William H. Seward
Secretary of State, a prominent Republican statesman and advisor to Lincoln.
Core Belief
"Seward believes in the importance of maintaining the Union and preventing foreign intervention. He is willing to compromise on some issues, but remains committed to the principles of freedom and justice."
Worldview
Seward sees the world as a complex and dangerous place, with competing interests and potential for conflict. He believes that the United States must be strong and assertive in order to protect its interests and promote its values on the world stage.
Personality
Seward is depicted as intelligent and ambitious, with a strong sense of his own importance. He is prone to act independently and may initially underestimate Lincoln's abilities, but ultimately becomes a loyal and valuable member of the Cabinet.
In Their Own Words
"The moral qualities that are required in the higher spheres of statesmanship [are not] those of a hero or a saint."
"Passionate earnestness and self-devotion, complete concentration of every faculty on an unselfish aim, uncalculating daring, a delicacy of conscience and a loftiness of aim far exceeding those of the average of men, are here likely to prove rather a hindrance than an assistance."
"The politician deals very largely with the superficial and the commonplace; his art is in a great measure that of skilful compromise, and in the conditions of modern life, the statesman is likely to succeed best who possesses secondary qualities to an unusual degree..."
Discussions with William H. Seward
Other Characters from The Papers and Writings of Abraham Lincoln, Complete
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