The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1865-06-10
Personal RecOllections or Mr..
Lincoln.
,.. By COL. @. EAIp1Nr.

Ia tno 4ail OF 1Sh., the writer OF this arti.
cie being then member of the staff Of
ten. Halteck. had frequent occasion to
wait upon cur recently deceased Presiden:
both during Official hours and q: other
| times.
Once--on what was called "a public
day. when Mr.. Lincoln received all ap-
plicants in their turn, thewTiter was struck
by observing through the corridor, the
heterogeneous crowd of men and women.
representing all RANKS and classes. who
were gathered in the large waiting room
outside the Presidential suit OF Offices.
Being ushered into the Presidents cham.
Der by MAJOR Hay, the frat thing he sew
was Mr.. Lincoln bowling an elderly lady
out OF the door, the Presidents remarks to
her being as she still fingered and appear
ed reluctant to 60, :" am really very sor-
~, madam, very sorry; but your own
good sense must tell you chat I am not
here to collect small debts. You must ap-
peal to the courts in regular order"
When abe was gone, Mr.. Lincoln sat
down, crossed his legs locked his hands
over his knees, and commenced to laugh
this being his favorite attitude when
much amused.
What odd kinds Of people come in to
see me.n he said; "and what odd ideas
they must have abo1t my Office! Would
you believe, Major, tnat the old lady who
has just left came in here to get from me
an order for stopping the pay Of Treasn-
~ clerk. who owes her board bill OF sew
enty dollars?" Aud the President rocked
himself backward and forward, aud ap-
peared intensely amused.
s'She may have come in here loyal
woman," continued Mx. Lincoln; ssbu.
III be bound she has gone away believing
that the worst PICTURES of me il the Rich
mond press only lack truth in not being
half black and bad enough"
aiu lraA m ,hut
ton, in which expressed surprise that he
did not adopt the plan In force ut all mill.
tary headquarters, under which every APP
plicant to see the General commanding had
TO be filtered through seive of officers
Assistant Adjutant Generals, and SO forth.
who allowed none in to take Ip tue Gene
rails time, save srch as they were satisfied
which could oe transacted in no other
manner than by q personal inter view.
"Of course, of every hund red who came
to see the General.in chief daily" ex.
planned, mot ten nave any sufficient busi-
ness with him, nor are they admitted. on
being asked for what purpose they desire
to see MIN, and stating it, it is found, in
nine cases out OF ten, that the business
belongs to some one or other Of
the subordinate bureaus. They are then
as the case may be, to the Quar-
COmmissary, Medical Adintant
General, or other departments, with An as
surance that-even II they saw the Gener-
al-in- Chiet-he would do nothing more for
them than give them the same direction.-I
With these points courteously explained,
added, they 60 away quite content. al. |
though refused admittance.',
'sAb, yes" said Mr.. Lincoln. 1ravelv. |
md his words on this point are important.
- illustrating rule Of his action, and to I
some extent, perhaps, the essentially rep
resentative character of his mind and Of
his administration. .sAh, yes, such things |
10 very well for sou miliiary people, with
your arbitrary rule, and in your camps
But the Office Of President is essentially q I
,ivil one, and the affair is very difIerent-l
For myself, / feel-:hOugh the tax on nv
in1e is heavy-that no hours 0fmy day are
better employed than those which thus
BRING me again within the direct contact
md atmosphere ofthe average OF our whole
circle are apt to become merely Official
lot to say arbitrary-in their ideas, and are
Ipter and apter, with each passing day, to
ofget that they only hold power in q rep.
'esentative capacity Now this is wrong.
go into these pron1iscuous receptions Of
Ill who claim to haye business with me
vice week, and every applicant for au-
,e shaved in a bar ber's shop. Many of the
matters brought to my notice are utterly
but others are of more or less inn
,ortance, and all serve to renew IN me a
learer and more vivid image of that great
,opuiar assemblage out of which Isprang,
nd to which at theend of two years / must
eturn. I tell You, Major" he said-ap-
,earing at this point to recollect that was
D the room, for the former part of these
8 If in soliloquy-"I tell you that call
hese receptions my public opinion baths
or have but little time to read the papers
nd gather public opinion that way; and
hough they may not be pleasant ~ all
hbir particulars, the effect - whole isI
and invieorating 70 my percep-
Ions Of responsibility and duty. Il would /