The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-08-14
DAILY LEADER
ABRAHAM LINOOLN.
"Reminiscences and Anecdotes.


lr
! ABRAHAM LINOOLN. -
"Reminiscences and Anecdotes.
a -
I From a chapterot the artist Carpenters
rem:nisOencencss of Mr. Lincoln in this
weeks Independent We tska the following ;
HIS sE~EsTrTVENEss.
lido not recall an instance of his re-
ferring 10 any act Of his administration
: with anything like c~omPlseeney or the
least sign of self satisfaction. I watched
him closely during the political excitement
previous TO the Baltimore Convention, 10
zee If I could discover signs of personal
ambition, and 1 am free to say that, apart
/ from the welfare OF the country, there was
+ no evidence to show to my mind that he
ever thought of himself Aud yet he was
very sensitive to the opinions of his friends.
: A goEernoro OF q western state, true and
loyal as the best, at q certaih juuotureaeon-
: ceived himself for some reasons aggrieved
by the President Having occasion 70
send in the names oftwo oficere for pro.
motion, he said, in his note to Mr.. Lincoln,
I that he hoped Whatever feeling he might
: have sgainst him personally would not
( prevent his. doing Justice to the officers in
question. Mr.. Lincoln hAd been utterly
unconscious of having given offence,
. either by lack of appreciation or otherwise,
and be seemed greAty touched by the as
pension He said that, if he had nat been
asked 70 say which of all the loyal govern
srs had been the most active and efficient
in raising and equipping troops, If he had
made any distinction, where al hsd done
30 well, It would have been in favor Of the
governor in question. At another time,
When several con hicting delegations were
pressing the claims of different candidates
for q position of importance, he said that
he had been SO troubled about the matter
that he had that day refused TO see one of
the candidates an old and dear personal
friend, lest his Judgment shouHb be warped.
aIf I were less thin-EKiDned'i about such
things" be said to me, 81 should get along
much better.D
h WADE AND DAVIS MAEIFEsTo.
When he had thought profoundly, how
ever, upon certain measures, and felt sure
Of his ground, criticism either public or
private, did not disturb him. Last year,
upon the appearance of what WAS known
as the Wade and Davis manifesto" an
intimate friend and supporter, whe was
very Indignant that such . document
should have been put forthjust previous to
the Presidential election; took occasion to
Rnims1Yert very severely upon the course
that prompted it. at is not worth fret
ting about" said the President; ait re-
minds me of an old acquaintance who,
having q son of 8 scientific turn. bought
him S microscope. The boy went around
experimenting with his glass upon every
thing that came in his way. One day, at
the dinner-tsble, his father took up q piece
of cheese. Don't eat that, father said
the boy, lit is full Of ~wrigglers.' my
SON. replied the old gentleman, taking at
the same time q huge bite, let them wrig-
glei 1 can stsndit if they can"
TREASURY sRCRRfkRYsHIP.
l never saw MIR. Lincoln manifest so =
much excitement rs on the dsy following 9
the resignation Of Mr.. Chase as Secretary
of the Treasury. This step, it will be re-.
membered, took the country entirely by
surprise It WA known that the finances
we're in 8 preearious condition, and much
anxiety was felt, especially in Washington, E
as TO the successorsbip. Mr.. Lincoln, with
out consultation or advice, 80 far as Ieould
ever learn, sent into the Senate the name of
ex Governor Tod, Of Ohio, on the afternoon
of the day Mr.. Chase resigned. This noun q
nation was not popular, and great relief
was experienced the next morning when it
was announced thst Governor Tod had de-
clined the position. NJ. Lincoln passed an
snvions right. de received the telegram
frem Governor Tod, declining the nomins-
ton, in the evening. Retiring, he laid
awake some hours, csnvsssing IN his mind
the merits of various public men. At
he settled upon the Hon. VIM. ].
/ %essenden, and soon sfterWsrd fell asleep.
ard wrote the nomination. John Hay, es
the Assistant Private Secretsry, had taken .
it from the President, on his way to the
when he encountered Senator Fes- :
upon the threshold of the door of
the room. As Chairman of the Finance
he also had passed an anxious d.
night, and called thus early to consult with
the President and offer some suggestions. .
After 3 few moments conversation Mr..
Lincoln turned to him with a smile, and
said: al am obliged toyou, Fessenden, but n
she fact is, l have just sent your own name =
lhe Senate for Secretary ofthe Treasury. ~
Hay had just received the n~onainstion from
my hsnd rs you entered" Mr.. Fessenden Of
taken completely by surprise, and, n
very much agitsted, protested his inability ia
10 accept the position. The state of his
health, he said, if no other consideration,
made it impossible Mr.. Lincoln would
not sccept the refusal IS final. He
very justly felt that, with Mr.. Fes- :
experience and known ability :
It the head of the finance committe, his &C :
would go far towards re-estsblish- =
ng q feeling Of security. He said to him u
very earnestly, "Fessenden, the Lord has =
lot deserted me thus far, and he is not
soing TO now-you must sceepgp' They
separated, the senator in great anxiety Of a
mind. Throughout the day Mr.. Lincoln P
Urged almost all who called, to go and see q
Mr.. Fessenden, and press upon him the Pr
iuty of accepting. Among these was q I
delegation of New York bankers whom I h'
lsd the honor of i~ntroducingto the Presi-
lent. In the name of the banking COM VI
nunity, they expressed their satisfaction Y,
It the nomination. This was especially
gratifying 70 him, and, IL the strongest,
manner, he entreated them to Hsee Mr.. -
Fessendcn and assure him of their sup 50
oOfI- I-rlE p,
n. LINCOLN 4ED SECRETARY STANTON. St,
Entering the Presidents room about II sr
Jclock one evening, I found him alone, :
Gated at the long office table, with a large OF
bile Of military commissions before him, n,
which he was signing one by one. Sitting
Town beside him, he remarked, 81 do not, IT,.
you see, pretend 70 read O these dOcu- n,
nents. T see thst Stant6hh mas signed them !
10 l cenclude they are alright" Pausing a
here, he read a portion of one, beginning 3,
with the name Of the individual g.
hereby appointed AdjutAnt General Al
the rsnk Of Captain, &C.
E. M. Stanton, Secretary of War; :.
q There, . said he,y sPpending his :
own signature in the opposite corner.
Thus be went on until he hsd finished the
lot then, rising from his chair, hestretcbed
and said, Hwell, 1 have got that a
job husked out ; now I'll 60 over TO the H''
War Department and see if there sAny
I walked over with him, and rec
ollect thinking how exposed he was tOithe
danger of asssssination=yet it Was his
practice-often so late as one Or two IN
the morning. sos 'i4-n10i 7a r.
GRANT.
During the battle of the g Wilderne es, ~ 4