The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-11-08

thought have been taught to believe-that
you were the President Of the Union. opposed
you, cir" said to him, with al the zeal and
energy OF which was master. endeavored to
prevent your election, not because had any per-
sonai feelings OF enmity toward YOU, but be-
cause believed that it would lead to the very
result We now witness opposed you, sir, but
you are my President; you have been elected
according to the forms of the Constitution, and
you are the President of the people Of the United
states, and think that some little difference ID
due to the opinions Of those who constitute the
majority, according to the vote that had been
Poiied, OF 100000 men 10 the United States"
he at once rather briskly said IF be was mi.
nority PRESIDENT he was not the FIRST, and that
a. all events he had obtained more votes than
We could muster for any other man." l think,
as near Is can recollect, those are about his
identical words.
Responded at once to him that did not in
tend to recall to him that be was . minority
rreslaent, hut simply to announce the broad fact
mat ne was the President, not of the men who
voted for him, but of the whole people of the
united States, and that Of the wishes and feel
ings and interests of the whole people of the
United Ststes-the party with l., loo, 900 major
'sy as we'll as the minority party by whom be
was elected; ought to be consulted by him. Gen.
Donovan here iDterposed and presented three
alternative propositions to him. First, that he
might remain perfectly idle and passive, and let
the disintegration Of the States go on as it had
gone on; second, give guarantees such as were
asked. and bring the.whole power Of his Admin.
istraton to bear in obtaing those guarantees; or,
third, resort to coercion and attempt to force
the seeding States into obedience He lustra-
ted very distinctly and clearly those three prop
ositions. When the conversation had slacken.
ed little, ventured to appeal to him, in man
in which never appealed to any other man and
never expect to do again. l said that as to the
last proposition desired to say one word-that
l trusted and prayed to God that he would not
resort to coercion; that if he did, the history of
his Administration would be written in blood,
and oil the waters of the Atlantic Ocean could
never wash it from his hands ["Hear, hear"
and applause.1 He asked me what would do,
and II meant by coercion the collecting OF the
revenue and the taking back of the forts which
be said belonged to the United States. replied
that that was the only mode in which it was
possible that be could, under the Constitution,
resort to coercion-by an attempt to collect the
revenue and take back the forts. He had plac-
ed himself in chair with rounds to it. with bis
feet upon the highest round-a long, lanky man,
with very large side whiskers, with his elbows
upon his knees, and his hands upon the sides Of
his face, iu an attitude of listening, and when
he would speak he would drop his hands and
raise his head. Dropping his hands and raising
his head, he said he would tell me a little anec-
dote which had happened when he first came to
the bar. An old man, he said, had applied to
him to bring q suit, and made out capital case,
as be thought but when the evidence was detail.
ed before the Jury it was the worst case that he
bad ever listened to, and while the evidence WAS
going on the old man came listening to the evil
dence himself, and whispered in his ear, "Guv
it up" daughter. Now" said he, "Govern.
or, wouldn't this be 'guvn'itup! assure you,
Mr.. Chairman, don't present it in any light diff
ferent from that in which it actually occurred
none whatever. said to him, Mr.. President, it
may be said that it would be 'guvin it up but
hadn't You better 'guv it up without bloodshed
to guy it up?'" Applause. He then asked
what he was to do with his oath of Office He
said he had sworn to see the laws faithfully ex-
ecuted, and, addressing himself to me, he said
II would like to know from you what am to do
with my oath of Office"
said to him that he had taken solemn
oath to see the laws faithfully executed but
that Congress was then in session, and applica-
ton had been made to Congress to give to the
President of the United States the power to col
lect the revenue by armed vessels outside of the
ports, and Congress had refused to give that
power. "If," said, Congress fails to give the
necessary power, Mr.. President, to you to col
lect the revenue by vessels outside the ports
how are you to collect It? Do you think that
you can eend collector to the port of Charles
ton, to the port of Savannah, or of New Orleans
to collect the revenue there? Is it not an i'm
possibility, and does your oath bind youto do a
thing that is impossible! As to the FORTS that is
a matter within your discretion, Sir. Yon are
the Commander-in- Chief, and it belongs to you
either to keep them there or to withdraw thsm
totally, and prevent collision, and a consequent
deadly aud ruinous war" "Well," said be rails
ing himself again, 81 will only answer you by
telling you li:tle anecdote which struck me
excuse me" says he, "a little anecdote which
struck me as you was going on. It is from
Esop's Fables, and, doubtless, in your schoolboy
days you have read it. Esop, you know" say $
he, illustrates great principles often by making
mute animals speak and act, and according to
him there was lion once that was desperately
in love with beautiful lady, and be courted the
lady and the lady became enamored of him and
agreed to marry him, and the old people were
8skeu LOT IuelT cOusenL lucy were dtfalQ OF
the power Of the lion, with his long and sharp
| claws and his tusks, and they said to him: We
, can have no objection to SO respectable per-
sonage as you, but our daughter is frsil and deli
cate. and We hope that you will submit to have
your claws cut off and your tusks drawn, because
they might do very serious injury to her, The
lion submitted, being very much in love. His
claws were cut off and his tusks drawn, and they
took clubs and knocked him on the head."-
Laughter.] replied, think, about in sub
stance this-that it was exceedingly interesting
anecdote, and very aprepos, but not altogether
satisfactory answer to me, and then said to
him, "Mr. Lincoln, this to me-, sir, is the most
serious and all absorbing subject that has ever
engaged my attention as public man. depre-
cate and look with horror upon fratlacids
war. look to the injury that it is to do, no, only
to my own section--,bat know is to be DESC
lated and dlenched in b GOD but look to the
injury that j. is TO thescause OF humanity itself,
and appeal to you, apart from these jests. TO
lend as your aid and countenance In averting