The Montana post. [volume] (Virginia City, Montana Territory [i.e. Mont.]) 1864-1869, 1867-10-26
AN ACT OF FOLLY.

aNt-.l| .la ~
We devote a considerable space in to-
days paper to the present. sensation, in
Eastern journals, only deserving of no.
tice from the fact that the Democratic
press is trying to make capital out of
the fact of Mrs. Lincoln disposing of
articles of her wardrobe. claiming that
it is ingratitude on the part of the Re
publican party to permit her to be
reduced to such humiliating condition.
The truth of the matter is this Mrs.
Lincoln is vain, frivolous woman. She
has made bid for notoriety, and secures
it by adding another chapter to her vol
ume of follies. She calls certain Repub-
licans ingrstes and makes other harsh
allusions, because they have not feted,
aud jeweIled, and housed her in a snmp-
tuous palace. filed with a troop of liv-
cried lacquies. In the first place, she
has $4,000 appropriated by Congress +;
home in Springfield, III, that being
good enough for Abraham Lincoln is
probably good enough for her $1,700
per annum of an income, and can, when
occasion requires, spout" $4,000 worth
of her wardrobe without cutting much
closer on her necessary apparel than
1000 dresses, $50 haddkerchiefs, $3.50
parasol covers, and $1,000 solitaire dia-
mond rings. This does not look very
distressing. AS the widow of Abraham
Lincoln she was doubtless entitled to
considerate kindness at the hands of the
American people. She had little else to
urge in her. behalf Before the Republic
crowned hini with official honors, she
was ashamed of her homely lord. As
mistress of the White House, life of
Unsuitable vanity, fashionable dissipa-
ton and frivolous extravaganza char
acterized her reign, while the nation
was in suffering and tears Her loyalty
was doubted, her conduct endured un-
der sufferance, and no woman ever occu-
pied her position of whom fewer approx
ing words were spoken. She was the
dark shadow on his administration that
it required his honest, loyal purity OF
heart to redeem; and when he died and
the pulses of a loving people beat low as
they followed in sadness and sorrow the
remains of one of the worlds greatest
heroes to the grave, she was peddling
out his linen shirts at SO much apiece.
Now, as last act of folly, when, admit
ting she was necessitated to dispose OF
unnecessary articles from a queens
wardrobe, what pretext could any sensi'
bic woman offer for posting about the
country and putting up at second rate
hotels in New York, with family and
servant, under an assumed name, while
at the same time authorizing Broadway
pawnbroker to bruit about the name OF
Mrs. Abraham Lincoln for the sake OF
selling a lot of old clothes. 1t was a
transaction that should have been con
Quoted by an agent. wi'h prudent secrc
cy. Her conduct is Sufficient to slow
that she is not entitled to any great son
sideration at the hands of the friends Of
Abraham Lincoln. More than that, she
is unfit to wear his name, and the peo
pie who would else have thought Of hel
fIrgivingly, will in their hearts divorce
her memory from his. Josephine wa:
extravagant as the wife of the Great
Emperor, but in the retirement of NAL
maison, divorced and exiled from the
Court, won the hearts of the French
The widow of Marco Bozarris, living
secluded in a little village of Greece
without ostentation or pride. inspired
the poet to a tribute TO her husband
immortal as his deeds of patriotic valor
and millions have paid their heart hon.
age TO his noble wife. The American peo
pie never loved man more than they Low
ed AbrahamLincoln, and she who would
have borne his name worthily would
have never known the want OF love, pro
lection and reverence. By her own indis
cretion she has forfeited it, and this las
episode of folly will fully justify tn
indifference she asserts has been mani
tested by the Republican party.