Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-08-30

radical-a New Yorker by birth, but for
many years resident of the West She
replied, playfully, Mr.. President hare
one request to make" Ahl" said he,
st once looking grave. "Well, VIII at is it7'
That you suppress the Chicago Tines
was the rejoinder. After brief pause,
Mr.. Lincoln asked her if she had ever
tried to imagine how she would have felt
in some former administration to which she
was opposed, if her favorite newspaper
had been seized by the government and
suppressed. The lady replied that it was
not parallel case; that in circumstances
like those then existing, when the nation
was struggling for its very life such ut
terances as were daily put forth in that
journal should be suppressed by the strong
hand of authority; that the cause of 10y
atty and good government demanded it.
Il fear you do not fully comprehend" re-
turned the President, "the danger of
abridging the liberties of the people.
Nothing but the very sternest necessity
can justify it. A government had better
go to the very extreme of toleration than
TO do aught that could be construed into
any interference with, or to jeapardize in
any degree, the common rights of its citi-
zens.n
A STORY ABOUT JOHN TYLER.
One of the last stories 1 heard from Mr..
Lincoln was concerning John Tyler for
whom it was to be expected, as an old
Henry Clay whig, he would entertain no
great respect. "a year or two after Ty-
lers accession TO the Presidency" said he,
contemplating an excursion in some di-
r~aR l. 1
train of cars. 1t so happened that the
railroad superintendent was a very strong
whig. On 'Bob's' making known his er-
rand, that official bluntly informed him
that his road did not run any special trains
for the President. What 7 said Bob, did
you not furnish special train for the
funeral of General HarrisonP p Yes, said
the Superintendent, stroking his whiskers,
'an6if you will only bring your father
here in that shape, you shall have the best
train on the road ?"
THE MISSOURI TROUBLES.
On the way to the cemetery dedication
at Gettysburg, Mr.. Lincoln said to his
friend McVeagh, of Pennsylvania, speak
ing Of Governor Gamble and the admin
istrati0n troubles in Missouri: a. do not
in such time us this, because they cannot
have a whole loaf viii take no bread.
For my part, L am willing to receive any
man, or class of men, who will help us
even little"
HIS UNwILLINGNEss To RETALIATE.
There are not found wanting assertions
that he showed criminal indifference to
the sufferings of our prisoners at Libby,
Andersonville, and other places; and, in
proof of this, it is st tied that there is no
record of his ever alluding 70 the subject
in any of his public addresses or messages.
The questions involved in the suspension
of the exchange of prisoners are difficult
of decision. Whoever was the cause of
this certainly has fearful responsibility.
That 1t was the Presidents fault, do not
believe.
When the reports, in an authentic
form, first reached Washington of the suf-
ferings of the Union prisoners, know he
vas greatly excited and overcome by
them. He was told that Justice demanded
stern retaliation. He said to his friend,
Mr.. Odel, with the deepest emotion: 1
can never, never starve men like that !"
Whatever others may say or do, Inever
can, and never VIII, be accessory to such
treatment of human beingsp And al
though he spoke with the deepest feeling
at the Baltimore Fair of the Fort Pillow
massacre, and pledged retaliation, yet that
pledge was never carried into execution.
1t was impossible for Mr. Lincoln to be
cruel or vindietive, no matter what the
occasion. In the serene light of history,
when party strife and bitterness shall have
passed away, it will be seen that, if he
erred at all, it was always on the side of
mercy and magnanimity.