Quiet Day at the White House as Republican National Convention Approaches

May 22, 1864

Presidential aide John Hay writes in his diary: “I said to the President today that I thought [Benjamin F.] Butler was the only man in the Army to whom power would be dangerous. McClellan was too timid & vacillating to usurp. Grant was too sound and cool headed & too unselfish; Banks is also. Fremont would be dangerous if had more ability & energy.

“‘Yes,’ said the Ancient, ‘he is like Jim Jett’s brother. Jim used to say that his brother was the biggest scoundrel that ever lived, but in the infinite mercy of Providence he was also the biggest fool.”

Presidential aide John G. Nicolay writes his fiancee: “In less than three weeks the Baltimore Convention will have decided who is to be the next President. The indications are all that Mr. Lincoln will be re-nominated with scarcely a dissenting voice….”