subscribed wholeheartedly to this estimate of himself; therefore, the Blair charges were all the
more galling and dangerous. Fifth, the more Lincoln’s partisans tried to promote his renomination, the more opposition there would be to his unsuccessful Administration. For these reasons, the supporters of Chase have now started a national organization, with a Republican National Executive Committee at Washington, whose chairman is Senator Pomeroy.

“I shall send this circular out to every corner of the country,” said Pomeroy.

“You better get it out quick to Pennsylvania,” said Henry D. “I’ve just heard from my brother that Simon Cameron is rounding up endorsements of Lincoln from every Republican member of the legislature, which he owns.”

“Is not Thaddeus Stevens at work for us?” Chase had been assured by that irritable and irritating but entirely honest man that he would be able to deliver Pennsylvania to Chase.

“Ever since Mr. Stevens denied saying that Simon Cameron wouldn’t steal a red-hot stove, there is a war between them.”

Chase thought of the night that he had found the most graceful of departures for Cameron from the Cabinet. But the perfidy of men no longer surprised him. “I had thought Mr. Cameron still angry at the President for removing him from the Cabinet.”

“He is convinced,” said Henry D., “that his departure was your work and Seward’s.”

“I shall never again do a good deed!” Chase exclaimed.

“You will, you will, Mr. Chase,” said Pomeroy at the door. Again he held up the circular. This time as a torch to light them down the corridor of history. “And as the president.”

SEWARD AND HIS SON
read the circular with disbelief. The entire text had been published in the
National Intelligencer
. “He will have to resign,” said Fred Seward.

“But he won’t,” said his father, as he lit, with shaking hands, the first cigar of the day. The ruins of breakfast lay before him like Troy, he thought, blowing smoke at the ham rind; he was Odysseus.

“Perhaps he didn’t know,” said Fred, tentatively.

“Oh, politicians never
know
anything. But I don’t see the point to it. Cameron’s already delivered us Pennsylvania. Sprague can’t even deliver Rhode Island, and Ohio—his home state—is doubtful. There is, of course, Horace Greeley. Amen.”

“Amen,” said Fred, dutifully.

Seward went straight to the White House while Fred went on to the State Department. As usual, they were obliged to climb over blocks of marble and sheets of iron for the new Treasury annex, while across the street, in all its brand-new white-marble glory, stood the bank of Jay Cooke and Company, separated from the Treasury by Pennsylvania Avenue down whose center the Washington Horse-car Company’s carriages clattered through the half-frozen mud, a company that had been financed by Jay Cooke. If nothing else, thought Seward, Chase was fortunate in his friends.

Seward found Nicolay alone in his office. As a newly commissioned major in the Adjutant-General’s department, Hay was in Florida, searching for a congressional seat, with the President’s blessing. On Nicolay’s table was the
National Intelligencer
. “Has he seen it?” asked Seward.

“No, sir. I took it in to him. I told him what it was, and he said he’d rather not read it.”

“Is that all.”

“Well, he had a funny dream last night, which I won’t spoil for you since he’s telling it to everyone this morning.” Nicolay looked at the clock. “The hordes are not let in until nine o’clock now, which gives him two hours to think and write.”

The President was neither writing nor, apparently, thinking, when Seward entered the office. He was seated in his big chair in front of the freshly made fire, feet on the fender and eyes shut. He had still not recovered the weight from the smallpox attack. But his color was normal; and the energy had returned.

“Sit down, Governor,” he said, opening his eyes and then shutting them again. “I had the most comical dream last night and I was just trying to put myself asleep again so that I could bring on another one as good. By and large, my dreams tend to be on the gloomy side.”

“What was it?” Seward pulled up a chair so that his own feet could rest on the fender, which meant that he was at least three feet closer to the fire than the President.

“Well, I dreamt I was in the Blue Room, receiving the folks, as is my Constitutional duty and wondrous pleasure, when people started making offensive remarks about my appearance.”

“They would not dare!”

“But dare they did. One said, in a very loud voice, ‘Old Abe is a very common-looking man.’ Well, everyone laughed, and I felt obliged to rise to the challenge. So I then said, ‘Common-looking people are the best in the world: that is the reason the Lord makes so many of them.’ ”

Seward laughed. “That’s pretty good for a man asleep.”

“Rather neat, I thought.”

“I’m also happy to hear that, in your dreams at least, the Lord of Hosts is invoked.”

“So now you see what stuff my dreams are made of. Yes, Governor, I’ve heard about the circular. No, I haven’t read it, and I’m not going to.”

“I suppose Chase will now resign—again.” Seward watched Lincoln’s face with his usual fascination—fascination because the expression told him so little of what was going on in the man’s mind.

“He has written me a letter, which I
have
read.” Lincoln gave Seward the letter. “I can’t imagine that it’s meant to be private.”

Seward read the letter quickly; saw the admission of guilt in the sentence: “I had no knowledge of the existence of this letter.” Chase then admitted that although he had several times met with a number of gentlemen who wished to put him forward, he had neither encouraged nor discouraged them. He realized, however, that “if there is anything in my action or position which, in your judgment, will prejudice the public interest under my charge, I beg you to say so. I do not wish to administer the Treasury Department one day without your entire confidence.” Seward put down the letter. “He has resigned.”

“Not exactly. He wants me to tell him to go.”

“You won’t?”

Lincoln sighed. “I understand him, I suppose. You know, Governor, it is a terrible thing when this presidential bug starts to gnaw at a man.”

“So I’ve been told, Mr. President,” said Seward, cocking his head at the man who had forever displaced him in history.

“Yes, I reckon you do at that. God knows
I
know firsthand. We may land here by chance—but it is not for
wanting
to land.”

“What will you answer him?”

Lincoln smiled. “I think I’ll let him stew a bit. I’ve sent him a note to say that when I have the time I’ll give him my views.”

“I am sure that there is darkness at Sixth and E this morning.” As Seward rose to take his leave, an usher showed in Frank Blair, now in civilian clothes. Seward affected delight at the vision of the Blair clan’s most dashing villain. Blair was equally insincere. Seward departed.

Blair also had a copy of the Pomeroy circular in his hand. “Yes,” said Lincoln, “I know all about it.”

“What are you going to do?”

“That depends, General. That depends.” Lincoln motioned for Blair to sit in the chair just vacated by Seward. Blair moved the chair back from the fire so that he was side by side with the President, who observed, “I don’t suppose you’ll ever get your committee of investigation.”

“No,” said Blair. “Chase’s people are too strong. But I can still speak out.”

“Yes, there’s no doubt about that.” Lincoln gazed thoughtfully into the fire. “I had the most comical dream last night …” He began.

“Was it something to do with perfidy embodied, as I think of Mr. Chase?”

“No. It was on quite a different tack. I’ll tell you some other time. What is the exact nature of your … evidence of the misdeeds of Mr. Chase and his agents?”

“I’ve already left a copy of my notes with Mr. Nicolay. There are other pieces of evidence which I prefer to keep to myself for the time being.”

“I see.” Lincoln cleaned his glasses with the back of a kid glove that had been placed, mysteriously, in a waistcoat pocket. “Now, Frank, it is a very grave matter to suggest that the Secretary of the Treasury is guilty of corruption.”

“I know it. That is why I think that I now must present a full and detailed account to Congress.”

“Naturally, this will harm Mr. Chase.”

“That is the object of the exercise.” Blair indicated the circular which he had let drop to the floor. “In the light of Chase’s treachery to you, do you object?”

“Well, let us say that, as of today, I am more inclined to study your bill of particulars than I would have been yesterday.” Lincoln stared through the now-polished lenses of his glasses. “Frank, it is one thing to give out legal trade permits to your friends and supporters as patronage, and another to sell them and pocket the money. It is disloyal and unethical of him to do the first but it is not illegal. The second is a crime. Has Mr. Chase committed a crime?”

Blair nodded. “I believe he has in several instances. But I must admit that it is hard to prove. When Jay Cooke gives him five thousand dollars to help him in his campaign and then Cooke receives, in turn, a higher commission for the war bonds he sells, is that corruption?”

“It is shadowy, Frank. You wanted to know whether or not I thought you should come back to Congress or stay in the army. I said that if you could become Speaker instead of Colfax, I thought it a good idea. Otherwise, you are more valuable in the field.”

“Well, it’s all decided now. Stanton has taken away my commission. I am out of the army.”

Lincoln raised his left eyebrow, which also raised to a normal height the heavy upper lid. “If I sign my name to a piece of paper, you are once again a major-general in command of an army corps.”

“You would do that?”

“I think I
must
do that. Once this problem is unsnarled.”

“Then I had better present to Congress my charges against Mr. Chase.”

“If you feel that those charges can be upheld, I think it is your duty, embarrassing as it will be for the Administration.”