The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1867-10-11
Mrs. Lincoln and her Wardrobe.


Mrs. Abraham Lincoln says that
the $22, 600 W orth of property left her
by her husband does not yield a sniff
cient income for her support, and
therefore she sends large lot of per-
sonal property, consisting of valuable
laces, shawls, jewelry, &c, to Mr. VIM.
II Brady, commission merchant of
New York, for sale. The articles
were gifts of dear friends and in
her first letter to Mr. Brady she says:
"The circumstances are peculiar and
painfully embarrassing, and | hope
you will endeayor to realize as much
as possible from them. At first it
was proposed to sell the goods under
the assumed name of Mrs. Clark, but
as they did not not sell they are now
offered as the property of Mrs. Lin
coin. Mrs. Lincoln complains bitter
ly of the condnct of Seward, Weed and
Raymond, whom she says the President
detested. In reply to an intimation
that her course wonld injure the Re
publican Party, she wrote:
an the cause of this party for uni
versal freedom my beloved husband s
precious life was sacrificed, nor for the
world would l do anything to injure
the cause MY heart is very anxious
for its success, Notwithstanding the
very men for whom my husband did
so much, unhesitatingly deprived me
of all means Of support, and left me
in pitiless condition. The necessi-
ties of life are upon me, urgent and
imperative, and | am scarcely remov-
ed from want so different from the
lot my loving and devoted HUSBAND
would have assigned me and | find
myself left to struggle for myself
am compelled to pursue the only
course left mo-immediately within
the next week to sell these goods, an(
if not wholly disposed of by Wednes
day, Oct Goth, on that day please sci
them at ~ elton, after ADVERTISING yer,
largely that they are MY goods.
In mother letter she says
CAS- you mention that my good
have been valued Mt $4,000, | will b.
willing to maka reduction of S. 0I
and reinquish them for 10000 in five
Notwithstanding less. fins is no
accomplished, | will continue to adj
vertise largely until every article j
sold, / must have means to live. a
least in medium comfortable style.
Mrs. l.. !"
Mrs. Lincoln has not shown mucl
wisdom in exposing her private affair
to the world; and, We think, she coul,
have obtained sufficient peeuuiaiy al,
10 support her comfortably, if she ha,
gone to work in the right way, withou
selling the gifts of dear friends -
Thurlow Weed, in an article in til
New York Commercial ADVERTISER, tell
of some proceedings of Mrs Lincol
that are not very creditable to tina
L<dy. He says that Mrs. Lincoln la
no warrant on eqcuse for denouncini
Secretary Seward, and relates the fol
lowing:
But We happen to know lat
Caleb Is, Smith, then Secretary Of tn
Interior being our informant "A fac
which incensed Mrs Lincoln agains
Mr. Seward. The President gave til
Prince Napoleon dinner, for whic
Mrs. Lincoln sent to the Secretary @
the Interior for payment a bill of som
$500. This demand, though who'll
illegal, coming from the President
wife, embarrassed the Secretary, VIII
called upon the Secretary Of State fo
advice, where he learned that Nj
Seward bad also dined the Prime,
having the same number of guests
aud giving tilsm a duplicate OF th
diGner at the White House.
IN fact, Mr.. Seward ordered bot
dinners from the same restaurant, an
by his own bill knew the cost of eacl
For what MIR. Seward paid $500 Mn
Lincoln demand led 5000 But whetl
er three or nine hundred the clan
was alike illegal. and could not /
paid. For tins. however, Mrs. In
coin quarrelled with the Secretari,
Smith and Seward. This amour
however, was subsequently, cpyele
up in u gardeners account, but occ
stoned scandal, which respect for NJ
Lincoln measurably suppressed.