Presidential transition of Abraham Lincoln
Lincoln delivered an emotional farewell address when departing his hometown of Springfield, Illinois, for the District of Columbia (the nation's capital).
Due to the outbreak of a civil war and the relative inaction of the outgoing administration to quell it, the transition between the Buchanan and Lincoln presidencies is frequently described to have been the worst in United States history.
[6][7] The South was outraged by Lincoln's election and in response secessionists implemented plans to leave the Union before he took office in March 1861.
[13] Realizing that soothing words on the rights of slaveholders would alienate the Republican base, while taking a strong stand on the indestructibility of the Union would further inflame Southerners, Lincoln chose a policy of silence.
He believed that, given enough time without any overt acts or threats to the South, Southern unionists would carry the day and bring their states back into the Union.
[14] At the suggestion of a Southern merchant who contacted him, Lincoln did make an indirect appeal to the South by providing material for Senator Lyman Trumbull to insert into his own public address.
[9] Lincoln declared, "I will suffer death before I consent ... to any concession or compromise which looks like buying the privilege to take possession of this government to which we have a constitutional right.
[29] The convention submitted to Congress a seven-point constitutional amendment proposal similar in content to the earlier Crittenden Compromise.
Throughout this month Lincoln read many private letters from numerous figures and spoke with a number of prominent politicians that visited with him.
It was tradition for the president-elect to offer this, the most senior cabinet post, to the leading (best-known and most popular) person of his political party.
Additionally, in mid-December 1860, Vice President-elect Hannibal Hamlin, directly offered the position to Seward on Lincoln's behalf.
[43][44] Seward had been deeply disappointed by his failure to win the 1860 Republican presidential nomination, but he agreed to serve as Lincoln's Secretary of State.
[48] Seward, among others, opposed the selection of Chase because of both his strong antislavery record and his opposition to any type of settlement with the South that could be considered appeasement for slaveholders.
Nonetheless, by Inauguration Day the competing factions realized that it was important to business interests that at least some Pennsylvanian be in Lincoln's cabinet, and Cameron was made secretary of war.
[53] Historian William Gienapp would express his belief that the final selection of Cameron for this soon-to-be-critical position was a clear indicator that Lincoln did not anticipate a civil war.
Hamlin recommended Gideon Welles of Connecticut, a former Democrat who had served in the Navy Department under President James K. Polk.
His critics faulted him for some of his railroad ventures, accused him of being a Doughface, and questioned his intellectual capacity for a high government position.
[61][62] While his speeches were mostly extemporaneous, his message was consistent: he had no hostile intentions towards the South, disunion was not acceptable, and he intended to enforce the laws and protect property.
[63] As a result of the threat, the travel schedule was altered, tracks were closed to other traffic, and the telegraph wires even cut to heighten security.
Lincoln and his entourage passed through Baltimore's downtown at around 3 o'clock in the morning of February 23, and, having evaded the plot, arrived safely in the nation's capital, which was placed under substantial military guard, a few hours later.
The unannounced departure from the published schedule, along with the unconventional attire Lincoln wore to keep a low profile, led to critics and cartoonists accusing him of sneaking into Washington in disguise.
