The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1866-08-24


your arbitrary rule, and in your camps. But
the Office Of President is essentially civil
one, and the affair is very different. For
myself, feel--though the tax on my time
is heavy--that no hours OF my day are
better employed than those which thus
bring me again within the direct contact
aud atmosphere of the average Of oui whole
people. Men moving only in an official
circle are apt to become merely official
not TO say arbitrary--in their ideas, aud
are apter aud apter, with each passing day,
to forget that they only hold power in q
representative capacity. Now this is all
wrong. | go into these promisouous re-
ceptious Of all who claim to have business
with me twice each week, and every APP
plicant for audience has to take his turn as
il waiting to be shaved in barbers shop.
Many of the matters brought to my notice
are utterly ftivilous, but others are of more
or less importance, and all serve to renew
in me clearer and more vivid image of
that great popular assemblage out of which
| spraug, and to,which at the end of two
years | must return. | tell you, Major
he sad-appearing at this point to recol.
! lect was in the room, for tho former part
of these remarks had been made with half.
shut eyes, as if in soliloquy-"1 tell you
that call these receptions my public opin.
ion baths--for have but little time to read
the papers and gather public opinion that
way; aud though they may not be pleasant
in all their particulars. the effect as a whole
is ronovatiug and invigorating to my per-
ceptions of responsibility and duty. 1t
would never do for President to have
| guards with drawn sabers at his door, as if
he fancied he were, or were trying to be, or
were assuming to be, and emperor.
| This remark about "guards with drawn
sabers at his door" called my attention
afresh to what had remarked to myself
almost every time | entered the White
House, both then and since and to which
| | had very frequently called the attention
both Of Major Hay and General Halleck-
the utterly unprotected condition of the
Presidents person, and the fact that any
assassin or maniac, seeking his lite, could
ehter his presence without the Interference of
q single armed man to hold him back. The
entrance doors and all doors on tho official
side of the building were open at all hours
of the day aud very late in the evening I;
and have many times entered the mansion
and walked up to the rooms of the two pri
vate secretaries as late as 9 or 10 o'clock at
night, without seeing or being challenged
| by single soul There were, indeed, two
atteudants--oue for tho outer door and the
other for the door of the official chambers ;
but these-tlIinkinS, suppose that none
would call after Office hours, save persons
who were personally acquainted, OF ha1 the
right of official entry-were, not unfrequetly
somewhat renlss in their duties.
To this fact now ventured to call the
Presidents attention, saying that to me-
perhaps, frommy European educatioN-it
appeared deliberate courting of darger,
even if the country were in state of the
proIoundest peace, for the person at the
head of the nation to remain so unprotected.
" Even granting, Mr.. Lincoln" | said,
that no assassin shuold seek your life. the
large number OF lulatics always in com.
munity. and always larger in times like
these, and the tendency which insanity has
to strike at shining objects, or whonisoever
il most talked abrut, should lead. submit;
to some guards about the lllce, and to some
permanent officers with the power and duty
of questioning all who seek to enter" To
this added some brief sketch of the Ill but
innumerable crazy letters and projects
which were continually being received at
General Halleck' s headquarters, aud which
he had one day l1ughingly turned over to
me, on the ground that | now and then
wrote verses.
There are two dangers, therefore,"
wound up by saying, " the danger of delib-
crate political assassination and tho mere
brute violence of insanity"
Mr.. Lincolu had heard me- with smile.
his hands still locked across his knees, and
his body still rocking back and forth-the
common indication that he was am1sed
Nov, as to political assassination" he
said, "do you think the Richmpnd people
would like to have Hannibal lIamln here
any better than myself? In that one alterna-
! tive, have an insurance on my life worth
half the prairie lind of Illinois. Aud be-
sides"-this more gravely-"if there were
such plot, an! 'thsy wanted to get
at nlr, no Vigilance coull keep them out.
We are so mixed up in out affairs. that.
no matter what the system establishes "a
conspiracy to assassinate, if such there
were, coulI easily obtain pass to see me
for any one or more of its Instruments
/ "To betray fear of this, by placing guards
or SO forth, would only be to put the ilea
into their heads, and perhaps lead to the
very result it was intended to prevent As
to tho crazy folks, Major, why, | must only
take my chances-the worst crazy people
at present, fear, being some of my own
too Jealous adherents. That there may be
such dangers as you and many others have
suggested to me-. is quite pOssibls; but /
guess it wouldn't improve things any to
publish that we were afraid of them in ad-
vance" @
| AT this point the President turned to the
papers / had brought over for his signature.
and signing them, handed them TO me with
some message for General Halleck. Where
upon bowed myself out, and the stream of
omnum-gatherum humanity from the wait,
ing rooms again commenced flowing in upon
him-sometimes in individual, sometimes
in deputational or collective waves.
The whole interview have here narrated.
though taking so much longer to tell, had
probably not endured over ten or fifteen
minutes; and it was the first, although not
the only time, that ! heard MIR. Lincoln
discuss the possibility of an attempt to
assassuate him.
The second time was when he came over
one evening after dinner to General Hd
leck's private quarters 10 prOtost-half
jocnlar.y, half in earnest--lbout small
detachment of cavalry which had been
detached without his requ st, and partly
against his will, by the lsmentel General
Wadsworth, as a guard for his carriage in
going TO and returning from the Soldiers
Home. the burden of his compllint was
that he and Mrs. Lincoln couldn't hear
themselves talk" for the clAtter of their
sa6er and spurs; and that, as many appeared
new hands aud very awkward, be was
more afraid OF being shot by the accidental
discharge of one OF their carbines than OF
any attemp. upon his life or his capture by
a 4 : -