The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-05-02
REKISISCESsCE OF MR. LINCOLN.
Mr.. Carpenters Personal Impression.

mr.. Safpemter'6 Personal Impression
Mr.. F. B. Carpenter the artis. who
painted ihepicture of ''The Signing ofthe
Emancipation Proclamation" contributes
to this weeks Independent his "Personal
Impressions of Mr.. Lincoln" embooying
some interesting "reminiscences, which We
copy below.
MR LIECoLE's SADNESS.
II has been the business of my life, as
YOU know, to study the human face, and
say now, IS 1 have said repeatedly to my
friends, Mr.. Lincoln had the saddest face
1 ever painted During some of the dark
days of last spring and summer saw him
at times when his careworn, troubled ap-
pesTAnce was enough to bring tears of SYM
pathy into the eyes of his most violent en-
emies. recall particularly one day, when
having occasion to pass through the main
hall of the domestic apartments, I found
him sll alone, pacing up and down mar
row passage, his hands behind him, his
hes1 bent forward upon his bresst heavy
black rings under his eyes, showing sleep
less nights-sltogether such 8 picture of
the effects of weighty cares and response
bilities IS never had seen. And yet he
always had kind word and almost always
s genial smile, and it was his way frequent
ly to relieve himself at such times by some
harmless pleasantly. recollect an in
stance told me by one of the most radical
members of the last Congress. It was
during the darkest days of 1862. He call
ed upon the Pres dent early one morning,
14 &
time of great anxiety If not dependency.
Mr.. Lincoln commenced telling some
trihing incident-which the Congressman
was in no mood to hear. he rose to his
feet, and said, "Mr. President, did not
come here this morning to hear stories
it is too serious time" Instantly the
smile disappeared from Mr.. Lincoln's face,
who exclaimed, "a. sit down respect
you as an earnest, sincere man. You can
not be more anxious than 1 am constantly,
and say to you now, that were it not for
this occasional vent should die /"
HIS SYMPATHY.
A large number Of those whom he saw
every day came with appeals to his feel
ings in reference to relatives and friends
in confinement and under sentence of
\
that, with all his other cares and duties,
he could give so much time and be 80 pa
tienr with this multitude. I have known
him to sit for hours patiently listening to
details of domestic troubles from poor peo-
ple-much of which, of course, Irrelevant
carefully sitting the facts and manifest
ing as much anxiety to do exactly right
as in matters of the grsvest interest. Poor
ly clad people were more likely to get
| good hearing than those who come in silks
and velvets. No one was ever turned
away from his door because of poverty. If
he erred, it was sure to be on the side of
mercy. It was one of his most painful
tasks to confirm 8 sentence of death. 1
recollect the case of a somewhat noted
rebel prisoner, who had been condemned
to death believe as a spy. A strong sp-
plicstion had been made TO have his SEN
| tence commuted. While this was pend
ing, he attempted TO escape from confne-
ment, and WAS shot by the sentinel en-
guard. Although he richly deserved death
Mr.. Lincoln told Judge Holt in my pres
ence Hit was great relief TO him that the
man took his fate into his own hands"
If the slightest occasion existed for
showing clemency he was sure to i'm
prove it.
Judge Bates, in the ssme conversstionre-
fsrred to above, said that he had often told
the President that a. be was hardly fit to be
entrusted with the pardoning power"
"Why," said the Judge, "he can scarce
ly turn away from the application (if il
touches his feelings) of man, and the
tears of 8 woman are sure to overcome
himP
A PARDON.
A touching instance of his kindness of
heart occurred quite recently, and was
told me incidentally by one of the servants.
A poor woman from Philadelphia, Pa,
had been waiting, with baby in her arms
for three days to see the President. Her
husband had furnished substitute for the
army, Dut some time afterwards was one
day made intoxicated by some companions
and in this state induced 10 enlist Soon
after he reached the army he deserted,
thinking that, IS he hsd provided substi-
tute, the government was not entitled to
his services. Returning home, he was, Of
course, arrested, tried, convictei, and SEN
tenced to be shot. The sentence was to be
executed on Saturday. On Monday his
wife left her hoR with her baby, to en-
deSvor to see the President. Said old Dan
iel: "She had been waiting here three
days, and there was no chance for her to
get in. Late in the afternoon of the third
day the President was going through the
back passage TO his private rooms to get
cup of tea and take some rest" (rhis pas
sage way has lately been constructed and
shuts the person passing entirely out of
view of the occupants of the snteroom.
"On his way through he heard little
baby cry. He instantly went back to his
on1ce and rang the bell Daniel said he,
lis there woman with baby in the ante
roomP said there was, and if he would
allow me 70 say it, 1 thought it was q case
be ought to see; for it was matter of life
and death. Said he; Send her to me at
once She went in, told her story, and
the President psrdoned her husband. AS
the woman came out from his presence, her
eyes we're lifted and her lips moving in
prayer, the tears streaming down her
cheeks" Said Daniel: II went up to her
and pulling her shawl, said, Madam, it
was the baby that did it l"'
A TOUCHING INCIDENT.
Another touching incident occurred, 1
believe, the same week. A woman in
Ae4o4 6AaNA huu uOOu1 sOu6WldL ADVANCED
in life at length was admitted, in her turn,
TO the President. Her husband had been
killed, snd she had come to ask the Pre- i
dent 10 release her Oldest son. Being sat-
is6ed of the truthfulness of her story he
said, "Certsinly, if her prop was taken
away she was justly entitled to one of her
boys" He Immediately wrote an order for
the discharge of the young man. The
poor woman thanked him very grsi efully,
and went away. On reaching the army
she found that this son had been in q re-
cent engagement, was wounded, and taken
to an hospital. She found the hospital but
the boy was dead, or died while she was
there. The surgeon in charge made 8
memorandum of the facts upon the back
of the Presidents order, and, almost bro
ken-hearted, the poor woman found her
way again into his presence. he was
much affected by her appearance and story,
and said, 81 know what you wish me to do
now, and shall do it without your asking,
shall release to you your second SON"
Upon this be took up his pen and COM
meneed writing the order. While he was
writing, the poor woman stood by his side,
the tears running down her face, and
passed her hsnd softly over his head, strok-