Abe_Lincoln

Abe Lincoln Abraham Lincoln With his cabinet Abraham Lincoln is regarded by many historians as the greatest president ever to stand at America's helm. This reputation is extremely well deserved, as Lincoln was able to preserve the Union and gain victory in the civil war, despite his fighting an uphill battle against his own presidential cabinet. Had he not been struggling against this divided government, President Lincoln could have achieved victory with extreme efficiency and a minimum of wanton bloodshed. After Lincoln was inaugurated on March 4, 1861, he was forced to battle a split cabinet because of campaign promises made to various Republican factions, which made it almost mandatory for certain individuals to be appointed to cabinet posts. He ruled his cabinet with an iron hand, and often acted without cabinet consent or advice. Although his opponents called his method of rule "dictatorial" and "unconstitutional," it was the only effective way to get anything done. In the beginning, Lincoln's secretary of state, William H. Seward, clearly considered himself the President's superior, and blandly offered to assume the executive responsibility. He entered the cabinet with the thought of becoming the power behind the Presidential chair and openly opposed Lincoln's control of the Union. This made Lincoln's position as Chief of State exceedingly difficult and hindered cabinet, lincoln, lincoln's, abe, abraham, secretary, made, against, war, stanton, chase, been, welles, victory, union, time, state, stanton's, seward, rule, reputation, presidential, president's, president, position, own, opposition, opposed, historians, first, efficiency, control, considered, bought, behind, battle, although, abraham, wrote, without, within, william, welles', well, deserved, welcomed, weak, way, uphill, unmatched, unconstitutional, triumphant, treasury, today