I am curious as to whether or not there is any contemporary, real-life indication as to whether Salmon P. Chase was the self-righteous prig, ocnstantly scheming to take over Abraham Lincoln’s power, or if Vidal just needed the coloring and made it up.
Does anybody know?
Thanks,
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*I am curious as to whether or not there is any contemporary, real-life indication as to whether Salmon P. Chase was the self-righteous prig that he was made out to be in the novel “Lincoln”, *constantly ** scheming to take over Abraham Lincoln’s power, or if Vidal just needed the coloring and made it up.
Hey, I am at work, and I have to get this stuff off fast!
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I haven’t read Vidal, but there’s no doubt that Chase lusted after the Presidency and viewed his Secretaryship of the Treasury as a springboard from which to achieve it. Ambition isn’t exactly unusual among politicians.
Like William Seward and Charles Sumner, Chase had been a long-time crusader against the “slave power” and (like most career politicians) viewed Lincoln as upstart prairie lawyer who was in over his head as wartime president. As time went by these men developed more respect for Lincoln’s abilities, but they also felt him to be overly hesitant in confronting slavery.
No president since Andrew Jackson had been re-elected, and none since Van Buren had even been renominated, so it was anything but a foregone conclusion that Lincoln would win the Republican nomination in 1864. Chase carefully positioned himself as a possible replacement. For nought, however–by 1864, Lincoln had freed the slaves, and the radical/moderate divide within the Republican Party had shifted to postwar policies, wherein “radical” policies commanded less support. Lincoln was easily renominated, and named Chase as Chief Justice in fall 1864 to placate the radical wing just before the election.
As Chief Justice Chase continued to fantasize about re-entering politics via a presidential nomination from either party, but it was just that–fantasy.
Yeah, he wanted the Number One Slot.
He was also a heck of a family man (his last words were an admonition to ‘Love one another’) he was a gardener and buried a couple of three wives. He was a strong Abolitionist and a founder of the (Republican) party.
A hell of a guy, if you ask me.
:eek: