under Buchanan and, although a Virginian by birth, had had a large experience with frontier life—­in Missouri, in the Southwest during the Mexican War, and in California.  He had also measured swords with Lane.  It was in squatter-sovereignty days when, first as secretary and then as governor of Kansas Territory, he had been in a position to become intimately acquainted with the intricacies of Lane’s true character and had had both occasion and opportunity to oppose some of that worthy’s autocratic and thoroughly lawless

[Footnote 145:  Daily Conservative, November 17, 1861.]

[Footnote 146:—­Ibid., November 23,1861.]

[Footnote 147:  Denver was twice appointed Commissioner of Indian Affairs by Buchanan.  For details as to his official career, see Biographical Congressional Directory, 499, and Robinson, Kansas Conflict, 424.]

maneuvers.[148] As events turned out, this very acquaintance with Lane constituted his political unfitness for the control that Hunter,[149] in December, and Halleck,[150] in the following March, designed to give him.  With the second summons to command, came opportunity for Lane’s vindictive animosity to be called into play.  Historically, it furnished conclusive proof, if any were needed, that Lane had supreme power over the distribution of Federal patronage in his own state and exercised that power even at the cost of the well-being and credit of his constituency.

When Congress began its second session in December, the fight against Lane for possession of his seat in the Senate proceeded apace; but that did not, in the least, deter him from working for his brigade.  His scheme now was to have it organized on a different footing from that which it had sustained heretofore.  His influence with the administration in Washington was still very peculiar and very considerable, so much so, in fact, that President Lincoln, without taking expert advice and without consulting either the military men, whose authority would necessarily be affected, or the civil officials in Kansas, nominated him to the Senate as brigadier-general to have charge of troops in that state.[151] Secretary Cameron was absent from the city

[Footnote 148:  Robinson, op. cit., 378 ff., 424 ff.]

[Footnote 149:  Official Records, vol. viii, 456.]

[Footnote 150:—­Ibid., 832.]

[Footnote 151:  The Leavenworth Daily Conservative seemed fairly jubilant over the prospect of Lane’s early return to military activity.  The following extracts from its news items and editorials convey some such idea: 

“General Lane of Kansas has been nominated to the Senate and unanimously confirmed, as Brigadier General, to command Kansas troops; the express understanding being that General Lane’s seat in the Senate shall not be vacated until he accepts his new commission, which he will not do until the Legislature of Kansas assembles, next month.  He has no idea of doing anything that shall oblige Governor Robinson and his appointee (Stanton) (cont.)]