The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1867-11-15
THE ''MARTYR PRESIDENT AND HIS
WIFE'S OLD CLOTHES.

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as told. by the Radical press, does not
leave the reputation of the "Iamented"
Abraham Lincoln any purer than it
ought to be. Don Piatt's newspaper,
the Ndc-d-cheek Press, extreme Radi-
cal, in late article shows up Mrs. Lin
coins wardrobe, and the doings in the
White House i'll a new light. We COM
mend the following extracts to the at
tentiOn of the Union League and fol-
lowers of this county, and ask them if
it does not presents beautiful picture
to the world, of the corruptions of the
White House and its inmates during
the last administration. Don Piatt
says:
Well, it is shameful enough, God
knows, but in what way it is to attach
to the Republican organization we are
ata loss to discover. That the adver-
tisement, so widely made at this wo-
mans request, exhibits not only her
greed, but the corrupt condition of the
government in which she took so prom
inent part, we are prepared to admit,
and in this view it is damaging to the
late administration. But the cry Ofin-
gratitude is too silly for refutatiOn. 1t
was known to the wide circle that bus
ineSs or social life brought in contact
with the Executive mansion, that its
interior was as gross, vulgar and cor
rupt as it was possible for any house to
be and retain even Semblance of res
pectability. The startled public now
reads its history in a fOrty-thouSand
dollar wardrobe, made up of shaWls,
laceS and diamonds, the gifts of "dear
friends"-how ''dear," the poor public
is now realizing in the millions that
shameless thieves have stolen and are
yet stealing. The saddest part of all
this is the tarnish it casts upon the
sainted memory of the martyr Presi-
dent. How was it possible that these
gifts from ''dear friends" were paid for
signature of Abraham Lincoln, with
out that shrewd man being aware of the
Infamous character of the official, and
the nature of the bargain that brought
him into office? This is a SurmiSe on
ly, but ThurlOW Weed seems deter
mined to bring the business home to
Ine late HreSlQenT.
Mr.. Weed might have added the fact
that this refusal to approve of bare
faced sWindlecOSt Mr.. Smith his seat
in the cabinet, Mr. Lincoln so far SYM
pathizing with his wife in this extra
ordinary transaction. Mr.. Lincoln was
not only as unprincipled and avariciOus
as the late sale indicates, but she was
and is exceedingly ignOrantand stupid,
and yet how are we to account for the
control she exercised over the domes-
tic life and public affairs of the lamen-
ted President. We remember how
panied the loyal hearts of the Union
were to learn that in the darkest hour
of our national pride, when our armies
were paralysed by imbecility, and our
treasury was being robbed by dishonest
agents, while the artillery of the enc
my echoed through the very halls OF
the capitol, dancing, drinking enter
talnment, or ball was given at the
White House. This was shocking, but
it became horrible when the fact leaked
out that, while the noise of revelry
shook the etime-hOnOred ma nsiOn, in one
of the upper chambers child of the
host and hostess lay dying of fever,
that had set in and alarmed the family
physician, when the cards of invitation
were being issued. We turn away
from the inner life of this White House,
that was indeed a Whitened se2ulchre,
in sorroWing disgust, and feel ashamed
through all our being that the curtain
was ever lifted to let light in on its
loathSome contents.
What picture for our country and
the world to contemplate! A cabinet
minister is removed by the President
because he refuses to pay a fraudulent
bill presented by the Presidents wife
This makes the late President q party
to that sWindling transaction. Mr..
Lincoln must have been aware that
the gifts from ''dear friends" were paid
for in lucrative offices given under his
own signature. Reader, what think
you when you are told by personal
and political friend of President Lin
coin, that everything within the White
House, during his administration "aCas
as gross, UuLgar and corrupt as it rds
possible for any house to be and retain
eUe1e q sen16ld11ce Of respectdbRHy."
We had rather these things, for the
credit of the country, had not been
made known, but as they are now di-
vulged by the friends of the late Presi-
dent, we are in favor of having them
ventilated to the bottom.
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