Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1885-06-25
"reminiscences of Lincoln.


tinguished service, and he was after
ward made President because OF the
greatest of public services, and OF the
universal affection and confidence of the
country. But when Lincoln was elected
President, on the eve of the greatest OF
civil controversies, his capacity for the
tremendous trust had been improved; (;
and that at such time such man
should have appeared at the head OF the
nation equal to the issue, and able WiseT
ly to WELD the enormous authority that
the occasion demanded, and should prove
to be in every way the man Of all men
for the emergency, is in the highest
sense of the word PrOvidential.
In every story, however insignificant,
which is told of him, those who remem-
ber him personally recall the impression
that he made. He was absolutely SIN
cere. He never played part. And
therefore whatever he said and did was
marked by his strong individuality. A
correspondent in North Carolina says:
81 heard Mr.. Lincoln's last two speech
es. One, extempOTaneOus, on Monday
evening, April 10, from the historic front
window in the second story of the White
House. He had just returned from City
Point, and the people thronging around
the White House would have speech.
For a good while he did not appear. and
seemed to be reluctant to speak without
a manuscript, lest at that critical juno
ture some injurious impression should
be made by an accidental word or SEN
tence.
However, the crowd persisted to call
till he appeared. 1t was my first sight
of the man. He appeared somewhat
Younger and more off-hand and vigorous
than l should have expected. His bright,
somewhat humorous look reminded me
of a we'll practiced country physician
who had read men through till be un-
derstood them well. There was the hu-
morous kindness of good natured doc
tor who had seen his patients through
most awful siege of sickness, till they
were now fairly and fully convaleScent,
and who was disposed to let the past,
whatever it had cost him or them, go by
for the time, and have little cheerful
congratulation. His gestures and ex
preston of countenance had something
of the harmless satisfaction of young
politician at ratification meeting after
his first election to the Legislature. He
was happy, and glad to see Others happy,
and willing to accept the congratulatiOn
of his friends for his own part in the
general victory.
"His last speech, on Wednesdao, April
u, 1865, was read from separate sheets,
by flaring light, as he stood at the same
window. He wore glasses, and as the
successive pages were read passed them
to a friend who stood near. 1t was per-
haps eight o'clock in the evening; Mrs.
Lincoln and several lady friends stood
at side window. There was some talk
ing and diversion during the reading
The reading was in reading tone, but
business-like and good, and the paper
not long. 1t was intended to show the
disposition of the administration toward
the seeded States, and foreshadOw the
principles proposed for reconstruction.
His manner was unpretcntious but dig
nlfied, manly, and vigorous"
The same friendly observer sends 9th
er Lincolniana:
THAT reAt, said a soldier in the hos
pital at City Point, pointing up to the
torn tissue paper-an establishment
which, believe, the ladies of the Chris
tian Commission had fixed on the ceiling
above-that was torn by Mr.. Lincoln's
hat as he passed through here on his
way from Richmond, and shook hands
with every man, loyal or rebel, in the
whole hospital He stood, like Saul,
above the people from the shoulders up
ward, his hatmade havoc with decorations
overhead. Stepping outside, and seeing
an axe by log, his old rail splitter spirit
came over him. In moment his long
arms were putting home that axe toward
the heart of the fallen tree. The bows
in blue gathered those chips to take
home as mementos of the backwooods+
man who became President and the
emancipator of d race"
An old soldier at the Soldiers Home
near Washington said, He used to walk
all about in these paths; he was very
kind and familiar with US ALL"
TOa poor woman who desired his sig
nature to a paper, be said, My name
will do you no more good than pigs
tracks in the mud
A soldier stopped him in the road,
against the Columbia Hospital, and pre-
sented some letters, desiring a furl0ugh.
He obtained it.
In the Senatorial contest between Mr..
Lincoln and Mr.. Douglas, when they
spoke at Freeport, Illinois, Mr.. Doug
las appeared in an elegant barouche
drawn by four white horses, and was
received with great applause. But when
Mr.Lincoln came up in prairie schoen-
er, viz: an old fashioned canvas cover
ed pioneer wagon, tue enthusiasm Of the
vast throDg was u9bounded.
When travelling about the quiet coun-
try towns on his law business it was his
custom, at the tavern or boarding house
where he stopped, after tea to get a can
die and go to his room and read awhile.
He was not loafer.
at political meeting in a grove, a
long, stumbling figure was seen sitting
on the fence and wbistling thoughtfully, |
clothed in the slightest of summer at |
tire. After others had spoken, "Lincoln. |
Lincoln" was called, AID the whittier. |
pocket his knife, and slipping from the |
fence, made characteristic speech. |
This was before his great prominence. |
At the same place, when the lady who
entertained him and some others at din
ner made some apology, he said he |
guessed it was better than they would |
have got at home, any how.
To Bishop Simpson, after lecture on
American progress, in which he did not
speak of petroleum, Mr.. Lincoln said.
as they came out, "You did not strike |
iIe'"
The sheets and clothes stained with
the blood of Lincoln were literally torn
in strips, as Antony said of Caesar. and
preserved as mementos. The assassina-
tion of Caesar and of William of Orange
were brought vividly to the minds of
those who were in Washington.
Only day or two before the assassina+
fion, the Morning Chronicle the Wash
ington organ of the administration, said
that single life was seldom indispen-
sable to a country, but just then that of