Lincoln's 'deep state'     

   So, intrigue in the White House is nothing new.

   Abraham Lincoln, an outsider, arrived in Washington with seven southern states already gone. He wasn't taken seriously in the swamp. If Las Vegas existed back then, his odds of success might have been 100-1. 

   His subordinates expected their agendas to prevail over this lawyer from Illinois. One of his first decisions: What to do about federal forts and armories in the South, especially Sumter in South Carolina and Pickens in Florida? 

   In his inaugural address, Lincoln promised to "hold, occupy and possess" all federal properties. This was a test of his leadership and resolve. He resolved to resupply Sumter with provisions only.  

William Seward

   That horrified his secretary of state, William Seward, also pro-union. But Seward wanted to compromise on slavery and other issues, hoping the South would  
reconsider.   

   Seward already had made promises, sending a message to southern friends that Sumter would be abandoned. 

   On April 1, 1861, Seward's memo to Lincoln criticized him for failing to put forth a coherent "policy either domestic or foreign." He suggested calling other nations to account for meddling in our hemisphere, even going to war on Europeans as a way of uniting North and South. 

   Isn't history fun? 

   Undeterred by Lincoln's private rebuke, Seward pursued his secret plan. He ordered the warship Powhatan to relinquish Fort Pickens, while Lincoln had ordered Powhatan to accompany relief ships to Fort Sumter. 
 

Tomorrow: What happened next? 

      Jimmy