Connecticut western news., 1880-02-11
A New Lincoln Story,
THE PRESIDENTS FlRMNEss AT TIME
 WHEN HE THOUGHT THAT FIRMNEss WAS
 MERCY. --- -


 MERCY.
 The Cleveland Herald tells this story: On raw, gloomy afternoon in the win ter of 1864, Colonel Senter and the writer had an appointment with Presi- dent Lincoln on business connected with the protection of the commerce of the lakes. The war was at tue time the almost exclusive subject of public thought or private conversation. The streets of Washington We're filled with soldiers and army officers, and the whole city was apparently nothing but great camp, to and from which the mem bers of the Army and Navy were constantly going and leaving. The ante-rooms of the White House wore filled daily from morning until evening with mem bers of Congress, soldiers, sailors, men and wo- men of every age and nation, all bent upon getting personal interview with the President. Sometimes the rush of visitors was so great they could not be accommodated in the corridors of the White House, and the order would be given to admit no one except privileged persons into the building.
 On the afternoon in question, as we were about to be ushered into the pri- vate room of the President, MT. J-, well-known lawyer from Ohio, seized both of us somewhat roughly by the shoulders and begged us, in earnest tones, for the love of God and Immunity, to ask Mir. Lincoln to see him and his client, if only for one moment. "An day." he said, "we have tramped wear fly by the door, hoping in vain the President would relent and give us a hearing. Look, for mercy's sake," he continued, Cat that noble whito head and tottering figure, with the hands tightly olasped nervously before him. That old man is father his only son, lad of nineteen, is to be shot this after noon at o'clock unless the President interferes. Stanton has approved the sentence Lincoln has declined to inter fere, he will not see me, and unless we can get the ear of the President the boy will be shot, and this old man and his wife will be maniacs."
 The father of the boy at this moment came forward, venerable gentleman with long white hair falling upon his shoulders. His face was one of the sad dest sights ever saw. The grief and anxiety so plainly written upon it showed the torture he was suffering. We took the old man kindly by the hand, told him we would beg the President to see him, and bid him hope for the best. Mir. Lincoln was in the gayest of humors, something specially funny having taken place in an interview just closed with a large committee from Baltimore, and he recited the whole matter in the merriest manner, accompanied with shouts of laughter. For an hour MT. Lincoln gave himself up to relaxation and rest, telling the usher to bring him no cards till he rang his bell.
 At the end of this time, John G. Nico- lay, then private secretary, now marshal of the Supreme Court, came quietly into the room, leaned over the Presi- dents chair and whispered some words of private conversation in his ear. In an instant the President ceased speaking, his face became calm and solemn in composure, and he appeared to reflect eravely for moment before replying. Quietly looking back over his chair he said slowly and distinctly: "Tell MT. - will not see him. Icannot. Don't ask me again. Tell him have read the papers in the case, all of them fully, word for word. The boy deserted three times, the last time when on guard at Washington, and he cannot be pardoned. will not interfere. He must be shot. '" MT. Nicolay at once left the room, and MT. Lincoln again renewed the conver- sation at the point where he had broken off. He made no allusion to the inter- ruption, and evidently did not wish either of us to speak of the subject in any manner. It was plain that his mind was made up and his decision nrevoca- bls