The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1885-07-18

know all about such matters, and as to
the appointment of officers-clid you
ever know an Irishman who would de-
cline an office or refuse pair of epau-
lets, or do anything but fight CALAMITY
after he had them2"
The upshot Of the conference was
that Brady undertook the mission, re-
turned to New York, and raised the
brigade without difficulty, differed by
Irishmen as Mr. Lincoln had suggested
When that magnificent body of 5000
Irishmen MAJ chcd down Broadway, en-
route for the seat of war, the shoulder
ing discomfort among the IRISH, which
had threatened to break into flame, was
replaced by an ardent enthusiasm,
which made the air ling with shouts
and huzzas. Mr.. Lincoln's immediate
object was fully realized by the exer-
else of that keen practical insight md
knowledge Of human nature which
shone SO conspicuously in him. l have
given the above fact exac-y as it was
related to me by Mr.. Brady at the time.
RUNNING THE MACHINE ALONE"
While Mr.. Lincoln was not in the
habit of suddenly chon5 'ng his mud
once he had settled on poli' y, yet he
took counc;l with his friends and gave
due weight to the;r opinions. l re-
member circumstance which occurred
shortly after his first inauguration, as
told me by one of the Illinois delega-
ton in Congress. The Republican
members from that state had agreed on
list of candidates for the offices in
Illinois, which they submitted to the
President, asking for the'r appointment.
On looking over the list Mr.. Lincoln
said that he had promised 20 appoint
to the United States marshalship DIT
ferent man from the one then recon-
mended to him, stating to whom he
had promised the place. The Illinois
congressman strongly objected to Mr..
Llncoln's choice, and gave verJ coGent
reasons why their own man should be
| appointed instead. "Well," Mr.. Lin
coin finally said, 81 can't run this ma
chine alone, and | don't see but what
shall have to back out. But what can
do for my friend?" All a. eed that
his friend should be taken good care Of
otherwise, and SO the matter was salts
factorily arranged.
L was present on one occasion when
| Messrs. Summer and Wade and one or
two others called on Mr.. Lincoln and
asked for the removal of a prominent
official in one of the departments in
Washington. While ura 'ng the cho"ges
with much vehemence, the President
listened attentively with his head down.
At the conclusion he looked up III
sorrowful expression Of face and said:
| ''Well, gentlemen, it does seem to me
that wherever have particular friend
in office evei ybody is down on him."
This ended the matter and the Officer
was not removed.
During the war much complaint was
made that Mr.. Lincoln was too lenient
in enforcing discipline in the army by
directing the executions of the judg-
ments of coult Is for the trial of mllit2 Y
offences. 1t was claimed that he would
not approve of the death sentence of a
soldier for desertion if he could find
any possible excuse for rejecting it.
This 1t was claimed by many tended to
weaken the discipline of the army, and
to encourage desertion, as there seemed
to be no chance of enforcing the de-
crees of the courts punlshing that high
military crime. Yet this clamor against
the II iy2sSfiident by the many officers high
in command made liz Impression upon
him. One day in the summer Of 1865,
| think, called on him on business
and as | entered his room, Mr.. Lincoln
said: 81 have here some papers (put-
ting his hand upon a large file of
papers) which stol ed in this morn
ing carefully to examine. They con-
tain the entire proceedings of milta-y
court for the trla of young soldier
for desertion. And they contain min
utes Of the testimony taken on the ,iial
together with con,i lotion and sentence
to death of the boy. l have read just
three pages Oft the testimony, and have
found this: The boy said when first
arrested that he was going home to see
rs mother l don't think that l can
allow boy to be shot who tried to go
home to see his mother. | guess l
don't want TO read any more of tbs"
The sentence of the court was dis
approved without further investigator
1t was the tender sympathy which
Mr.. Lincoln felt for the inexperienced
young men who, without any idea of
the hardships of army life, had volr1-
teered to defend the Union, that rem
dered him SO popul" v .th the private
soldiers in the army. They a" felt
that they had friend il the President.
LINCoLN'S CIVIL. SERVICE SYSTEM.
Much has been said of late years of
the improper manner of appointments
to office by the Executive Department,
and a reform in this regard has been
demanded, but l have often thought
that the course adopted by Mr.. Lincoln
was, perhaps, as wise as any that has
since his time been suggested. Amen
Der of the House of Representatives
called upon him one day and urged the
| Of cD,,ct;tua,,+ ~. ,,> T.