Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1885-11-05

| riage (all four Of us), we drove rapidly
to Willard 3 Hotel. entering ON Fourteenth
street, before It was fairly daylight The
porter showed us into the little receiving
room at the head Of the stairs, and at my
direction went TO the Office to have Mr..
Lincoln assigned room. We had not
been In the hotel more than two minutes
before Governor Seward hurriedly enter
ed, much out Of breath. and somewhat
chagrined, to think he had not been up
In season to be at the depot on the arrival
Of the train. The meeting Of those two
great men under the extraordinary cir
cumstances which surrounded them was
full Of emotion and thankfulness. / soon
took my leave, but not before promising
Governor Seward that vuald take break
fast with him at 8 O. clock, 1nd, as pass
ed out the outside door. the Irish porter
said to me, with smiling face: "And by
faith Il Is you who have brought us a
Prisidint."
Al 8the Governor and sat down to q
simple and relishfng breakfast. We had
been relieved Of q load Of anxiety almost
too great to bear. The President had
reached Washington safely, and our
npuito Wotc CAultcuS anu VIII pSuoC VA
great satisfaction we slipped our delicious
coffee and loaded our plates with the first
run Of Potomac shad.
MR.. BLAINE CORRECTED.
Mr.. Blaine. in his Twenty Years Of
Congress. has been led into an error in
speaking Of the manner In which Lincoln
reached Washington. He says: "He
reached Washington by night journey
taken secretly. much against his own will
and to his subsequent chagrin and mortifi-
cation, but urged upon him by the advice
of those in whose advice and wisdom he
, was forced to confide. The only truth
in the statement is, that he reached
Washington by night journey taken Sc.
cretly." was the first man to see him
after his arrival in Washington and talk
with him of the incidents OF his journey,
and know he was neither mortified"
nor "chagrined" at the manner in which
he reached Washington. He expressed
to me in the warmest terms his satisfac-
tion at the complete success Of his journ-
ey; and have 1t from persons who were
about him in Philadelphia and Harris
burg that the plan agreed upon met his
hearty approval, and he expressed a
cheerful willingness TO adapt himself to
the novel circumstances. do not be-
lieve that Mr.. Lincoln ever expressed
regret that he had not according to his
own desire, gone through Baltimore in
open day, &C." 1t is safe.to say he never
had such desire. His own detective,
Pinkerton, q man who had his entire con.
fidence, had been some time In Baltimore
with several members Of his force, In un-
raveling rebel plots, produced to him the
most conclusive evidence Of conspiracy
to assassinate him.
General Scott's detectives had discov-
cred the same thing, and there was a
great deal Of individual testimony tend
ing to establish the same fact. While
Mr.. Lincoln would have confronted any
danger In the performance of duty, he.
was not man given to bravado and
| qufxptic schemes, and Wjipt hes subse-
quently stated touching this matter com
prfses really all there is init. He declar-
ed: Il did not believe then. nor do l now
believe, should have been assassinated
had gone through Baltimore as first
contemplated. but thought It wise to
run no risk where no risk was necessary"
.c'Lossing's Pictorial History of the Re-
bellion." Vol. l., p. 279.) In the same
paragraph Mr.. Blaine says that 'it must
be creditablc to the Administration of
Mr. Buchanan that ample provision had
been made for the protection Of the right
full ruler of the Nation" (p. 240).
If Mr.. Blaine means by this that Mr..
Buchanan, driven by public indignation,
had ordered few struggling companies
Of regular infantry to Washington, that
is one thing; but If he referred to the
protection Of the "rightful ruler" Of the
Nation in getting to Washington, his good
faith was imposed upon. Twas in po-
sition to know all that was going on in
relation to Mr.. Lincolns journey to
Washington. and / never heard It sug-
gested or limited that Mr.. Buchanan occu-
pied himself with that matter. am sat
isfed he had no more knowledge of Mr..
Lincoln's movements than those of "the
man in the moon. Hon b. B. Wash
6urne IN the North american Repieu.