The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-06-05
Pre.ident LineoIn,. views ON Assassin.

RItOns.
Colonel Charles g. Halpine well known
TO the public under the nom de Plssrps OF
Miles OReilley, formerly an ofh'er OF
General Grsnfs stat, and now editor Of
the New York Citizen, contributes to that
paper his recollectiOns of 8 conversation
with President Lincoln, from which We
extract the following;
The remark about guards with drawn
sAbres at his door, called my attention
sfresh to what I mad remarked to myself
almost every time 1 entered the White
House both then and since snd tofwnich
| 1 had very frequently -csllgd the attention
Of both Msjor Hay and General Halleck-
| the utterly unprotected condition Of the
Presidents person, and the fact that any
/ assassin or maniac, seeking his lie, could
! enter his presence without the Interference
of a single armed man TO hold him back
! The entrance doors, and all doors on the
official side of the building, we're open at
IIhours of the day and very late in the
evening; and L hzye many times entered
the mansion and walked up to the rOoms'
of the two private secretaries IS lste IS
nine or ten o'clock at night, without seeing
or being challenged oy 5 single soul.
There were, indeed two sttendants-one
for the outer door 6nd tina other Tor me
doors of the official chambers; tut these
thinking, 1 suppose, that none would cal
after Office hours, save persons VINO were
personally acquainted, or had the rlgnt OF
& fcial entry-were not, u~nfrequentlyI
somewhat remiss in their duties
To this fact 1 now ventured to call the
Presidents attention, saying that to me-
nerbaps, from my European education-it
appeared 3 deliberate counting OF danger,
even if the country were in 5 state of the
profoundest peace, for the person st the
head OF the nation to remain SO unpro-
tected.
WEven granting, Mr.. Lincoln" l ssid,
HthRt no assassin should seek your life, The
large number of lunstics always in a COM
mnnity, and always larger in times ike
these and the tendency which insanity has
to strike at shining objects, or whomsoever
ia most talked OF, should lesd, l submit, to
some guards about the place, and TO some
ermsnen officers with the power and duty
of Questioning sll who seek to enter" To
this | added some brief sketch OF the al
but innumerable crazy letters and pre- CT
which were continually being received 81
Gen. Halleck's headquarters, and which he
had day lsughIDgly turned over to me
on the ground that l now and then wrote
verses.
"There are two dangers, therefore,"
wound up by ssying, "the danger OF de
hberste political assassination and the mer'
brute violence of insanity"
Mr.. Lincoln had heard me with a smile
his hands still locked scross his knee, snC
: his body stll rocking back and forth-thl
common indication that he was amused.
-"Now, ss TO political assassination" b
said. Gdo you think the Richmond peopl
? would Ike TO have Hannibal Hsmlin her
any better thar myself2 In the one alter
= native, 1 have an insurance on my lf
worth half the prairie land of Illinois
And besides "-this more grsvely-"i
there was such q plot, and they wanted t
gst at me, no vigilance could keep Their
] out. We are 30 mixed up in our stair
that-no matter what he system establish
ed conspiracy 10 ssssssinste, if sue
there were, could easily obtain 8 psss t
, see me for any one or more OF its INSTR
: msnts.
"Fo betrsy fear Of this, by plsciDgguard
: or so forth, would oaly be to put the ide
Into LQ6u QehObt huu peIuhpS loHA - ~
yery result it was intended TO prevent. a
o to the crazy folks, Msjor, why, [ must onl
r tsks my chances the worst crazy peep
1 st present, L fear, beng some Of my ow
:, 10 zsslous adherents. That there msy /
such dangers as you and many others hAy
s suggested to me, is quite possiblei but
: guess it wouldn't improve things any
!; publish that we were afraid of them in ~
= vance.
b The second time was when he came ovu
,s one evening after dinner to General HIS
4 leck' private quarters to protest-hslf 10
ulsrly, half in esrnest-sgsinst q small d
e t4chment of cavalry which had been d
tached without his request, and part
it against his will, by the lamented Gener
!. WaosWorth, as a guard for his carriage
: going to aud returning from the Soldier
II Home. The burden Of his complaint W
l. that he and Mrs. Lincoln "couldn't he
10 themselves talk" tor the chatter of the
r sabers and spurs; and that as many
:. them appeared new hands and very aW
ward, he was more afraid of being shot
IL the accidental discharge o. n Of tbs
d csrbfnes or revolvers than of any stem
upon bis life or for his capture by {
:, rowing squads of Jeb Stuarts cavalry, tn
lowering all around the exterior works
u the city. -r,+9