Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-05-13
QUOTATIONS OF GOVERNMENT BONDS
Times.
From Report of Judge Ushers Lecture in the Chicago
Tribune.

Last night. when Judge Usher finished, in a
second lecture, his "reminiscences of "LincOln
and His Fines" he began by relating incidents
OF the Presidents great faith in the final sue
cess OF the Union arms. One day he received
a letter from Governor O.P. Morton, OF Indiana,
filed with forebodings. Everything was going
wrong, and Morton was losing hope.
Don't you know, Usher" said Lincoln
THAT Morton is one of the very best governors
we've got:'
Judge Usher replied that he so considered
him.
well. it's So" reiterated the President: "but
he's the easiest stampeded OF any man you ever
saw"
Lincoln looked at everything In hopeful
way. When Others were crushed by the dsas-
ters the armies suffered, he kept his spirits up.
1t was not until the cOnfederacy was practically
dead-after the fall of Richmond that he
seemed oppressed. as though the heavy strain
had been too much and finally broken him
down.
Stanton was peculiar mana man of iron
viii. and one who never smiled He had son,
a bright and promising fellow and when he
died he left the lad nothing, absolutely nothing,
out OF his ample fortune, not even book from
his splendid library. but ordered in his will that
every :iine be gathered up and sold. The
sen Oh; =. the fathers instruction to the let
ter He is now dead. Stanton was a man Of
resources OF great executive ability. and could
hardly have been spared from the War depart
ment He was very unpopular, and in fact it
may be said he was hated. He was mOrOse and
uncivil. though the speaker did not think he
ever intended to be. He was never WELL and
that of course accounted for great many of his
actions He never engaged in free and easy
conversation He was an accomplished lawyer,
and had the faculty Of expressing his views and
opinions with precision and force rarely
equailed. The written requests of Mr. Lincoln
he would sometimes, after reading, rend to
pieces and throw them on the floor or in the
face of the bearer and then rudely DENY the re-
guest. OF course his conduct would be repOrted
10 Lincoln, WAC would reply, well, you see,
have not got much influence with this admins
tration. but l expect to have more with the next"
The fact was, there was an understanding be-
tween them that Stanton should refuse if
granting the request was detrimental to the
service.
UshY. "a good deal about Cabinet meetings and
the discussion Of questions at these meetings
There was nothing Of that kind with Mr. Lin
coin and his Cabinet. Each was too busy with
his own department to discuss any question re-
lating to other departments. When Cabinet
meetings were called, Stanton would usually
put his head in at the door and inquire, Tsthere
anything to-day. Mr.. PresideQti' To which Mr..
Lincoln would reply, No, guess not, Stanton
The Mason and Slidell affair caused some dis
not the Cabinet. There We're never but two
questions brought before the Cabinet, and one
OF them was the fearful massacre at Fort Pillow
Mr. Lincoln was very much \ earnest about the
matter, and retaliatory measures were talked of,
but never reSOrted to-
After Haileck had been withdrawn from the
field ne was kept at Washington by Mr.. Lincoln.
and was in and around the White House all the
time. ''He was" said Judge Usher "a great
big. clever. intelligent clerk" Somebody asked
Il inan In hat sso h4I Hs,lI.a n
for, and he answered that as there were no mil
itary men in the Cabinet, it was handy to have
somebody around who could explain the move
ments of the troops in the field when the dis
patches came in. Halleck was, in short. sort
OF Presidential explaner.
Lincoln had as kind heart as any man could
possibly have. though he never for a moment
thought of giving up the struggle for the pres
eryation Of the Union on that account. He
would feed the enemy when he took him pris-
oner, but he thought Of nothing else than the
eneIny's final surrender. Many stories are re-
lated of how he permitted food and clothing to
be taken to rebel prisoners who were relatives
OF ante-bellum days. Yet when it came to sign
ing death warrants of men caught in burning
northern cities or sending infected clothing INTO
p0pulous communities. no man could be more
sternly Just.
Judge Usher gave the history Of the famous
Gettysburg Oration-that short and simple prose
poem, which is immortal, and has been COM
pared TO the Sermon on the Mount. The Presi-
dent was expected. of course. to say something
on the occasion, though Everett was the orator
of the day and would deliver the address Mr..
Lincoln was so hurried by business In Washing
ton that he had no time to write out any notes
So, on the cars. between the national capital
and Gettysburg, upon q piece of pastebOard
placed upon his knee. with great crowd all
around him. talking, g0ssiping. laughing and
clattering, he wrote the words Of which Everett
said: Il would rather be the author of those
twenty lines than to have all the fame my era
ton to-day will give me-"
Marshal Lamon, who was going down to
Richmond, this being two days before the assas-
sination. asked Judge Usher to 60 up to the
White House with him. He asked the Presi-
dent not to go ont alone while he was gone, nor
to go to the theater. lincoln was inclined to
treat the pleadings Of Lamon lightly, but Judge
Usher advised the President to pay attention TO
Lannon's appeals. Lam0n went to Richmond.
and while there heard the news Of the assassina-
ton.
Judge Usher described the deathbed scene
graphically. Mrs. Lincoln was IN q front room
with some lady friends. and every few moments
she would come to the bedside and give vent to
the most fearful screams. that were painful and
even appalling TO hear. Thus &c continued
through the night, and just O. the dawn Of the
coming dsY was breaking, the soul Of the ereet
martyr passed to tn nnaI rest. 81