Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1865-06-02
PersOnal Re- objections Of Mr.. Lincoln
A Very ourlou. oonversAtt n.


ny COLONEL CHARLES c. HALPfSE.
Ia the fell OF 1867 lhe writer Of this
article, b ing then member of the staff
of General Haleek, had frequent occa-
sioRs to wait upon our recently deceased
Presiden', both during official hours and
at other times
0ncs-on what was called public
day" when Mr.. Lincoln received all ~.
phcaDts IN their tuTn-ihe writer was
,truck b, observing as be passed through
the corridor, the Heterogeneous crowd Of
men and women, representing all ranks
and classes, who we're gathered in the
large walting-room outside the Presiden
tial sui, Of Offices.
Beng usbersd into the Presidents
chamber by Major Hay, the first thing
be saw was MIR Lincoln bowing an cid
erIy lady out Of the door-ibe Presidents
remarks 20 her being, as she slid iinger-
cd and appeared reluctant to 60: Il N
really very sorry, madam, very sorry.
Bat your own good sense must Ieil YOU
that | am not here 10 collect small deb.s.
You must appeal 10 the courts IN fegu
lar order."
Wren she was gone, Mr. Lincoln sat
uOWbs GANboEI Iio iNkeB fbNhGA Ato h0hA@
| over his knee and commenced to laugh
this being his fsgOrite attitude when
much amused
What odd kinds Of people come in TO
see me, he said; "and what odd ideas
| they must base about nv officel Would
you believe, Major, that the old lady
who has just leit, came in here 10 get
from me an order for stopping the pay
OF a Treasury clerk, who owes her q
board bill of about s70f' And the
! President rocked himself backward and
( forward, and appeared intensely amused.
"She may have come here loyal
woman" continued Mr. Lincoln; but
I'll be bound she Las gone away believ-
iug that the worst pictures of me in the
/ Richmond press only leck truth in not
being half black and bad enough
4 This led TO a somewhat general con-
versation, in which | expressed sarprise
that be did not adopt the plan in force
at all military headquarters, under
which every applicant to rse the General
commanding had 10 be filtered through
Ia seive of otHeers--Assistant Adjuta NJ
Generals, &c, who allowed none to take
up the Generals time, cave such as they
were satisfied had business of such i'm
poliance, and which could be transacted
in no other manner save by personal
interview
"Of every huEdred people who came
10 see the General-inChief," | explained
not ten have sufficient business with
him, nor are they admitted. o. being
ask for what purpose they desire to
see him, and stating it, it is found that
in nine cases out OF ten, that the busi.
ness belongs properly 10 some one oi
other of the subordinate bureaus They
are the re er ed, US the case may be
10 the Quartermaster, Commissary, Med
ieal, AGjutant General, or other depart
ments, with an assurance that--even j
they saw the General-in chief-he coulc
do nothing more for them than give
them the same direction. With these
points courteously explained ! added
"they 20 away quite content, although
refused admittauce.
"Ah, yesr said Mr Lincoln, gravel,
and his words on this matter are i'm
portsnt So illustrating rule Of his ac
ton, and TO some extent, perhaps, tht
representative character of bis minC
aud administration. "Ah, ytsl sucl
things do very vel for ou military peo
pie, with you aroi ray rule, and in you
camps Bat the office of President il
essentially q civil one, and the affaiF i
very different For myself, | feel
though the tag on my time is heavy
that no hours OF my day is better em
ployed than those which thus bring N
again within the direct contact and a.
mosphere Of the average of our Who'll
, people Men moving only ia an othcis
circle are apt to become merely oticIa
not to say srbitrary-in their IDEAS
aud are apter and apter, with each pass
ing day, to forget that they only bo
power in a representative capacity
Now this is all wrong. | 90 into thes
promiscuous receptions Of ali wbo ca
claim to have business with me, twic
each week, and every applicant 70
audiencs has to lake his turn as ii waii
ing to be shaved in q harbers shoI
Many of the matters brought to my ne
uce are utterly frivolous, but others ar
of more or ie e importance, and q
: serve 10 renew in me clearer and nor
vivid imsge of that great popular g.
sernblage out Of which | sprang, an
TO which at The end of two years / mus
return. tell you, Major" be said-aI
pesring a: this point to recollect that
was in the room, for she former part {
these remarks had been made with bal
D shut eyes, as If in soliloquy-" te
you that / call the receptions my publ,
opinion baths--for have bat little tim
to read the papers and gather publi
opinion that way; and though they ma
not be pleasant in all their particular
the effect, as whole, IS renovsting az
iuvigorating to my perceptions Of respor
sibility and duty. Il would never d
for a President to have guards wit
drawn sabres at his door, as II he fsl
]. cied ne were, or were trying TO be, {
were assuming to be, sn Emperor
This remark about guards with draw
- sabres AZ his door, called nv attentio
afresh TO what had remarked to u,
90 self almost every time ] entered th
White House, both then and since; Aa
{ 10 which / had very frequently Gale
the attention both Of Major Hay an
Gen Halleck-the utterly uuproteete
condition of the Presidents person, su
!, the fact that any assassin or mania
seeking bis life, could enter his pre-
he euce without the interference of sing
.. armed man 10 hold him back. The eI