The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1865-08-18
"Reminiscences Of President Lin
coin.

COtNs
Mr.. Raymond's new life of President
Lincoln contains several new anecdotes.
and among them the following:
Within a month after his first aces
sion to office. when the South was threat
ening civil war, and armies of otiice->eek-
ers were beseiging him in the executive
mansion, he said to the writer of these
pages that he wished he could get time TO
attend to the Southern question he
thought he knew what was wanted. and
believed he could do something toward
quoting the rising discomfort but the
otfice-seekers demanded all his time am
said he, like man SO busy in letting
rooms in one end of his house that he
can't stop to put out the fire that Is burn
ing the other"
One of the features of the book is full
ventilation of the famous Niagara Falls
peace conference between Horace Greeley
and the rebel commissioners. 1t now APP
pears that Mr.. Lincoln's friends were de-
sirOus that. in Standardization, he should
publish the whole correspondence. But
there were parts of Mr. Greeley's letters
which have since seen the light through
publication in England. that Mr.. Lincoln
thought would have bad effect on public
opinion at that time. What happened in
consequence Is thus narrated by Mr. Lin
coin:
EXECUTIVE MANSION.
Washington, August Ii, 1864
Hon. Henry j. raymond:
Ny DEAR SIR have proposed TO
Mr.. Greeley that the Niagara correspond
ence be published. SURPRISING only The
parts OF his letters over which the red per-
ell is drawn in the copy, which | here
with send. He declines giving lis consent
TO the publication of his leelerS unles-
these parts be published with the rest |
have concluded that ii i better ior me Ia
submit. for the time, to the consequences
of the false position in which | CONSIDER
he has placed me, than 10 subject the
country TO the consequences OF publi>llin.
these di>couraging and injurious parts.
send you this, and the accompanying copy
not for publication. but merely 10 explain
TO you, and that You may preserve them
until their proper time shall come
Yours truly. ABRAHAM LINCOLN"
The passages which Mr.. Lincoln d,->ir
ed to withhold from the pubic were such
IL these, viz: Our bleeding. bankrupt
almost dying country, also longs for peac,
-shud'lers at the prospect oil fresh con
>cription>. OF further wholesale devastation
and new rivers of human blood; = ''prc
vent instructions al the North an,
allusion> 10 an influence upon the Nortl
Carolina election, then pending.
TIE MYSTERIOUS PRI>oNEE-\ot ;
SYLLABLE comes from Washington in cxpia
nation of the mystery connected with iii,
prisoner Ryan. who WAS lately brought II
chains from Memphis. ana supposed 10 la
in some WAY connected with the :i>-;l>-in
of the president but the Memphis Eul
lctin lets III little Ii ht =
John :, Ryan i quite Il young MAJ
who previous TO the war. published 4;
weekly newspaper nj Pine Bluff. Ark
lie is printer 10y profession. and being III
editor also. aSpirci 10 and obtained Il po
sition IL captain in the rebel army III,
served in the line for some time. AMI VA:
afterwards employed ;,> Chief detective il
the trans-Mi>si>>ippi department. On til,
10Th of July uIt.. Ryan Appeared in Mem
phiS. stating 10 several parties that he WI.
, about Recommending the publication OF hi
paper at Pine Bluff. The >upicion> oi til,
military authorities here were aroused Il,
SOME means. and RYAN WAS arrested Up
on his person were found various ,lncu
mems. which implicated parties of mucl
more prominence than himself in GRIM
of Il high order What facts were ,!c,el
oped by hi arrest. and the papers tom,
upon him. VIC know not : hui the pri>ontl
, WAS considered of sufficient Importance il
, the eyes of the military authorities Ia jus
tit'y hi, immediate transfer. under 4 >iron.
guard. TO Washington, The future vi!
; likely deyelope matters of great interest ii
. connection with the mysterious prisoner
RlINS or TIE REBFIIIoN-A Eir,rini.