The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1867-10-09

The national heart was warm. 1t gushed
out in liberal endowments for Grant and
Farragut. 1t would as cheerfully have met
the appeal in favor of Mrs. Lincoln if it had
not intuitively closed and chilled. Is -
In her conversations, Mrs. Lincoln is rep
resented as bitterly denouncing Secretary
Seward, for which, Of course, there is no
warrant or excuse, for he wrongs no man,
and muchless is he capable Of injustice,
wrong, or even unkindness, to woman.
But we happen to know-the late Caleb
b. Smith, then secretary of the interior, be-
ing our Informant fact which incensed
Mrs. Lincoln against Mr.. Seward. The
president gave the Prince Napoleon din
ner, for which Mrs. Lincoln sent to the sec
rotary of the interior for payment a bill OF
some $900, This demand, though wholly
illegal, coming from the presidents wife,
embarrassed the secretary, who called upon
the secretary of state for advice, where he
learned that Mr.. Seward had also dined the
Prince, having the same number of guests
and giving them duplicate of the dinner
at the white house. In fact, Mr.. Seward
ordered both dinners from the same res.
taurant, and, by his own bill, knew the cost
of each. For what Mr. Seward paid $500
Mrs. Lincoln demanded $780, But whether
three or nine hundred, the claim was alike
illegal and could not be paid. For this
however, Mrs. Lincoln quarreled with Sec
retaries Smith and Seward. This amount
however, was subsequently convered up in
a gardeners account, but occasioned scandal
which respect for Mr.. Lincoln measurably
suppressed.
Though Mr.. Lincoln left an estate which
| enabled his family to live quite as comfor.
| able as they had ever lived, congress ant
| the people would have promptly and cheer
| fully provided munihcently for them if Mrs
| Lincoln herself, with every advantage thai
| high position gave her, had made friends OIL
| inspired respect. And this last exhibition
proves how instinctively right the populal
! estimate of her character was.
The fact for which Mrs. Lincoln seek
large publicity; namely, that she received
| presents valued at $24,00O,is a pregnan
and suggestive one--suggestive. at least, o.
| offices and contracts, unless the more char
| table construction is reached through thu
assumption that they were expressions o
regard and friendship. But it is not known
that the wife of any other president, howev
er estimable, was so loaded with shawls, Ia
| ces, furs, diamonds, rings, etc.
| Mrs. Lincoln's propensity to sell thing
|
ity was fcreseen. If our information is reli
| able, eleven of Mr.. Lincolns new linel
| shirts were sold almost before the remains
| which were shrouded in the twelfth, hat
started for that ''bourne from whence M
| traveller returns"
Individually, we are obliged to Mrs. Lin
coin for an expression of her ill-will. 1t !;
| pleasant to remember that we were
| ALWAYS ont of favor in that oua~te-
| And it is equally pleasant to remember tina
we possessed the friendship and confidence
| of Mr.. Lincoln to the last hours of his life
| without paying court, as others did, to Mrs
Lincoln, and in spite of her constant effort
| to disturb our relations.
This Notifying revelation will go aboard
and as is natural, the press of Europe wi
make the most of it, in deprecating the in
gratitude of our government, and the wan
| of hberality in the Americans. This consid
alton also constrains us to discharge the III
| pleasant duty of showing that neither tn.
government nor the people are justly obnoA
| ious to these accusations.
From the same paper, Oct. 5.
ut is thousand pities that Messrs. Sew
ard, Weed, &C., had not been in position
where they gould have prevented Mrs. Lin
robe. The public will never know hoy
many foolish things Mr.: Seward stopped
while Mrs. L. was mistress of the whit
house. ''-Boston Transcript.
How few indeed know, or can ever know
how thoughtfully and kindly Mr.. Seward Ia
| bored to conceal the infrmities, and aver
centricities, using the mildest word possible