New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-05-27
A VERY CURIOUS coNvERs ALTON
What He Thought About e .snspiraeies 70
Assassinate BIN Tire q Years Ago.
~ col. CHARLES @. HALPIRE'

then meHetr OF une will VA oo' 'i'''So"' "'~
Aesveut occasion to wait npon onr recently deceased
President both during official hours and OF other
thnss.
Opce--on what was called q pablo day" when mi
leos received all applicants in their turnthe writer
was struck by observing AZ he passed through the cor
>or the heterogeneous crowd Of men and women. rep
sesentiRg all ranks and classes who were gathered In
Ne large waiting outside the Presidential suit Of
sfRces.
Deiur ush.red int the Presidents chamber by Major
Hay. the first thing he Nj. Lincoln bowling an
elderly lady out Of the docriho Presidents remarks TO
hsr being as she sil fingered and appeared reluctant
70 goi 81 really very sorry. madame; very sorry
But your own good sense mast sell you that am not
Asge to collect small debts You must appeal to the
When she was zone Mr. Lincoln sat down, crossed
Ms legs locked his hands over his knees. and com
nenced to laughthis being his favore alu'ude "heh
What odd kinds Of people cone in to see me" be
sAd and what odd ideas they must have about ny
efieei Wonld you believe, Major that the old iady
Who has just left in here TO get from me an order
IDF stopping the pay Of Treasury CLERK who owes het
sboardbil OF about s70f' And the President rocked
hmselt backward and forward, and appeared intensely
'She may have come in hare loyal woman con.
tnued Mr.. Lincoln; but I'll he bound she mas gone
awav believing that the worst pictures OF me IN the
Hichnoud press oDly lack truth N not being Dali 'aek
aRa bad enough" !.
IY1e led 10 somewhat kentIh ccbNrrsabiOb, ."
which expressed surprise that he did not adopt the
Ian in force at all military headquarters under when
syery applicant 10 the general commanding had W
- Uttered through sieve Of otheers-assstah' aoJu'
tsnt gen rails and so forth; who allowed none IN to
take up the generals time save such as they were SANS
ned vi business Of sufficient Importance. and when
could be transacted in other manner than Dy per-
.Of every hundred people who come to the gen
sesliu-ohef daily, explained. Lot ten have any sum
aicpt business with him, are they admitted. On
tsg asked 70 explain for what purpose they desire to
zee him. and stating it, it Is found in nine cases out OF
tn that the business properly belongs 10 some one OF
trred as tile may DC, 10 the qusftermastel, com
unissary, medical adiutaD general or ether depart
meats with assurance that-even AZ tAey saw the
eperL-in-ohief-he could DO nothing more Tor them
6an give them the same direction WILL these points
ssSrteously explained added they % away quite
content although refused aomittsnce."
'"Ah, yes n said Mr.. Lincoln graveiy-and bis words
On this matter important illustrating rule Of his
action and TO some extent perhaps tie essentially rep
Aon "Ab,yes such things do very well for you military
people. VITA your arbitrary rule and in your camps
he affair is very different For myself fesl-though
Re my time Is heavy-that To hours Of my day
ne again within the direct contact and atmosphere
Of the average OF Or whole people. her
moving only in an official circle are apt 70 oee"Int
are spter and aper with each passing day, TO forget
Mat they only hold power in representative capacity
receptions Of al who claim to have business with inc
twice each week. AID every applicant for audience has
b take his turn as waiting 70 be shaved In bar
utterly fveous but others are Of more or less import
snec and all serve In clearer and more
ags 81 and e the end OF yn
Gust return. tell yen, Major" he said-appearins
at this point 10 TecOllect in the room. for the
former part OF these remarks bad been made with half
shut eyes q il In solioguy"I tell you that call
these receptions my publcopinon baths-for have
bot little time to read the papers and gather public
thaf and fh0ugh thew ~
oil their particulars the effect as hole Is reno
waiting and nyigOIatDg 10 ny perceptions of RESPONSE.
NIFTY aud duty. Ii would do for President 10
have guards With drawn sabers ut his door as If he
bsoced he we're, or were trying ~ De, Or were as.
Suming TO BE- an emperor"
This remark about guards with drawn sabers al his
d~o" called nv attention afresh ~ what had remarked
70 myself almost every time l entered the White
House both then and since; and to which had very
esuenty called the attention both Of Major day and
Gen. Haeck-the utterly unprotected condition OF the
Presidents person. and the TACT that any assassin or
maniac seeking ha life, could enter his presence with
out the interference Of single armed man 10 hold
hsm back. The entrance doors. and all doors on the
official side of the building were open at al hours OF
che day and very late into the evening" and have
many times entered the mansion and walked up TO the
rooms of the private secretaries rs late AS or 10
o'clock at night without seeing or being challenged by
. single soul. There were, indeed, two Attendants
one for the outer door and the other for the door Of the
official chambers; but these-thnking suppose, that
sope would call after office honys persons who were
personally acquainted or had the night VI Official entry
-were, not unfrequently. somewhat reniss in their
Duties
TO this fact now ventured to call the Presidents
attention saying that 10 meerhaps from 10y kurop an
eucationit appeared deliberate counting OF danger
even If the country in state OF the profOundest
peaoe for person at the head OF the nation to
main so unprotected
Even granting Mr.. Lincoln, 1 said that no
SIN should seek your life the large number Of Inmates
always a community and always larger ia times ike
these and the tendency which insanity has 10 strike at
shining obects, whomsoever Is most talked about
should lead1 snomit-to some guards about the place.
and 10 some permanent officers with the power aud
auty of questioning al who seek to enter" TO this
sdisc some brief sketch Of the all but innum@sble
crssy letters and projects which continually being
received at Gen. uaecks headquarters, and which he
hid one day laughingly TUNED over TO me, On the
ground that now and then wrote verses
"There are two dangers, therefore," wound up Wy
saving: "the danger OF deliberate political assassna
ION and the mere orute violence of insanity"
Mr. Lincoln had heard me with a smile, ms hands
still loci ed across his knees and bis body still rocking
heck and forth-tbe COMMON indication that he was
amused. 49,. ,.,, ,o .o;a ..ao
you thick the Richmond people wond hKe 70 nxe nan
ba Eamin here any better than myselff In that one
alternative have insurance on my ne worm nan
the p airie land Of Illinois. And beside -this moe
grssey--" if there we're such q plot ana they wan.eo
70 get at me, no vigilance could Keep them out We
ere 30 mixed % IN affairs, tba-no matter wha
tie system eslablisheda conspiracy to II
sseh there were could easily obtain pass 10 See me
fer any one or more of its Instruments
ITO betfay fear Of this by placing guards or 30 iort
would only be TO put the idea into their heads ana PEI.
haps lead 10 the very result IL Intended TO prevent
As ~ the crazy folks, Major why NUT only take my
chancesthe worst crazy people at present lear Dclhg
some my own too jealous sdherents. That there may
BE- such dangers You and many others have suggest
ID 70 me, Ia quite possible; but guess 10 woudnt I'M
prove things any TO publish that We were Sifaio Vi
Al this point the President tnrned to the papers
had brought over FOR his signature and signing the
handed them 10 with some message for Gen Hslleck
har nv ant nd ha