Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1864-03-31
INTRODUCTIONTOTHEPR PREsI
DENT.
Geo. a. saia's Account or it I'm
the london Telegraph.

~ tH M
Geo. A. sala, the American CORE
spondent OF the London Telegraph, after
many delays, obtained an introduction to
President Lincoln, and gives an account Of
the interview. One long letter was devoted
to a description Of bis difficultiesin getting
Senator Sumner to introduce him. 1t seems
from his own showing that the Senator
finally gratifed him for the sake Of getting
rid Of an importunate customer. 1T was at
one Of the receptions that the event, 90
important to this correspondent, was
consummated. The Senator gave him no
hope of an introduction to Mr.. Lincoln, but
had assured him of the possibility of being
presented to Mrs. Lincoln. In looking for
her, however, they dicovered the President,
and the correspondent was relieved Of his
anxiety. We quote: .... tt-
The Blue Psrlor-if blue, and parlor it
was--was somewhat but not inconveniently
crowded. Ladies and gentlemen were filing
in, smoothly and silently. | stood on my
tiptoe to see If could catch a glimpse of
the lady to whom / was to be presented; but
in lieu thereof became suddenly aware OF a
gentleman who had no need, so tall was he,
to stand on tiptoe in order to look down
upon me, aud on the entire asssmblage. And
yet the ,assemblage, in its male portion,
could number some very tall men. Mr..
Sumner edged me between a couple OF
groups. took me into corner where the
tallest man ofsll was, said few polite words,
and the next moment my hand was in the
cast-iron grip Of Abraham Lincoln.
shall never recall that memorable inter
view, and that more memorable hand-shak-
ing, without the tears coming into my eyes.
Ga this particular Saturday, felt inclined
to cry Ike child. What brought the
aqueous humor into these ealious orbsp 1t
wasn't awe, it wasn't reverence, It wasn't
sympathy the oppressed African, it wasn't
whisky, il wasn't even the fact that | was
f an orphan, and wanderer on the face of'the
earth The tears came into my eyes simply
for the reason that tho Presidents hand
shaking was so bard and 80 earnest, as &c
have reduced my own hand nearly to the
consisienoe Of pulp. We talk sometimes oi
leg-ot mutton fist, ofan adan,antine hand
Abraham Lincoln has both Napoleon, tn,
elder, it was said, had hand of iron with ,
, velvet glove; only sometimes he forgot tt
put his glove on Uncle Abe has assuredly
= the iron hand, the cast steel hand, but M
one could say he was gloveless. He wore OF
; this OCCASION pair of white kids, which tn,
t talcst OF Barnum's four giants might hav,
!. envied.
As to his grip-talk to me ofpacking cot
ton bales or screwing ocean steamers off th
: stocks by hydraulic pressure amuse me witt
n tales of the Big Bear of Arkansas hardcs
hugs feed me with stories of boa-constrictor
crushing all the bones Oft boat in a singl
convoution; tell me about Professor Harri
c son, the strong man, who crushes pewter pot
J, between his fingers, and the Russian Coun
:, Orloff, who crumples up silver salvers jus
!. as Mr. Golden said he would crumple u
Russia-like sheet Of paper. Narrate t
y me all these facts and all these fables; bu
Q they are naught in comparison; they ar
$ zephyr-brcaths, fairy footsteps, buttera
n persifage, when named in company wit
Abraham Lincoln's grip. He doesn't sn,il
d it like flag He merely takes II, an
/ quietly and silently squeezes L into dopgf
:, Great results are salto follow putin
= down his foot" by the President on ain
public matter. If he were to put down
It his hand on me, thought, utter an
70 irretrievable collapse must at once follow.
Mr.. Lincoln does not stand straight o
- his feet, but sways about with an cd
u sidelong motion, as though he we're contih,
, ally pumping something from the ground
:, say Truth from the bottom Of her well-o
= hauling up some invisible anchor" Nj
u interview with him was mainly made up
T. common places. Ofcourse he said that !
. was very glad To see me, that he hoped
y liked my stay, that had coinc at q critics
d period, and that the country presented
very different aspect to that which IL ono
I had, Mr.. Sumner informed him that pr,
u posed "illustratng" in public what ha
: seen in America. "Ah." said the Presiden
. . Indeed! with the pencil or the pen the,
- y is good deal to illustrate just now" | hin
- ed that the pen was my vocation. Meth,
!. more nor less took place. saw that Nj
y Lincoln had no wish to tell me any storie
~ or to talk politics; and after another tr,
mendous squeeze off the hand from him,
N retired from his presence. a.1.,
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