National Republican., 1880-08-06

lle IuIiB llCLl siUTp, nc rang lUeiQ strong,
In Aud Lang Syne'
Garfield rang the bells Ut Hiram.
Now glory to our flag Of blue,
And glory, for the hand 50 true
That bore II through the crimson sea,
shall bear 1t still to victory
Three cheers we give the man of war
10 the man Of peace, hurrahl hurrah hurrah
For him who rang the Hiram bells
In "Auld Lang Syne"
lie rang them loud, he rang them long,
lie rang them sharp he rang them strong;
In Aud Lang Syne'
Garfield rang the bells at Hiram,
Mrs. swisshelm on Sensational Letter.
Writers.
To The Editor of The National Republican:
SIR: A more readable book than Half a
Century" by Jane G.. swisshelm, we venture
to say, has not been written for half cen.
tury. Every ono should read 1t for them.
selves, as no criticism could do it justice, could
point out half its good things, or easily set
right what would seem to many its mistaken
views of men and matters. As there never
was another like Mrs. Swisshelm, slls should
be heard herself, speaking in her own way,
aud that way is suro to command listeners.
More than that, so long as sparkling wit and
keen logic command admiration, so loug will
Mrs. S. have it. Better even than that is the
fearless moral courage with which her pen
seems ever guided. If there is another writer
in either the first or tho last half of this
century. who is so utterly fearless in express
ing her or his own convictions, we have never
known of them. The element of policy or
timdity seems to have been left quite out of
her composition. If the windmills Of popular
opinion are all against her convictions, she
attacks them as fearlessly as would Don
Quiyote, ana sometimes instead of being like
the poor knight unhOrsed herself, SHE has
been veritable conquerOr, and the windmills
even have lain broken at her feet
Allow me, Mr.. Editor, to give you one slight
specimen Of her style Of writing against the
current:
My friends wished me to attend presidential re.
| ception, but il was useless to Mr. Lincoln on
the business which brought me TO Washington, and
did not care to see him on yother. Hehod proved
an obstructionist instead Of an Gbolitonist, and
felt no respect for him. while his wife was every
where spoken OF as southern woman with south
ern sympathies, cOnspir0tor against the union. |
wanted nothing to do with the occupants of the
White house, but was told | could 60 and see the
| spectacle without being presented. So went IN
| my broadcoth travelling dress, and lest there
| should be trouble about my early leaye-taking
would not trust my cloak to the servants, but
| walked through the hall with II on my arm. |
watched the president and Mrs. Lincoln receive
His sad earnest, honest mce WAS irresistible IN Its
| plea for confidence, and Mrs. Lincons manner was
simple llOlleIly, unlike that oil all SOUTH
ern women had seen that doubted the tales had
heard. Her head was not that of a couspirator.
She would be incapable of successful deceit, and
whatever her purposes were they must be known
Mr.. Lincoln stood going through one of those
dreadful ordeals Of handshaking working like q
man pumping for life on o sinking vessel, and
was filled with indignation for the selfish people
who made this useless drain on his nervous force
| | wanted 10 stand between him and them and say
stand back and let him live and do his work.
But could not resist going TO him with the rest of
the crowd, and when he took my hand said:
May the LORD have mercy upon you, poor man,
| for the people have none"
He laughed heartily and the men around him
| Joined in mis- meTriment. When | came to Mrs.
Lincoln She did not catch the name nc first, and
asked to hearlI again, lhen repeated II and sud
den glow of pleasure lit her face she held cut her
hand aud said how very glad she was to sec me, |
objected to giving her my hand because my black
g!Oye would soil her white one, but she said:
Then shall preserve the glove TO remember
great pleasure for have long wished to see you"
| Ny escort was more surprised than | by her un-
| usual cordially, and said afterwards:
| ut vas no polite afeclation. | cannot under
\ stand IL from her"
understood at once that had met one with
whom / was In sympathy. No polteness could
have summoned that sudden fash of pleasure.
Her manner was too simple and natural TO have
any art IN IT, and why should she have pretended
| a friendship she did not feel AbOlitonlsts were
at discount. They had gone like the front ranks
ofthe French cavalry st Waterloo, into the sunken
way, TO make bridge over which moderate men
| were rushing to honOrs and emOiumcnts Gideon )
| army nNu NOnc llS work. una gwen place 10 lnS
| camp-lOlowegs, who gathered up the spos of vic
| tory. None were SO poor that they need do them
| reverence, aud | recognized Mrs. Lincoln MS n
| loyal, liuerty-lOying woman, more stauuch even
and Its cause and as my very dear friend for life,
1t is for purpose that have given this ex.
tract and that purpose is to draw attention to
the evil wrought by the sensational letter
writor. 1t is my firm conviction that Mrs. Lin
| coin stood before the country ia false light,
1vFt oil hos sft.
cipe Is to write that which will SELL aud to
effect this reputation, honor and truth are all
sacrificed. Mrs. Lincoln had other friends be.
side Mrs. Swisshelm who esteemed aud re.
| speCted both her moral aud intellectual ma
| ture, | have good reason for thinking that
Charles Sumner was one of them; bat few, save
Mrs. Swsehelm, either in public OF private,
over have spoken word to stem tho torrent
Of Pre- oiudice produced by the reckless letter.
writer, aud received ouly too easily byu upub,ic
eager for some scapcgoat on which to lay tho
blnnders that somebody" committed.
1t is thing known to tho writer OF this
that there were friends Of Mrs. Lincoln who
would have defended hor from unjust accusa.
| tions If she had herself wished IT, She said
sha adopted hor course with her husbands ap-
probation. "All defense Of me would only in.
vito new attacks, and utter silence on the
part of my friends Is the true policy" We
know that many mon distinguished in public
! lifo hold this to be the true way, but If it Is
we need not wonder that "Falsehood travels
over the world, whilo Truth is putting on his
boots to chase It," To US il seems that Mrs.
Lncoln's experience is striking proof Of the
mistake allowing lies to go unoontradicted.
That the sensational lettor.writer is an in.
fluence in our land, against whom good citi.
zens should be warned, is illustrated by fact
which has just come to my knowledge. A lady
in ono of the departments had an engagement
to write both for a republican and demo.
cratic newspaper in the present campaign,
OF course the style must not only be different,
but tho facts also. She was capable Of manu-.
featuring them to suit the case. The praise
of one candidate was shown to the party most
interested aud all went merry as a marriage
bell, until fabricltions, ingeniously woven
with facts, were given to the other side, and,
unfortunately for the writer, became known
TO the party OF the first part as coming from
the source that issued the praiSo, We are
happy to record as an instance Of poetic JUS
tice that tho discovery has lost the writer her
place--but she is "a woman. There are men,
having large iuluerc9 as well.paid letter.