The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1877-11-29
A FRESH STORY OF LINCOLN.
How He Came to Remark, 81 Have Very
Little Influence With This Administra-

Little Influence With This Administra-
tion'
Washington Letter to Chicago Tribune.l
The recent death of E. l.. Stanton,
son of the great War Secretary, has re-
yiyed some "reminiscences of his father.
Among them is a new version of the
origin of Lincoln's noted declaration,
SCI have no influence with this admins
tration." The following is the story as it
is related by one who claims to have been
an eyewitness
It was in the MINER of 1862. The
army of the Cumberland was inactive in
its campaign. Gen. Mitchell, of Kan
sas, then an active soldier in the army of
the Cumberland, came to Washington to
seek the promotion of a Captain to the
position of Major in the Quartermaster's
Department, there having been a vacancy
created by death. The Captain whose
promotion he sought was man of fine
abilities. Upon arriving here, Gen.
Mitchell went directly to the Office of
Secretary Stanton Mitchell was a SOL
der who had obtained distinction in the
war. He found Stanton resting his mass
i've form upon the desk in the war Office,
which has now become historical. There
was gloom upon his stern face. He had
evidently been troubled by some of the
complications of the great war, the en-
tire response bilities of which he seemed
to consider were placed upon his Shout
ders Stanton heard Gen. Mltchell's
statement, but bad already been notified
of the death OF the Major, whose place
Gen. Mitchell sought to fill. The War
Secretary brusquely replied to Mitchell
that provision had already been made to
fill the vacancy. Gen. Mitchell immedi-
ately re tired to reinforce himself with
greater influence than the simple petit
ton he had OF the officers OF the corps in
which he was stationed.
Gen. Mitchell proceeded directly to
the Office of the President. Mr.. Lincoln
heard the story, and Endorsed his petit
ton with these words: "The Secretary
of War will make the appointment in ac-
cordance with the within request" Gen.
Mitchell accompanied by the then Sen
ator Pomeroy, who was at that time at
the height OF his political influence, re-
turned to the War Department. At the
door of the War Office they were met by
| bluff old Ben Wade, who returned to the
! Secretary with them, feeling curious,
perhaps, to see how Stanton would act
IN obeying the orders of his superior
very different complexion. In the
presence of these three gentlemen, the
petition of the army officers for the pro-
motion desired by Gen. Mitchell, with
the Endorsement of the President there
on, was presented to Stanton without
any comment. Stanton quietly read the
petition and the Endorsement, and ther
deliberately tore the petition into shreds
which he deposited in the waste basket
The three gentlemen were astonished al
what seemed to them, and might very
properly have appeared to anybody, al
act of stupendous impudence. The only
comment that Secretary Stanton made
consisted in the words, uttered in quie
tone, with his large eyes closed some
what behind his spectacles: "The ap
pointment will not be made
The three gentlemen retired speech
less with rage and establishment. Mr.
Stanton was O man much after Bel
Wade's heart. This act of Stanton's hai
aroused the old mans wrath and SCI
loose tongue Which, in it's theological
expression does not always strictly fol
low ecclesiastical euphnoism. A sardoni;
grin played about the grimly mobile fea
lures of old Ben Wade's face. He
clutched his hands as if the sturdy necl
of the rebellious Secretary was within
his vigorous grasp. Wade strobe to the
front, and told his companions to follow
muttering: GIVE will see about this.
Gen. Mitchell was then lame from a re
cent wound, and with Pomeroy, who
was already puffy from rapidly-devel
oped obesity, naturally fell behind
Wade could not wait, and strobe on
driving his tough oaken cane into the
ground, and hurting out oaths as {
rocket leaves sparks in it's trail. The
two Kansas gentlemen might have mag
ined that they were following some Plu
tonic herald. The distance between the
War Department and the White House
is not great. At the threshold of the
executive mansion the irate Ben turned
and, shaking his cane at his two less
swift companions, shouted, "Come on. ,
The twain naturally fastened their steps
for they feared that the heated repre-.
sensations of Mr.. Wade might be less re.
spectful to Stanton than would be
beneficial to their cause
They arrived at the ante-room of the
Presidents Office just in time to hear old
Ben blurt out, "What sort of a -
= clerk do you keep over at the Wan
Department ?" Wade fairly trembled
with rage at what he regarded the indig-
nifty to the Presidential authority. Mr..
Lincoln coolly asked the reason for the
energetic inquiry. Wade told the story
in his emphatic way, how the petition
had been respectfully presented, how
the "clerk in the war Office" had read
the Presidents instructions, and had
then torn the whole document into
| pieces. The President listened to the
story with much apparent nervous
ness, and great agitation was manifest
on his face as the recital proceeded.
After pacing the floor for a few moments
he turned to the gentlemen and said,
The truth is. gentlemen, I have very
little influence with this administration. !"
That is the true story OF this historical
statement OF Lincoln's, as told by an
eye witness. The President. without
further comment, then told the gentle
men to call the next morning, and he
would see what could be done. They
called. The President handed Gen.
Mitchell an official paper, saying,
There is the appointment of your
friend to the position of Major in the
Quartermaster's Department. No fur
ther explanation was offered by the Presi-
dent. The nature of the interview with
his War Secretary was never made pub
lie, but the act of the President shows
that he had, in fact, some little influence
with his administration.
Mules.