NUMBER 1929 SPRING 2021 Table of Contents Lincoln Lore is a publication of the Friends of Harold Holzer An Interview................................................................page 3 the Lincoln Collection of Indiana Jason Silverman The Hedgehog and the Fox..................................page 7 Michael Burlingame Interview........................................................page 11 Allen Guelzo Lincoln & Democracy. ................................................page 14 Burrus Carnahan Review: Lincoln, Philosopher Statesman........page 21 Richard Etulain An Interview..........................................................page 22 Accessing Lincoln Lore’s Archive Lincoln Update Visit www.FriendsoftheLincolnCollection.org/ lore-archive Select Years of Publication or Lincoln Lore Issue Number Click “PDF” next to the specific Lincoln Lore and read, download, save, and share the PDF. Want to Search Lincoln Lore? 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Shown above is the discount on your order. outside entrance to the Rolland Center located at the Allen County Public Library. 2 SPRING 2021 An Interview with Harold Holzer, Author of Lincoln: President-Elect Sara Gabbard Lincoln’s First Inaugural Address 71.2009.081.1183 Sara Gabbard: As we face a make use of the space himself—invited sculpture at the nearby St. Nicholas new presidency in the United Lincoln to continue using the suite as Hotel. He writes his inaugural address States, it seems an appropriate his transition space. There, the visitors in a storeroom above his brother-in- time to discuss your 2009 book, began to include office-seekers, law’s nearby store. What are we to which focuses on the time important politicians auditioning make of this? Well, I suspect he wasn’t between Abraham Lincoln’s for influence, admirers bearing crazy about his second transition election in November 1860 and gifts, artists painting his portrait, office, maybe even a bit embarrassed his inauguration on March 4, and embedded journalists covering about it. Aside from reduced splendor, 1861. First of all, did he establish the transition. But by the end of the it offered reduced privacy, too. some sort of “transition office” in year, you might say, the lease ended. Springfield? SG: Please describe the process The State Legislature was scheduled during which Lincoln chose his Harold Holzer: He not only to go back into session on January 7, Cabinet. Did he rely on particular established a transition office—he had and a healthy new Illinois Governor, individuals for advice in the to establish two of them, because the Richard Yates, was to take over a week matter? Did potential Cabinet original office had to be abandoned later, and Yates intended to lay claim officers lobby for positions? after a few weeks. From the time of to his assigned space. So Lincoln was his nomination in May 1860, Lincoln obliged to vacate the suite and find HH: His process was both private and and his private secretary, John an office elsewhere. For the rest of public, in this regard, at least, very Nicolay, had occupied the two-room the transition, he occupied a hastily much like a modern transition: full Governor’s suite on the second floor re-decorated, 20-foot-square space of feelers, background discussions, of the Illinois State Capitol building in the nondescript Johnson Building lobbying, and calculated leaks to the in downtown Springfield—just across near the Springfield public square. press. The New York Herald reported the square from Lincoln’s law office, We seldom hear about that second, “a thousand conflicting rumors.” For as it happened. The suite featured a less ornate transition office, but sure, Lincoln had his share of advisors reception room as well as a private Lincoln spent more than five weeks on the subject, but as usual, kept most office, so Lincoln was able to greet there—a third of the entire transition. matters to himself. On the private side, visitors in one space, and focus on After January, we begin to see stories Lincoln corresponded confidentially correspondence in the other. After about his calling on his visitors at with Georgia Congressman Alexander the election, Governor John Wood—a their hotels, like the Chenery House H. Stephens, whom he had known fellow Republican who was too ill to across the street. He poses for a years earlier as a fellow Whig serving LINCOLNHarold LORE .Holzer NUMBER 1929 3 AN INTERVIEW WITH HAROLD HOLZER in the House of Representatives. From before finally offering him the War rewarded for their loyalty. I’ve read their letters we can infer that for a time, Department instead. When thinking all the original sources—among them Lincoln considered adding an additional about how Lincoln ultimately built out the on-the-scene reports of New York Southerner to his Cabinet as a way of his Cabinet, I come to the conclusion Herald correspondent Henry Villard, halting the momentum for secession, he was assembling more than a “team which attest sympathetically that the and even reversing it. Meanwhile, in of rivals.” He was building a team of overburdened president-elect had to full view, he welcomed Edward Bates regions, hewing closely to protocols devote far too much of his time and and Salmon Chase to Springfield, both of the day by making sure all areas of energy to the flood of office-seekers. of them Cabinet aspirants, and made the country that had voted for him, Well, I have a somewhat different take. sure to be seen in public with them. especially big states (New York, Ohio, Lincoln was slated to become the first- The press also reported that he met Pennsylvania), were represented. ever Republican president, and an with Republican kingmaker (and William Then he included the Upper South, essential part of his job was unmaking Seward confidant) Thurlow Weed. I was hoping its slave states would not the entrenched, Democratic federal particularly fascinated with the way follow South Carolina and six others bureaucracy and rewarding members Lincoln also boldly, if anonymously, into secession: Edward Bates of of his own party. Howell Cobb of used the power of the press to squelch Missouri and Montgomery Blair of Georgia understood this “threat” from his own idea about increasing the Maryland. Lincoln made sure to the start—nothing could protect the Southern representation in the Cabinet. include ex-Democrats and ex-Whigs. slaveocracy from “the patronage power It’s not how presidents approach of President Lincoln.” So let’s remember After floating the notion himself, and Cabinet-building today; now they it was Lincoln’s obligation—and I perhaps offering a job to his best friend, strive for ethnic and gender diversity. suspect, his great pleasure—to practice Joshua Speed of Kentucky, he wrote an the long-traditional, and politically editorial for December publication in SG: Was Lincoln inundated essential task of patronage. Time- the Republican Illinois State Journal— with requests from people consuming? Yes. Essential? Absolutely. unsigned, of course—dismissing the wishing to receive other federal Of course, some would-be patronage very notion. Now we have Lincoln appointments? Were most of dispensers were far too audacious. An asking: would a Southern Cabinet officer these people known to him in Indiana politician put it rather colorfully “surrender to Mr. Lincoln, or Mr. Lincoln some way? Were intermediaries when he observed of a visit to Springfield to him, on the political difference frequently used? that everyone who “Hurra[h]s strong between them? Or do they enter upon for Old Abe expects a teat at the crib.” the administration in open opposition HH: For sure, many office-seekers to each other?” Talk about puncturing were already well known to Lincoln.