The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-08-11
SOME ANECDOTES OF LINCOLN.

saddened him to see others suffer, and
he shrunk from infiicting pain. Let
me illustrate his kindness and tender
ness by one or two incidents. One
summers day. WALKING along the
shaded path leading from the Execu-
tive Mansion to the War Office, / saw
the tall, awkward form of the Presi-
dent seated on the grass, under tree.
A wounded soldier, seeking back pay
and a pension, had met the President,
and, having recognized him, asked his
counsel. Lincoln sat down, examined
the papers of the soldier, and told him
what to do. sent him to the proper bu-
reau with note, which secured prompt
attention.
After the terribly destructive battles
between Grant and Lee. in the Wilder
ness of Virginia, after days of dread
slaughter, the lines of ambulances,
conveying the wounded from the
steamers on the Potomac to the great
field hospitals on the heights around
Washington, would be continuous
one unbroken line from the wharf to
the hospital. At such time l have
seen the President, in his carriage,
driving slowly along the line, and be
looked like one who had lost the dear
est members of his own family. On
one such occasion, meeting me. he
stopped and said, "I cannot bear this;
this suffering, this loss of life-is dread
full" recalled to him line from a
letter he had years before written to a
friend, whose great sorrow he had
sought to console. Reminding him of
the incident, | asked him, 800 you re-
member writing to your suffering friend
these words: and this, too, shall pass
away; never fear. Victory will come. ="
An atlantic port, in one of the Brit
ish provinces, was, during the war, a
great resort and refuge for blockade
runners, and a large contraband trade
was said to have been carried on from
that port with the Confederates. Late
in the summer of 1864, while the cleo
ton of President was pending, Lincoln
being a candidate, the Governor-Gen-
eral of that province, with some of the
principal officers, visited Washington,
and called to pay their respects to the
Executive. Mr.. Lincoln had been very
much annoyed by the failure of these
officials to enforce, very strictly, the
rules of neutrality. but he treated his
guests with great courtesy. After a
pleasant interview, the Governor, al
Iuding to the approaching Presidential
election, said, jokingly, but with q
grain of sarcasm, Il understand, Mr..
President, every body votes in this coun-
try. If we remain until November, can
we votc?"
''You remind me-" replied the Pres
ident, ''of u countryman of yours,
green emigrant from Ireland. Pat
arrived in New York on election day,
and was, perhaps, as eager as your
EXcellency to vote, and to vote early
and late and often. 50, upon his land
inc at Castle Garden, he FASTENED to
the nearest voting place, and, as he APP
preached, the Judge who received the
ballots inquired, Whom do you want
to vote for? on which side are you?'
Poor Pat was embarrassed, he did not
know who were the candidates. He
stopped, scratched his head, then, with
the readiness of his countrymen, he
said:
Il am torment the Government, any
how. Tell me, il your Honor phases,
which is the rebellion side, and I'll tell
you how l want to vote. In Oald Ire
land was always on the rebellion side.
and, by Saint Patrick I'll stick TO that
same in America
Your Excellency," said Mr.. Lin
coin, would, L should think, not be at
loss on which side to VOTE
The two books he read most were the
Bible and Shakespeare. With them he
was familiar, reading and quoting from
them constantly. Next to Shakespeare,
among tho poets. was Burns, with
whom he had q hearty sympathy, and
upon whose poetry he wrote a lecture.
He was extremely fond of ballads, and
OF simple, sad and plaintive music.
I called one day at the White House,
to intfolucc two officers of the Union
army, both Swedes. Imma lately he
began and repeated from memory, to
the delight of his visitors, q long ball
lad, descriptive of Norwegian scenery.
Morse legend, and the adventures of
an old Viking among the fiords of the
North.
He said he had read the poem IL a
newspaper, and She visit of these Swedes
recalled it to his memory.
On the last Sunday of his life, rs he
was sailing up the Potomac, returni n 9
to Washington from his visit to Rich
mond. he real aloud many extracts
from Macbeth, and, among others, the
following, and with tone and accent
so impressive that, after his DEATH it
was wildly recalled by those who
heard him:
Duncan is in his grave;
After life's ftful fever. he sleeps well:
Treason has done his worst; nor steel, nor
poison,
MMaIic Malice domestic, FOREIGN levy, nothing,
Can touch him fuTthert"
It is strange that any reader of Lin
coins speeches and writings should
have had the bardihood to charge him
with infidelity, but, the charge having
been repeatedly made, / reply, in the
light of facts accessible to all, that no
more reverent Christian (not excepting
Washington ever filled the chair of
President. Declarations of his trust
in God, his faith in the efficacy of pray
er, pervade his speeches and writings.
From the time he left Springfield, to
his death, he had not only himself con-
tinuedly prayed for Divine assistance,
but never failed to ask the prayers OF
Others for himself and his country.
His reply to the negroes of Balti-
more, who. in 1864, presented him with
beautiful Bible, as an expression of
their love and gratitude, ought to have
silenced all who have made such
charges. After making them. he said
This great book is the best gift God
has given to man. All the good from
the Saviour of the world is commune
Gated through this book
When a member OF Congress, know
ing his religious character. asked him
''why he did not join some church,
Mr.. Lincoln replied: Because have
found difficulty, without mental reser-
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