condemnation of
Seward had been confided privately to Vindictive brethren.

When the Cabinet and the Senators met, Chase was placed in a situation
of which he had an instinctive horror. His caution, his secretiveness,
his adroit confidences, his skilful silences, had created in these two
groups of men, two impressions of his character. The Cabinet knew him as
the faithful, plausible Minister who found the money for the President.
The Senators, or some of them, knew him as the discontented Minister who
was their secret ally. For the two groups to compare notes, to check up
their impressions, meant that Chase was going to be found out. And it
was the central characteristic of Chase that he had a horror of being
found out.

The only definite result of the conference was Chase's realization when
the Senators departed that mischance was his portion. In the presence of
the Cabinet he had not the face to stick to his guns. He feebly defended
Seward. The Senators opened their eyes and stared. The ally they had
counted on had failed them. Chase bit his lips and was miserable.

The night that followed was one of deep anxiety for Lincoln. He was
still unable to see his way out. But all the while the predestination in
Chase's character was preparing the way of escape. Chase was desperately
trying to discover how to save his face. An element in him that
approached the melodramatic at last pointed the way. He would resign.
What an admirable mode of recapturing the confidence of his disappointed
friends, carrying out their aim to disrupt the Cabinet! But he could
not do a bold thing like this in Seward's way--at a stroke, without
hesitation. When he called on Lincoln the next day with the resignation
in his hand, he wavered. It happened that Welles was in the room.

"Chase said he had been painfully affected," is Welles' account, "by
the meeting last evening, which was a surprise, and after some not very
explicit remarks as to how he was affected, informed the President he
had prepared his resignation of the office of Secretary of the Treasury.
'Where is it,' said the President, quickly, his eye lighting up in a
moment. 'I brought it with me,' said Chase, taking the paper from his
pocket. 'I wrote it this morning.' 'Let me have it,' said the President,
reaching his long arm and fingers toward Chase, who held on seemingly
reluctant to part with the letter which was sealed and which he
apparently hesitated to surrender. Something fu