idence of the Northern men who voted for Taylor had not been
misplaced.

CABINET OF PRESIDENT TAYLOR.

As his inauguration approached, the anxiety in regard to his public
policy grew almost painfully intense throughout the country. There
had never been a cabinet organized in which so deep an interest
was felt,--an interest which did not attach so much to the persons
who might compose it as to the side--pro-slavery or anti-slavery--
to which the balance might incline. When the names were announced,
it was found that four were from the south side of Mason and Dixon's
line, and three from the north side. But a review of the political
character of the members showed that the decided weight of influence
was with the North. John M. Clayton of Delaware, Secretary of
State, nominally from the South, had voted for the Wilmot Proviso,
and had defended his action with commanding ability. William M.
Meredith of Pennsylvania was one of the ablest lawyers of the
country, a scholar, a wit, an orator; his training had not, however,
fitted him for the Treasury Department to which he was called.
Thomas Ewing of Ohio, selected to organize the Department of the
Interior, just then authorized by law, was a man of intellectual
power, a lawyer of the first rank, possessing a stainless character,
great moral courage, unbending will, an incisive style, both with
tongue and pen, and a breadth of reading and wealth of information
never surpassed by any public man in America. Jacob Collamer of
Vermont, Postmaster-general, was an able, wise, just, and firm man,
stern in principle, conservative in action. The Attorney-general
was Reverdy Johnson of Maryland, an ardent Whig partisan, distinguished
in his profession, born and living in a slave State, but firmly
devoted to the Union, as in later life he abundantly proved. The
pronounced Southern sentiment, as represented by Toombs and Stephens,
had but two representatives in the cabinet,--George W. Crawford of
Georgia (nephew of the eminent William H. Crawford), Secretary of
War; and William Ballard Preston of Virginia, Secretary of the
Navy,--able and upright men, but less distinguished than their
associates.

The country was in an expectant and restless condition. The pro-
slavery leaders, who had counted upon large political gain to their
section by the acquisition of territory from Mexico, were somewhat
discouraged, and began to fear that