Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1876-11-17
"REMINISCENCES OF MIR. LINCOLN

There was an interesting though unim-
portant scene in the life of Abraham Lin
coin, of which / was an eyewitness. 1t
was on the occasion of a visit of about
twenty Indian chiefs to the Executive Man
sion, delegated by their respective tribes to
treat personally with the Great Father in
the adjustment of their affairs. They were
habited in their attire of feathers and paint,
and each one was impressed with the great
ness of the occasion, and the most event.
full, probably, of their lives. Their inter-
prefer placed them in the form of cres-
cent, in the spacious East Room, on the
floor, as they would have been i'll at ease
on chairs. Thus they sat on the carpet IN
decorous silence and waited the arrival of
the Chief Magistrate.
A number of people had been invited to
be present at the interview. among whom
were officers, civil and military, and foreign
diplomates, accompanied by their wives in
fashionable toilet. Several of the latter,
whose feet had not long left the asphalt of
the boulevards of Paris, looked on the cop
per-colored men-twO or three using eye
glasses-with peculiar interest; the objects
of it, however, sat under the close obserVa-
ton with calm dignity, as calm as If they
had been in the habit of sitting amidst the
gaudy splendors Of an East-roOm, and OF
being looked upon, every day, by distln-
guished men and handsome women; the
absence of any manifestation OF surprise
being a characteristic Of Indian nature.
At length Abraham Lincoln came into
the room and. stood before the dusky cres-
cent. while a group of well-knOwn men
gathered behind him, to hear what was
about to take place; space being made by
ushers about the chiefs, the President and
the immediate group behind him. The ia
terpreter occupied place near Lincoln, to
turn the aboriginal language into English
as it fell from the lip. The ceremony be-
gan by personal presentation OF each
chief to the Great Father, each one going
up to the powerful white chief and shaking
hands-nOt extending the hand after the
Caucasian manner, but holding it high and
dropping it softly down into the Preslden-
| tial palm. The names were furnished as
thew came forward by the interpreter
White Bear, Big Wolf, Red Fox, and so
on. r.z .....
The face of Lincoln was plainly seen by
most of the people present, for it was high
er than that of any other. When he came
into the room il was, as usual, pale, and
tinged with the sadness which was its pnD-
cipal characteristic in repOse. He folded
awkwardly as he waited for the interview
| to begin. After making his compliments
and shaking hands, each Indian returned
to his seat on the carpet in the crescent OF
his brethren. When all had performed the
ceremony, each one in turn made his speech
to the President, standing up for the pur-
pose, and sitting down when done, In par
| fiamentary fashion, probably through IN
struetions from the interpreter. The nrst
one who essayed to talk grew nervous, and
| in hurried way asked for chair IN the
| spirit Of wrecked mariner who seeks for a
| plank. When it was furnished him, he took
| his seat and resumed the entangled thread
| of his discourse. As this trihing incident
took place, smile passed over the faces OF
| the spectators, and was reflected in that OF
| Lincoln. This smile, indeed, deepened in
| to an audible laugh, in the rear; but when
| the ear Of the President caught it, his face
Immediately Strengthened into seriousness
and sympathy with the disconnected Indi-
an. He did not at once begin, and the in
| terpreter said:
"Mr. President, White Bear asks for
time to collect his thoughts"
The President bowed, and another s. mile
went round at the plight OF the perturDed
Indian, but did not appear on the face OF
Lincoln,
Soon White Bear rose to his feet, went at
| it again, and after fashion got through
with what he wanted to say, at which there
was murmur of applause.
The burden of their speeches was the
same. They had all come such a long dis
tance, and so quickly, that they fel. as il
they were birds, To see the Great Father
| had been the wish of their lives. They were
poor and required help. They had always
respected their treaties, and were the
friends Of the white man. They wanted to
be prosperous and rich like their white
brother Big Wolf particularly enlarged on
this theme. He said he would like to have
horses and carriages, suasages such rs he
ate in the hotel in Washington, and q fine
wigwam-''ike this, added he, as he des-
ignated the highly Ornamented apartment
| in which he stood. At this, the Pre- sident
could not restrain the desire to share in the
general smile.
Red Fox was the attorney and orator of
the delegation. He dwelt on the gratitica-
tion he experienced at seeing the Great
Father. 1t was the proudest and most inn