The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-11-30
THE PRESIDENT ELECT.
LETTER FROM HIS HoME-HIs IRREGULARITIES
COL. ELLSWORTH.


from the house OF the President elect. We
take the following paragraph from the last:
Mr.. Lincoln, since his election, has been
quietly receiving such as chose to call up
on him at the Executive Chamber in the
State Capitol. Crowds of honest and sturdy,
though rough looking farmers, come in to
see their old friend, "Honest Abe," and
shake him by the hand. They find him the
same JOvlal, pleasant, sociable, affable, story
telling companion, while they cannot but
admire the remarkable shrewdness, the keen
insight into human nature, and the active
intellect which moments conversation is
sure to develoIe. He has pleasant word
and smile for ell, and his Oldest friends say
that they do not see that he has given way
one particle to the natural self>esteem which
most men would develop under such circum-
stances. His fatal cOntortions and animal
ed gesticulations are the same as ever, and,
though some may deem them undignifed, ali
admit that they are expressive. There is
no likelihood of MS ever being misunder-
stood, for lie says thing emphatically, and
yet urbaneIy.
MI. LIN coins memory OF persons is re-
markable and be seems to know the per-
sonal history OF nearly all vistors-many
OF whom have known him in his younger
days, before the rail-spltter bad become a
har>splitter, and LETT off mauling rails TO
drive bis wedges OF argument into the knot,
ty points OF law.
The politicians begin to flock hither
rapidly-they could rot have the impotence
to come Until the returns were counted.
Yet, do OF think any newly elected Pres
ident ever had more respectable set of
visitors the IN has Mr.. Lincoln. During my
frequent vi sits to his room | have not met
man who looked as if his personal char
acter woul d disgrace the friendship of any
President. TO be sure, there are men with
rough clot hes, who put their muddy boots
on the stove, roll up their pants, wear seedy
hats and ere bronzed with toll in the open
air-hard- fsted, sharp-featured, blunt-spo-
ken men, who say "Unce Abe before they
think OF it, and then beg his pardon. They
can't help it. They know him as Honest
Abe," or Mr. Lincoln, and be tells them to
call him what they please.
The see, ues of cordial greeting are really
noteworthy. There is little of the obse-
quious fawning, peurile fattery of the Office
seekers-of course there is some, but it is
the except ion and not the rule. Now aud
then blunt old farmer will blult out some
thing abou the Cabinet, and perhaps sug-
gest the difficulty of meeting the Secession.
lists. But, the truly Republican President
passes it Oft with q smile, and simply keeps
mum. l never knew q public man who
knew so well how TO hold bis tongue, and
yet not offend his best friends. And yet
Mr.. Lincoln is so no nest, that it seems to
me a miracle that he does not commit him.
self in some way by telling too much truth.
Perhaps be has taken warning by the Scar
let letter-the Donelly letter of Gov. Wise,
the epistolary mission tunes of Mr.. Buchanan,
or the thousand other instances of conf
dence betrayed, secresy violated, or devel-
opment of correspon' 2ence not intended for
the public eye.
From the anecdotes in circulation here
concerning the humor Gus disposition of Mr..
Lincoln, one would be. almost led to suppose
that he would absolut ely write funny Pre-
sident's Message. That would certainly Gre.
ate more general desire to read those un-
usually dry documents. One illustration of
his peculiar faculty for enlivenibg a dull
subject is mentioned in his introduction to
lecture on "Discoveries and Inventions"
He commenced by saying that zone Of the
first discoveries was that of Eve, when she
discovered her nakedness and one of the
first inventions that of the fig leaf to hide
it."
Among the active speakers for Lincoln
and Hamliu in this locality was our old
friend Col. Ellsworth, of the chicago Zou.
aves-now studying law in ldr. Lincclo's
Office. He will probably be admitted to the
bar next March, and settle down for two or
three years into legal practice.
Col. Ellsworth, on his RET urn from an
electoneeriDg trip few da IS since, found
no less than three hundred letters, mainly
asking information concerpin the Zouaves.
One inquiry about the uniiOr On has been re-
peated so many times that he has been
obliged to have his answer autographed.
He is now engaged in prepar ing an elegant
diploma for presentation to the various
companies that entertained The Zouaves on
their recent tour. The diploma will be of
large size, suitable for framing, and will
have a fac simite of the Zoua.ve uniform.
Several novel propositions have been
made to Col. Ellsworth for Zouave Euro.
pean tour. One plan is to take four men
from each State with the necessary time
and meyns) and drill them to the perfection
OF the Chicago Zouaves,, and then to make
the tour of Europe--se mi pedestrian. An
other plan is to take one hundred young
men from the city of New York, and pur.
sue the same course. That would give En-
ropeans rather an exalted idea of our mi
litia. =
STRAEcp ENCnrr Nrrp WIZ, Tot,