The Cecil Whig., 1885-07-04

I '~N'NiiSOii NJ iiiSiiNiciiSN liiN ouD
I,jcct to me afterward, nor did | ever
ascertain the special and no doubt
sufficient reasons which the President
had for his action in the case
DEALING WITH AN ANGRY GOVERNOR.
The veXatious duties of the general
Government concerning the draft made
demands upon Lincoln's ability not
I only in deciding important questions,
but in avoiding decisions when it was
not best to risk a rupture with state
officials by rendering them. Upon one
occasion the Governor of state came
to my office bristling with complaints
in relation to the number of troops re-
qulred from his state, the details for
drafting the men and the plan of COM
pulsory service in general. l found it
impossible to satisfy his demands, and
accompanied him to the Secretary OF
Wars office, whence, after a stormy
interview with Stanton, he went alone
to press his ultimatum upon the highest
authority.
After | had waited anxiously for
some hours, expecting important Or
dcrs or decisions from the President,
or at least summons to the White
House for explanation, the Governor
returned, and said, with a pleasant
smile, that he was going home by the
next train, and merely dropped in en-
route to say good-by. Neither the
business he came upon nor his inter-
view with the President was alluded to.
AS soon as | could see Lincoln l said ::
"Ml. President, l am very anxious to
learn how you disposed of Governor
-. He went to your office from
the War Department in a towering
rage. | suppose you found it neces-
sary to make large concessions to him,
as he returned from you entirely salts
fed.
"Oh, no." he replied, 81 did not
concede anything. y0u know how
that Illinois farmer managed the big
log that lay in the middle of his field
TO the inquiries of his neighbors one
Sunday he announced that he had got
rid of the big log. Got ri1 of it p
said they. How did you do it? 1t
was too big to haul out, too knotty to
split and too wet and soggy to burn !;
what did you do?' well, now, boys
replied the farmer, if you don't divulge
the secret I'll tell you how l got rid of
it bloH9hed around it, Now"
said Lincoln, "don't tell anybody, but
that's how | got rid of Governor -.
IbI0H9hed around him, but it took
me three mortal hours to do it, and
was afraid every minute he'd see what
| was at"
MAN WHO NEVER BORROWED TROUBLE.
Lincoln was good judge of men
and quickly learned the peculiar traits
of character in those he had to deal
with. | recall an anecdote by which
he pointed out a marked trait in one OF
Cur Northern governors. This COVER
nor was earnest, able and untiring in
keeping up the war spirit in his state.
and in raising and equipping troops
but he always wanted his own way, and
i'll brooked the restraints imposed by
the necessity of conforming to a gen.
eral system. Though devoted to the
cause, he was at times overbearing and
eXaCting in his intercourse With the
| general Government. Upon one occa
sion he complained and protested more
bitterly than usual, and warned thos,
in authority that the execution of thei
orders in bis state would be beset b,
difficulties and dangers. The tone O
his dispatches gave rise to an appre
hension that he might not co-operat
fully in the enterprise in hand. Th
Secretary Of War, therefore, laid tn
dispatches before the President for ad
vice or instructions.
They did not disturb Lincoln in tn
least. In fact they rather amused hin
After reading all the papers he said, i
la cheerful and reassuring tone: "Neve
mind, never mind, those despatche
don't mean anything; just go rigt
ahead. The Govefiiii66if IS like a boy l sa'
once at the launching of ship! -M!ylhise'
everything was ready they picked OF
a boy and sent him under the ship t
knock away the trigger and let her &C
At the critical moment everything
depended on the boy. He had t
do the job we'll by a direct, vigorou
blow, and then lie flat and keep sti
while the ship slid over him. Th
boy did everything right; but h
yelled as if he was being murdere
from the time he got under the Ike,
until he got out. | thought the hid
was all scraped off of his back; br
he wasn't hurt at all. The maste
of the yard told me that this bo
was always chosen for that job; thu
: he did his work well; that he neve
: had been hurt, but that he alway
| sIucalcd in that way. That's ju:
. the way with Governor -. Max
: up your minds that he is not hur
and that he is doing the work righ
t and pay no attention to his squea
ing. He only wants to make yo
understand how hard his task i:
: and that he is on hand performin
, it." Time proved that the Pres
5 dents estimate of the Governor va
| correct.