Lincoln and Seward: Frm Rivals to Soul Mates!

Walter Stahr has recently authored a book entitled, “Seward, Lincoln’s Indispensable Man.” The book, like the story, is utterly fascinating!

William Seward, the former governor of New York and New York Senator, had been the heir apparent to the Republican Presidential nomination in 1860 – until Lincoln, a little-known upstart trial lawyer from the middle of nowhere, snatched it from him.

The book deals with the relationship between Lincoln and this, his massively talented Secretary of State, a relationship that started out about as badly as one could imagine. And if Lincoln were the kind of man who bore a grudge, the relationship would have died at birth [as Leonard Swett, a close friend of many years, said, Lincoln was “a poor hater”].

In addition, Lincoln was a shrewd observer of human nature and a consummate politician; in asking Seward to take on the job of Secretary of State Lincoln pointed out, “some newspapers have said I’m going to offer you the position, but merely as a formality. Don’t believe them. I really want you as secretary of state. I think you’re the best man for the job and the country needs your services.” Naked flattery, to be sure, but [eventually] it worked.

And once Seward took the position he began to act like a kind of prime minister with Lincoln as a kind of figure-head president – until pulled up gently but firmly by his boss. For example, Lincoln rejected Seward’s advice that we go to war with England to unite a dividing country by saying, simply, “one war at a time.” Also, if a policy change of the administration must be made, Lincoln assured Seward, “I must do it.” Seward, who was, understandably, fond of the exercise of power, finally got it [even if it did take a sledge-hammer between the eyes!].

That broke the back of the thing: with time the two men came to appreciate one another, and even enjoy one another’s company. Many an evening was spent [I’m reminded of the health-inducing poker games in the Truman White House with Congressional cronies into the wee hours] with Seward in the White House, or Lincoln at Seward’s house, each man regaling the other with a string of seemingly inexhaustible but health-inducing stories and jokes.

In short, Lincoln induced a kind of optical illusion, for they were not as they started [rivals, meaning bitter rivals] but, quite simply, soul mates for life!