The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-08-23


How Lincoln Was Underratet.
The diary Off public manlnow appear
ingin the North American Rerirlc throws q
strong light on the Jlstrust which poll
ticians and people generally had Of Mr..
Lincoln when he came to Washington in
the spring of 1851. This uncouth west
erner, with his disposition to tell stories
and "measure backs" the persistence
with which he kept his own counsel and
refused to put hiwself in the hands Of
Mr.. Seward, filled the patriotic and de-
cOrous people Of the North with dismal
doubts Of the future. Then that he should
"sneak into Washington" disguised, and
by an ignominious midnight ride, was an
exhibition Of perturbation which people
could scarcely persuade themselves there
wa any occasion for. The whole
North snoozed on its volcano, aud
was disappointed that the presi.
dent.elect should so lar believe
in detectives bugaboos as to think
any precautions necessary 10 his welfare
in repairing to the capital OF the nation.
The diarist who contributes the above
papers found this feeling almost every.
where. Attorney General Stanton was
bitter with it. Seward had 1t, but tried ia
laugh it of, yet he heard, the next day,
that It was Seward, who, at Gen. Scots
urgent request, sent his son to Philadel
phiA 10 warn Mr.. Lincoln OF danger.
"Scott," said Douglas, ''is an old woman
in this business who does with Seward
what he pleases." Douglas thought the
Blairs were cajoling Lincoln into a policy
that would end in civil war, by which
slavery would be abolished, when the
Blais would bring forward their projec'
of expelling the negro race from the con,
tinent. Here is what Douglas thought O.
Lincoln:
l asked Senator Douglas how it could
have been possible for anybody TO per
suade Mr.. Lincoln into such asuicidal act,
unless he is a lamentably weak and
pliable character. "No, he is not that,
sir" was his reply; "but he is eminently
. man Of the atmosphere which surrounds
him. He has not yet got out Of Spring.
field, sir. He has Springfield people with
him. He has his wife with him. He does
not know that no Is President elect OF the
United States, sir. He does not see that
the shadow he casts is any bigger now
than it was last year. II will not take long
10 find II out when he has got established
in the White House. But he has not
found 1t out yet, Besides, he knows that
heis a minority President, and that breaks
him down." Mr.. Douglas then went on to
give me some painful details as to Mr..
Lincoln's domestic life and habitual as.
soCiations in Illinois, which were very dis,
couraging. He wound up by saying that
he had made up his mind to see MIR.
Lincoln at once and tell him tho truth.
About this time, that is barely a week
before the Inauguration, the Seward men
found Mr.. Lincoln very firm in his attach,
ment TO Mr.. Chase, and began to set up
that If Chase went into the cabinet Mr..
Seward could not do so. Weed and 9th.
ers were gathering a delegation to 60 to
Washington and see the P~resident-elect
on this point. On the 18th Of February
the diarist saw Mr.. Lincoln for q half hour
and apparently for the first time entered
into conversation, and for the purpose Of
urging some nomination to the cabinet
which he leaves blank. He was sorry to
find Lincoln worried about the safety OF
Washington and in doubt about the ldeli.
ty oil Capt. Stone, who was in command
there. The visitor knew Stone, however,
and assured Mr.. Lincoln on that point.
During the conversation a note was handed
him 10 read:-
] recognized Senator Summers hand.
writing as | tookit, and was not, therefore,
particularly surprised to find 1t alarmish.
and mysterious In tone, bidding Mr.. Lin
coin, Tor particular reasons, to be very
careful how he went out alone at night. l
saw that Mr.. Lincoln watched me while l
read the note, and l perhaps may have
expressed In my countenance an opinion
OF the communication which I did not
think 1t civil TO pnt into words, merely re-
iterating, as Ilaidit back on the table, my
" conviction that there was nothing 10
fear in Washington, and no occasion for
measures likely 10 influence the public
mind %unfavorably in other parts OF the
country, AS l arose to go, Mr.. Lincoln
pulled himself together up outof the chair,
into which he had packed himself, and,
scanning me good naturally for
o moment, said, very abruptly:
"You never put backs with Sumner,
did your l suppose / looked as much
surprised as ] felt; but l laughed and said
that ! did not think l ever had done so.
"Well l suppose not he said; and then,
h~esitating a moment, went on: "When
he was in here I asked him to measure
with me, and do you know he made a
little speech about it." I tried to look
civilly CURIOUS, and Mr.. Lincoln, with an
indescribable glimmer all over his face.
continued: "Yes," he said, che told me
6o thought this was time for uniting our
fronts and not our backs before the enc.
mics Of the country or something like
that. II was very fine. But ! recEoned
the truth was"-and OF this point / was
compelled against my will to laugh aloud
~ reckon the truth was he was-afraid to
measured And with this he looked down
with some ~complaceny on his own really
lndescribable length Of limb. "He is a
good piece OF Q man, though, Sumner" he
added, half quizzically, haltapologetically,
"and good Imam. l have never had much
to do with bishops down where we live;
but, do you know, Sumner Is Just my idea
ola bishop" At that moment q door
opened, and alady came in, In not a very
ceremontous way, l thought, dressed as Il
NlthAr inst nhnnf To m inin thA nknnnk On