Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-03-16
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.


And ere tits done their doom is spoken.
-BeRjamia Kari, in chicago Current.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
Mr.. Speeds RecolIections of the Grea;
EmancipatOr-MOre Anecdotes.
'sThe last time l saw him was about two
weeks before his assassination. He sent
me word by my brother James, then in
his Cabinet, that he desired to see me be.
fore l went home. l went into his Office
about II O'Clock He looked faded and
weary. l stayed in. the room until his
hour for callers was over. He ordered the
door closed, and, looking over to where l
was sitting, asked me to draw up nv
chair. But instead Of being alone, as he
supposed, in the opposite direction from
where l sat and across the fireplace from
him sat two humble-lOOking women. See
ing them there seemed to provoke him.
and he said: well, ladies, what can do
for you? One was an old woman, the
other young. They both commenced talk
ing at once. The President soon compre-
hended them. 4 SUPPOSE said he, that
your son and your husband are in prison
for resisting the draft in Western Penn.
sylyania. Where is your petition? The
old lady replied: MIR. Lincoln, I've got
no petition; l went to a lawyer to get one
drawn, and l had not the money to come
iJl = anu pay MN bOUs ~ L blUl9lI L MOulu
just come and ask you TO let me have my
boy And it's your husband you Want?'
said he, turning to the young woman.
Yes said she. He rung his bell and
called the servant, and babe him 90 and
tell Gen. Dana to bring him the list of
prisoners for resisting the draft in West
ern Pennsylvania.
''The General soon came, bringing a
package of papers. The President opened
If and. COlInfInO the cold e(1nnn
raj, there are twenty-seYen of these men.
is there any difference in degree of their
gulltY No. said the General; 1T is bad
case and merciful finding' 'WeH' said
the President, looking out Of the window
and seemingly talking to himself. these
poor fellows have, l think, EuAnt
enough; they have been in MT , r.. ed
tima and ba ayee oeeh mixing SO for some
always - oaid so to Stanton, and be
L. .hreatens to resign if they are re-
Used. But he has said so about other
matters, and never did; so now, while l
nave the papers IN my hand, viii turn
OUT the nOck.' so he wrote: Let the prls-
| OnerS named in the within paper be dis
charged and signed it. The General
maze his bow and left. Then, turning to
the women, Mr.. Lincoln said: Now, la
dies, you can go Your son, madam, and
your husband, madam, are Free
"Ihe young woman ran across to him
and was about to knecl. He took her by
the elbow and said impatiently: Get up,
get up; none of this But the old wO-
man went up to him, wiping with her
apron the tears that were coursing down
her cheeks. She gave him her hand, and,
looking into his face, said: sGOod-by. Mr.
Lincoln, we may never meet again till we
meet In heaven A change came over his
SAD ana weary face. He clasped her hand
In both of his, and followed her to the
door, saying as he went: With all that
nave to cross me here, | am afraid that |
VIII never get there; but your wish that
you may meet me there has fully paid for
what have done for YOU
I'VE were then alone. He drew his
chair to the fire and said: Speed, | am
little alarmed about myself; just feel my
hand.' 1t was cold and clammy. He
pulled OIL his boots, and, putting his feet
TO the ire, the heat made them steam. /
SAID oYerwork was producing nervous
ness. NO. said he, i am not tired |
SAID; such scene as l have Just wit
messed IS enough to make you nervous
How much you are mistaken he re-
turned. 4 have made two people 6appy
To-Day. L nave given a mother her son
and wife her husband. That young wO-
man is counterfeit, but the old woman
is true mother.
''LincOln was fond of anecdotes, and
told them well. Take, for instance, his
conversation with w. G. Reeves, OfeVir-
glnia, whom he greatly admired. Reeves
came, with other gentlemen, from Rich
mOnd soon after his Inauguration. A con-
ventiOn was in session in Richmond to
decide whether Virginia would go out or
stay in the Union. Mr.. Reeves was a
Union man, and proceeded to advise tho
President. His advice was to surrender
Forte sunator and PlckemS and all the
property OF the government in the South
ern States. Mr.. Lincoln asked him if he
remembered the fable of the lion and the
WOodman's daughter. Mr.. Reeves said
that he did not. '-EsOp,' said the Presi-
dent, reports that lion was very much
in love with a woodlands daughter. The
fair maiden, afraid to say no, referred him
to her father. The lion applied for the
girl. the father replied: Your teeth are
too long, The lion went to a dentist and
had them extracted. Returning, he asked
for his bride. No. said the woOdman,
your claws are too long, Going back to
the dentist, he had them drawn. Then,
returning to claim his bride, the wood
man, seeing that he was disarmed, beat
out his brains. May it not be So said
Mr.. Lincoln, with me if I give up all that
is asked%
Il have often been asked what were
Mr.. LincOlns religious opinions. When
| knew him in early life he was a skeptic.
He had tried hard to be believer, but his
reason could not grasp and solve the great
problem OF salvation as taught. He was
very careful never to give expression to
any thought or sentiment that would CRATE
harshly upon a Christians ear. For
sincere Christian he had great respect.
He often said that the most ambitious
man might live to see every hope fail, but
no u nix ia1, L CT
cause fultillment could only come when
life ended. But this was a subject we
never discussed. The only evidence |
have OF any change is a conversation |
had with HIM the summer before he was
killed. l was invited out to the Soldiers
Home to spend the night. AS | entered
his room, near night, he was sitting by
window intently reading the Bible. Ap-
preaching him | said: i am glad to see
you so prOftably engaged Yes he re-
piled, Il am prottably engaged 'Well,'
said |, If you have recovered from your
skeptlclsm l am sorry to say that / have
not Looking me earnestly in the face
and placing his hand on my shoulder, he
said: You are wrong, Speed; take all of
this book upon reason that you can, and
the balance on faith, and YOU will live and
die happier and a better man,
II am indebted for the following to
Judge Gillespie, one Of Mr.. Lincoln's
most trusted and intimate friends, who
occasionally went to Washington to see
him. Wanting no office, he was always
welcome. The Judge says: MIR. Lincoln
once said to me that he could never recon-
Gle the presence of the Deity with the
uncertainty of events, but he thought it
would be proftless to teach his views
The Judge adds: Il once asked him what
was to be done with the South after the
rebellion was put down. He said some
thought their heads ought to come off,
butt he added IF it were left to me !
could not tell where to draw the line be-
tween those whose heads should come off
and those whose heads should stay on
He said that he had recently been reading
the history of the rebellion of Alabama,
and that he was inclined to adopt the
views of David. Said he: when David
was fleeing from Jerusalem Shimei cursed
him. After the rebellion was put down
Shimei craved a pardon. AbisbaI, Dayid's
nephew, the son of Zeruiah, David's sis
ter, said: This man ought not to be par
dOned, because he cursed the Lords an
ointed.' David said: what have l to do
with you, We sons of Zeruiah, that you
should this day be adversaries unto me?
Know We that not a man shall be put to
death in Israeli
This was like his anecdotes, and was