The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1875-07-02
ABRAHAM LINCOLN'S WIDOW.
Truth and Patriotism of Her Character Revealed.

| Ii. y. ingerSOil Writes lFOin NdSuillS-
ton to the SpringfCl Ia Republican as ioI-
1 lows:
Your notice of a sad calamity which
places Mrs. Lincoln in the hospital for
the insane brings to my mind some incl
dents which occurred in the spring of
1864, that then vainly desired to give
to the public, but which may now with
ont improperly be published. That
they may tend to n kinder Judgment of
one who has suffered much from IN
kind criticism, is my fervent hope. 1t
was in the spring of 1864, that the effort
was made to serve the Union cause,
through the Ladies' National Covenant
to purchase no imported goods for three
years or for the war" 1t was my lot to
call upon Mrs. Lincoln for her signature
to the pledge. She impulsively said, she
would give her name most readily to it,
but thought that Mr.. Lineoln's consent
ought to be obtained, before using it,
and some delay was created by waiting
was while waiting for tbs that had an
interview of nearly an nour with Mrs.
Lineoln-and came away from that in
teryiew feeling that neCer had found
person more unlike the newspaper re-
ports of her than she seemed to be. We
talked much of the war, of slavery, and
e 4 IL
had both lost children could talk. At
that time Mrs. Lincoln was charged in
the papers with sending information to
the enemy by her sister, who had re-
Gently been in Washington. To NE she
said that she had refused 10 see that sis
ter, although generals of the Union army
had been sent to solicit an interview
81 would not let her cross my threshold
nor any who was an enemy of my coun-
try, " said she. OF slavery, and her own
experience of it, while she lived in a
slave state, she gave me some very inter
esting reeitals, and her expressions were
strong enough to satisfy any abolitionist.
l remember that she said: 'Mr. Sum
ner says he wishes my husband was as
ardent an abolitionist as | am" l ven
tured to allude to the way in which she
had been misrepresented by the papers,
and that l thought the truth ought to
be told about her, particularly that the
charges in relation to her rendering
GGai1 an6 oO,,,forf1 70 tho ana,n1y b,r ho,
sister, should be contradieted. "Oh,"
said she, ''it is no use to make any de-
fense; all such efforts would only make a
target for new attacks. / do not belong
to the public; my character is wholly
domestic, and the public have nothing
to do with it. know it seems hard that
bitter tears about it, but since i have
known real sorrOw-siDee little Willie
died, all these shafts have no power to
wound me. IL could lay my head on
my pillow at night, and feel that / had
wrOnged no one, that is all have wish
ed since his death" This was said with
| >
that l confess l did not listen to with
| dry eyes. She talked much as mothers
will talk, of the child that had died, Of
| the peculiar nearness and dearness of the
mothers boy" as Willie used to call
himself, and 1 left her with my heart
running over with sympathy toward
woman that had hitherto estimated, to
say the least, not highly. Invent back to
ArmOry Square hospitalCthen my home,
wrote for the little HospitGf Gdzette, of
which | had the charge, such an account
Of the interview as | thought might
properly De given to the public, with
the purpose of presenting truer
picture of Mrs. Lincoln, than the one
popularity held. | remember writing
that ''if Mrs. Lincoln was not patriotic
woman and one of the noblest senti-
ments, also, then she was to my mind,
the best actress in America Upon
reading my article to lady friend, not
more prejudieed against Mrs. Lincoln
than was every body else, she begged
Inc not to publish it. "YOu will only be
laughed az for credulity; no one will be
lieve you, and you will be dOinga most
uuwise thing TO put your sentiments in
print" 81 shall be doing just thing'I
replied, ''and, If Mrs Lincoln VIII not
object, | shall certainly do il, but ] feel
that | have no right to print her private
conversation without asking her leave"
'Oh" said my friend, ''she will be
only too glad too have anything so com
plimentary to her published. IeneIos-
ed my article to Mrs Lincoln, asked her
consent to print and received a re-
quest that / wonld come again and see
her. When / went, she placed the ar
tiele in my hand, thanked me, and told
me that she appreciated my motive, and
that 1 was very kind, but she still felt
sure that it was best for her that no
friend should defendi her, or say any
thing about her. imprint: she had "A right
to privacy, and she could not allow even
her friends to break over the rule she,
with her husbands approval, had laid
dOwn-which was utter silenceji in the
press on her part. of eOurse / was
obliged to keep silent after this-only
that ! impressed my lady friend that she
had ''at least mistaken Mrs. Lineoln's
wishes in regard to having commend
atory articles published about her
and when 1 have had opportunity since
| have given my spoken testimony
against the popular current OF dispraise
to this. much suffering and as / believe
unjustly estimated women. But now
that the development Of! calamity is
likely to change and soften many of the
unkind aspersiOns from which Mrs Lin
cold has suffered, il seems to NE quite
right that ! should at hast give to her the
small tribute of justice, that, years since,
my heart and Judgment prompted. There
is little doubt in my own mind that Mrs
Lincoln would have been defended in
print by Others as well As myself during
the time that she was so much written
against, but for the rule Of silence that
she herself imposed upon her friends.
THE Ohio State Journal thus solilo-
quizes: ''It don't mean anything Of