The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-12-11

described it, a very distinct dream
about nothing. Far different in this
respect was the strange dream which
President Lincoln had the night be.
lore he was shot. If the story was
truly told by Mr.. Stanton to Dick
ems, the case is one of the most curl
Gus on record. Dickens thus told it
In letter to John Forster: son the
afternoon OF the day on which the
PRESIDENT was shot there was Cab
met council, at which he presided.
Mr.. Stanton being at the time com.
mander' in chief of the northern
troops that were concentrated here
arrived rather late. Indeed they
were waiting for him, and on his
entering the room the President
broke off in something he was say.
ing, and remarked, Let us proceed
to business, gentlemen.' Mr.. Stanton
then noticed with surprise that the
t,resieient sat witlfa1i ar or uluusfy
in his chair, instead Of lolIing about
in the most ungainly attitudes, as his
lnYarlable custom was, and that in
stead Of telling irrelevant and ques-
tienable stories, he was grave and
calM and quite different man. Mr..
Stanton, on leaving the council with
the attorney general, said to him,
That is the most satisfactory cabinet
meeting l have attended for many q
long day. What an extraordinary
change in Mr.. Lincelnp The At
torney General replied, we all saw
it before you came in. While we
were waiting for you," he said, with
his chin down to his breast, Gentle
men, something extraordinary is 60
ing to happen, and that very soon.'
To which the Attorney General had
observed, Something good, sir,
hope p when the President answered
very gravely, Il don't know-I don't
know AS they were all impressed
by his manner the Attorney General
took him up again. Have you re-
ceiyed any information, sir. not yet
disclosed to us?' No. answered the
President, but have had dream.
And L have now had the same dream
three times. Once on the night pre-
csding the battle of Bull Run. Once
on the night preceding another"
manning battle also not favorable to
the North.) His chin sank on his
breast again, and he sat rejecting.
might one ask the nature of this
dream. SIR" said the attorney -gener-
al. ,"Well," replied the President,
without lifting his head or changing
his attitude, II am on a great broad,
rolling river-and | am in boat
and l drift land 1 drift!-but this
is not business"-suddenly raised his
face and looking around the table as
Mr.. Stanton entered -"let us proceed
to business, gentlemen" Mr.. Stan.
ton and the attorney general said, as
they walked on together, it would bs
curious to notice whether anything
ensued on this, and they agreed to
notice. He was shot that night"
Here the dream itself was not re-
markable, it was such a one as might
readily be dreamed by a man from
the Western States who had been
often on the broad rolling rivers.
Nor was its recurrence remarkable.
The noteworthy point was the oc-
curence of the dream three several
times. and las may be presumed from
the effect which the dream produced
on its recurrence) those three times
only, on the night preceding grea.
misfortune for the cause of the North.
However, there is nothing in the
story which cannot be attributed to
merely casual coincidence. though
the coincidence was sufficiently curi~
Gus. AS three years had elapsed
from the time of Lincoln's death
when Stanton told Dickens the story,
it is possible that the account may
have been incorrect in soms details.