The Inside Track

Here's another great illustration from the Gettysburg College Civil War Era Collection commenting on William Seward's role during the Secession Winter. Entitled The Inside Track, the illustration appeared in Vanity Fair on March 2, 1861, according to the site.

This time, the College's description is just a little bit off:

Lincoln stands between Weed and Seward as they address him. A man with a paper labeled Chicago Platform tries to get in the door. Seward and Weed tried to convince Lincoln that a conservative war effort was the best way, rather than the strong war the Chicago Platform Republicans advocated.

The question at that point was not what sort of "war effort" to wage. Seward was urging the president-elect to do anything to avoid a confrontation.