Mr. Lincoln had waffled on the upcoming election. The eight previous presidents had not been elected to a second term,
On February 23, Samuel Pomeroy sent out a pamphlet regarding the upcoming election, calling Lincoln's reelection "practically impossible" due to Mr. Lincoln's "vacillation and indecision" and the "feebleness of his will". Pomeroy was echoing the sentiment of many of Pomeroy's fellow Republicans in the House of Representatives. Pomeroy endorsed the election of Samuel Chase, a Lincoln Cabinet member as Secretary of the Treasury.
Chase turned in his resignation to be able to spend more time campaigning. But Mr. Lincoln outfoxed him by failing to act on the resignation. Mr. Lincoln said instead that he would deal with the resignation when he could find time to do that.
Chase's bid for the presidency was further derailed later in the week when both the National Committee of the Republican Party and the Republican convention of Ohio (Chase's home state) both announced their endorsement of Mr. Lincoln in the upcoming election
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