Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1865-05-17
Mr. CnIfax on Dan. IIncoIn.

Chicago, bn the character OF AbrahaEu<
Lincoln, ilr Colfax, Of .Irdigna, related.
rofthe late President the following
One qInorning, over two years ago.
calling upon him on busi cess, I found
-hiFn booking more than usually pale and
careworn, and inquired the reason. he.
replied WI lth the bad news he had receiv-
ed at ate hour the previous night,
which had not yet been communicated TO
the press, adding that be had not closed
/ hb eyes Or brea kfasted; aud, with an ex-
preston shall never forget, Be exclaim-
ed: How willingly would i Exchange
piacesto7day with the soldier who OsleePs
on .the1 ground in -the : Army u. the Po.
tomac." - .ssva 800, - ~ a, =
No one coaidi ever convince The Pres-l
ident that he was in danger ofIs violent
rdaath Z Judging Others By HIMSELF be
could not realize that anY onescould.
seek his blood Or be. may have belieTs
ed, as NapoIeon wrote 10 jerome, that
ae pnSic man could eifsetaaliys shield
himself from the danger Of as4assipa I
tion. Easier Of access to- the public at
large than had been any Of his predeees-
sers; admitting his Interest enemies to
his reception rooms, Monej restive under
the cavalry escort which Secretary. Stan
ton insisted should laceompany him last
summer, ia. bis daily journeys between
the Waite House and his summer resia.
dehce, at The. soldiers Home, several
!mi1es from Whshihgtoh,, AZ q time, TO,
rs since aseestainsd in the details Of
this long organized plot, discovered
Since his death, when i'd was intended to
gag and handcuH him, and carry him "a
the rebel capital as q hostage for their
recognition sometimes escaping from
their escnrts- BY -alntieipa paling their aasnalz
hour OF attendance; walking about the
grounds unattended; he could not be
persuaded that he ran any risk whatever
Being at City Point after the evacuation
OF Richmond, he determined TO 20 thitiier,
not from idle clrfosity : but to see
| II he could not do something 10
stop the effusion- of blood, and
hasten the peace for which he
longed, Thesxef waiehfult tSeeratary of,
War hearing of it, imploredt him, , by tel4z
egraph, NOT TO 90, and warned him that
some lurking assassin might take his
-lifeg Bat, armed with his good Intentions
alas, how feeble shield they proved
against the death-blow afferward- be
went, walked fearlessiy aud carelessiy'
I through the streets-hnet aadioonfsrred
with rebel leader, who. had remained
I there, and when be had returnedtS Citg
Point, autographed to his faithful friend
and constitutional ADVISER " hoi till Thea
had feared, as we all did at that time, Z
for his life, | received your 'dispAtch
Rstnight, went 20 Richmend this morn3
fng,A and have Just returne ed.1A brahan
Lincoln" When ], tolds him 90. that
last night, how uneasy all had been At
bis going, he replied, pleasantly and With
q smile, Usaquote. his exact Words):
"Why, if any one ei Sc had been Presi-
dent and gone to Richmond, / would
have been alarmed too - but II was
! not scared about myself a Bit 49, fsf-Eny
Of you have ever been at WASH nktoD
you will remember the foot-path, lined
I and EMPOWERED with trees, leading from
the back door Of the War Departmept 20
the White House. sOnssnight, and II but
! reeeutly, too, when, in hts anxiety for
news from the army, he had been with
the Secretary in the telegraph Office Of
the Departments, he was about starting
home by this short route. Mr. Stanton
stopped him and said, sYo1 ought not
to go that way Iris dangerous rioys you
4 even in day time, but worse1 at night =
I'M. Lincoln replied, 81 don't believe
there's Gny danger there, day or night
Mr. Stanton replied solemnly, Well,
Mr.. President, you shall not be killed
returning that dark way from my De
partment while am nit; you ms I le.
me take you round blythe avenue in
my carriage. And Mr.. Lincoln, Joking
the Secretary on his imperious military
orders, and his needless alarmOh lis ae-
! Eco1ut, as be called it, entered heacar,
lriaxe aud was driven by the Well-lighted
avenue to the White House