Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-04-05


ue,' | will read TO you, verbatim, what
advised my friend, both on his own account
and the Presidents, not to print nine years
ago. Hawthorne and his party had gone in
to the President 5 room, annexed, as he says,
as supernumeraries to a deputation from a
Massachusetts whip factory, with a present
of splendid whip to the Chief Magistrate
. By and by there was Titles stir on the
staircase and in the passage-way, and In
lounged a tall, loose-jointed figure, of an ex-
aggerated Yankee port and demeanor, whom
las being the homliest man | ever saw, vet
by no means repulsIve or disagreeable,) it
was impossible not to recognize as Uncle
Abe.
" UnquestiOnably, western man though he
be, and Kentuckan by birth, President Lin
con is the esseDti representative Of all Yam
KEGS, and the veritable specimen, physically,
of what the world seems determined to re-
gard as our characteristic qualities 1t is
the strangest and yet the fittest thing in the
jumble Of human yicissitudes that he, out OF
/ so many millions, unioOked-for, unsolicited
I by any Ineligible process that could be
/ based upon his genuine qualities, unknown
/ TO those who chose him, and unsuspected of
what endowments may adapt him for his
/ tremendous responsibility, should have
/ found the way open to bin to fling his lank
personality into the chair Of state-where. [
presume, it was his first impulse to throw
his legs on the council table and tell the Cab
met ministers a story. There is no describing
his awkwardness, nor the uncouthncss Of his
movement; and yet 1t seemed as if had
been in the habit Of seeing him daily. and
had shaken hands with him a thousand times
in some village street so true was he to the
aspect of the pattern American, though with
a certain extravaganza which, possibly, | ex-
aggcrated still further by the delighted eager
ness with which l took 1t in. If put to guess
his calling and livelihood, | should have
taken him for country schO0lmaster as
soon as anything else. lie was dressed in
rusty black frock-coat and pantaloons. un-
brushed, and worn so faithfully that the suit
had adapted itslf to the curves and ANGULAR
ties OF bis figure, and had grown to be an
outer skin Of the man. lie had shabby slip
pers on his feet. His haIr was black, still
unmlxed with gray, still somewhat bushy
and had apparently not been acquainted with
brush and comb that morning after the dis
arrangement of the pillow and as to a night
cap, uncle Abe probably knows nothing Of
such etfeminacies. HIS complexion Is dark
and sallOw, betokening, | fear, an insalu-
brious atmosphere around the W hite House
he has thick black eyebrows and an impend-
Ing brow; his nose is large, and the lines
about his mouth are very strongly def ed
The whole physioguomy is as coarse one
as you would meet anywhere in the length
and breath OF the States but wthal, il re-
deemed, illuminated, soltcned, and bright
ened, by a kindly though serious look out
Of his eyes, and an expression o. homely sa-
gactty, that seems weighted with rich re-
suits OF village experience. A great deal OF
native sense, no bOokish cultivation no re-
hnement honest at heart, and thoroughly
50, and, yet in some sort sly-at least, en-
dowed with a sort of tact and wisdom that
are akin to craft, aud would impel him, |
think, to take an antagonist ID flank, rather
than To make a bull-run at him n ght in front
But, on the whole, liked this sallOw, queer
sagacIous visage, with hOmely human sym
pathies that warmed 1t and, for nv small
share 10 the matter, would as lief have uncle
Abe for a ruler as any man whom it would
have been practicable To put in his place.
. Immediately on his entrance tie Prc-i-
dent accoeted our member Of Congress. who
had Us in charge, and with a comical twist
of his face, made some ocular remark about
the length OF his breakfast. lie them greeted
Us all round, not waiting for an Introduction,
but shaking and squeezing everybody hand
with the utmost cOrdialIty, whether the in
diylduals name was announced 10 him or
not His manner towards us was wholly
without prctense. but yet a kind of natural
dignity, quite sufficient To keep the forward
est of us from claVpIng him on the shoulder
and asking for story. a mutual acqualn-
tance being established, our leader took the
whip out OF its case. and began to read the
address of presentation. The whip was
exceedingly long one, it's handle wrought in
ivory ,(by some artist in the Massachusetts,
State Prison, | bclieve,) and Ornamented
with a medallion OF the president, and other
equally beautiful devices and along its
whole length there was a succession Of golden
bands and ferulcs. The address was shorter
than the whip, but equally well made, con-
sisting chiefly Of an explanatory description
of these artistic designs, and closing with
hint that the gift was suggestive and EN-
blematic one, and that the President wOu d
recognize the use to which such an instru-
ment should be put.
'' This suggestion gave Uncle Abe rather
a delicate task IN Ills reply, because slight
as the matter seemed, it apparently called for
some declaration or intimariOn, or faint fore
shadowing of policy in reference to the con-
duct Of the war, and the final treatment Of
the rebels, But the President Yankee apt
ness and MOTTO be caughtness stood him IN
good stead and he ierkcd or wiggled him
self out Of the dilemma with an uncouth
dexterity that was entirely in character
although, without his gcsticulation Of eye
and mouth-and especially the flourish of
the whip, with which he had imagined him
self touching up pair Of fat horses doubt
whether his words would be worth recording,
even if | could remember them The gist OF
the reply was, that he accepted the whip as
an emblem Of peace, not OF punishment and
this great affair over, we retired out of the
presence in high good humOr only rcgretting
that he could not have seen the President sit
down and fold up his legs (Which is SAID to
be a most extraordinary spectacle,) or have
heard hin tell one Of those delectable stories
for which be is so celebrated A good many
of them are aflOat upon the common talk Of
Washington, and arc certainly the aptest,
pithiest and funniest little things imagina-
bic ; though, to be sure, they smack OF the
frontier freedom, and would not always bear
repetition in a drawing room or on the i'm
maculate page of the Atlaatic.'
- So runs the passage which caused some
good natured-dscussiOn nine years ago be-
tween the contri Dutor and the editor. | see
by your looks, dear Jack. that you think
was squeamish, perhaps. not to have been
willing to print this matter at that time.
Others, no doubt, viii share your opinion,
but as both President and author have long
ago met on the other side of criticism and
magazines, we Will leave the subject to their
decision, they being most interested in the
transaction. / did what seemed best in 1862.
In 1871 circumstances have changed with
both parties, and | venture to-day what
hardly dared then