Daily national Democrat., 1861-03-23
Mr.. Lincoln's Tour to Washington.
SPRINGFIELD, Feb. IL.
THE DEPARTURE.


The depot was densely packed with people
this morning, who had assembled to see their
old nAber This joke will be explained in
coin wept at parting with his friends. and
asked them to pray for him, to which voices
replied, We'll, we Will" After the train
started Mr.. Lincoln became more cheerful,
and set his Suit in roar of laughter bv tel
ling them they Suited him. AT Decatur he
appeared on the platform of the car, and
after the tremendous cheers of the assembled
masses had subsided, he said MY friends.
| haven't time to make speech, so | will tell
gag. Why am like the -" but the
train started, and his fellow countrvmen at
Decatur lost the benefit of the joke He
was called at the next station, and received
with applause and shouts of /" Hail to the
Prairie Flower." Mr. Lincoln handed his
umbrella to Col. Ellsworth, of the Chicago
Iouaves, and requesting the editor of the
Springfield journal to wipe off some crumbs
of gingerbread, which had become entangled
in his (Mr Lincolns) Whiskers, spoke as fol-
lows: My friends, why am ! like the early
- again the remorseess engine cut the
Joke short, leaving another brilliant assem-
bage in the agony of suspense.
AS the train was slowly crossing long
bridge, Mr. Lincons face assumed that indie
scrihably humorous appearance which has
rendered him remarkable, and the company
prepared for one of his side splitters Thrusting
his head out of window, he hailed some la
borers, in a ravine below, and asked them if
they wanted any rails split. This impromptu
sally of sparkling wit was so infinitely su-
perior to the ordinary salies that the editor
of the Springfield journal declared it should
be called IL Sarah. The reporter of the
Boston Advertiser Immediately telegraphed
the joke to that paper, but the other report
ers were compelled to content themselves bv
laughing inmoderately over it, as Jokes are
not allowed in the journals they represent.
At the next station Mr.. Lincoln succeeded in
getting off his joke. My friends, can you
tell me why am like the early dews of June
Do you give it up? It's because, ever of
thee I'm fondly dreaming!" He commenced
laughing very heartily himself but suddenly
stopped, on perceiving that the assembled
multitude did not see it. There was death
like stiffness in the vast crowd, and even the
Suite only smiled in a feeble manner Mr..
Lincoln retreated to the car with a disap-
pointed air, and occupied his time until the
next station was attained in silently masti-
eating some ginger-brea which he had with
st"tesmanlike recauton, put in his hat at
starting. At the next station a telegram from
the last station was brought in and read 1t
was as follows: "Joke lust this moment
understood. Whole town roaring with
laughter and buttons flying through the air
like bullets at Bueny Visiter. Cannon firing
and Fire Companies all squirting. Bully for
you. People want you to get off "A Joke on
Rarey, as it hasn't been done yet.
The TELEGRAM effected "A hnnnv cLonra in
Mr.. LincoIn's spirits, and he again became
the gay and giddy creature he was before
He said he could spell the hardest word of
any man in the party, and commenced
spelling stovepipe, but desistcd on being in
formed that E. F. DiXey and Jerry Bryant
had both done ii once each. reckoned it
was original with me- said Mr.. Lincoln,
but of course you know best Oh yea
dare say I'm glad Ive got 50 many smart
people along Hadn't you better take some-
thing warm, and lay down. Nothing frets
Mr.. Lincoln so much as to have his gags in
terfered with
At Danyille there was another large
crowd. Mr. Lincoln stepped out and re-
marked that if he had any blessings to dis
pense, he would certainly dispense the larg-
est and roundcst to his good friends of
Nermillion county.
Terrific cheers, and cries of "Good for
you. Give lis all the Offices you kin Mr..
Lincoln then entertained the crowd with a
ballad, accompanying himself ON the bass
drum. AS he brcathed his soul into the
lines
Tell me yc winged winds
That round my pathway snore,
Sof1-eyed women and brave men-aye, white
haired veterans could be seen wringing ears
from their soakng-wct handkerchieis while
sobs stood in large puddes all around the
train making it bad for those who hadn't
rubbcls on.
AT indianapolis, Mr. Lincoln made a speech
from the cupalo of the Bates House, dressed
in a green-bOttle overcoat and blue-cotton
umbrella. If South Carolina" said he, "is
right then of course those who differ from
her are wrong [Chcer4, and cries Of q We
will. we will " What's coercion? TAp-
plause, and cries of "It is it isl" Let us
not misunderstood cheers the meaning
" That's what we've always maintained"
of coercion and Invasion. A voice" It is.
BY all means" l amt asserting anything
myself, [applause and voice" II is, it
iS!' but merely asking questions for you to
think over and decide. immense applause |
Bless you, my children! Bless you
fear my notes are imperfect, as | was
unable to get inside the cupalo on account of
the jam, being compelled TO hang 10 a ioist
10y my teeth. and write with my left hand,
my right being constantly occupied in keep.
ing the ink bottle in my left coat pocket
from stopping over.
We are all of us-mysef, Lincoln and the
resin excellent spirits, and nope to reach
Washington by the first Of next October at
least. Yours in Haste
-TaHty Fajr CHARLES AUGUSTUS