living and for all the trouble that
occurred in business when the premium on gold often fluctuated between
40 and 60 and on one occasion rose to 185, neither the solid working
class of the country generally nor the solid business class of New York
were deeply affected by the grumbling at the duration of the war. The
American verdict upon the financial policy of Chase, a man of intellect
but new to such affairs, is one of high praise. Lincoln left him free
in that policy. He had watched the acts and utterances of his chief
contemporaries closely and early acquired a firm belief in Chase's
ability. How much praise is due to the President, who for this reason
kept Chase in his Cabinet, a later part of this story may show.

One function of Government was that of the President alone. An English
statesman is alleged to have said upon becoming Prime Minister, "I had
important and interesting business in my old office, but now my chief
duty will be to create undeserving Peers." Lincoln, in the anxious
days that followed his first inauguration, once looked especially
harassed; a Senator said to him: "What is the matter, Mr. President?
Is there bad news from Fort Sumter?" "Oh, no," he answered, "it's the
Post Office at Baldinsville." The patronage of the President was
enormous, including the most trifling offices under Government, such as
village postmasterships. In the appointment to local offices, he was
expected to consult the local Senators and Representatives of his own
party, and of course to choose men who had worked for the party. In
the vast majority of cases decent competence for the office in the
people so recommended might be presumed. The established practice
further required that a Republican President on coming in should
replace with good Republicans most of the nominees of the late
Democratic administration, which had done the like in its day.
Lincoln's experience after a while led him to prophesy that the
prevalence of office-seeking would be the ruin of American politics,
but it certainly never occurred to him to try and break down then the
accepted rule, of which no party yet complained. It would have been
unmeasured folly, even if he had thought of it, to have taken during
such a crisis a new departure which would have vexed the Republicans
far more than it would have pleased the Democrats. And at that time it
was really of great consequence that public officials should be men of
known loyalty to