incoln's Illinois friends and he himself formed a very sensible
judgment, but they did so in flagrant contradiction to many superficial
appearances. This candidate for the chief magistracy at a critical
time of one of the great nations of the world had never administered
any concern much larger than that post office that he once "carried
around in his hat." Of the several other gentlemen whose names were
before the party there was none who might not seem greatly to surpass
him in experience of affairs. To one of them, Seward, the nomination
seemed to belong almost of right. Chase and Seward both were known and
dignified figures in that great assembly the Senate. Chase was of
proved rectitude and courage, Seward of proved and very considerable
ability. Chase had been Governor of Ohio, Seward of New York State;
and the position of Governor in a State--a State it must be remembered
is independent in almost the whole of what we call domestic
politics--is strictly analogous to the position of President in the
Union, and, especially in a great State, is the best training ground
for the Presidency. But beyond this, Seward, between whom and Lincoln
the real contest lay, had for some time filled a recognised though
unofficial position as the leader of his party. He had failed, as has
been seen in his dealings with Douglas, in stern insistence upon
principle, but the failure was due rather to his sanguine and hopeful
temper than to lack of courage. On the whole from the time when he
first stood up against Webster in the discussions of 1850, when Lincoln
was both silent and obscure, he had earned his position well.
Hereafter, as Lincoln's subordinate, he was to do his country
first-rate service, and to earn a pure fame as the most generously
loyal subordinate to a chief whom he had thought himself fit to
command. We happen to have ample means of estimating now all Lincoln's
Republican competitors; we know that none of the rest were equal to
Seward; and we know that Seward himself, if he had had his way, would
have brought the common cause to ruin. Looking back now at the
comparison which Lincoln, when he entered into the contest, must have
drawn between himself and Seward--for of the rest we need not take
account--we can see that to himself at least and some few in Illinois
he had now proved his capacities, and that in Seward's public record,
more especially in his attitude towards Douglas, he had the means of
measuring