The Cecil Whig., 1885-06-13

remained outside and Mr.. Lincoln
went in to labor with the Assistant
Secretary. Watson eloquently de-
scribed to him the nature of the fraud
and the extent to which it had already
been developed by his partial investi-
cation. The fact that $4,000 had
been refunded by the guilty men was
dwelt upon, and when the President
urged the safety of tie cause and the
necessity of preserving united the
powerful support which Pennsylvania
was giving to the Administration in
suppressing the rebellion, Watson an
swered:
every well, Mr.. President, if you
wish to have these men released, all
that is necessary is to give the order
but l shall ask to have it in writing.
In such a case as this it would not be
safe for me to obey verbal order;
and let me add that, if you do release
them, the fact and reason will neces-
sarily become known to the public
Finally Mr.. Lincoln took up his hat
and went out, and when Wilmot, vino
was waiting in the corridor, met him,
he said:
81 can't do anything with Watson
he won't release them"
The reply which the Senator made
to this remark cannot be printed here,
but it did not affect the judgment Of
the President. The men were retained
for long time afterward. The fraud
was fully investigated and future swim
dies of the kind were rendered impos-
sible. If Watson could have had his
way, the guilty parties, and there were
some whose names never got to the
public, would have been tried by court
martial and stern!y dealt with. But
ali my reflections upon the subject
since led me to the conclusion that the
moderation of the President was wiser
than the unrelenting justice of tine
Assistant Secretary would have been.
A PENNSYLVANIA INCIDENT.
Another incident connected with
Pennsylvania recurs to my memory
which interested me greatly at that
time as showing the habitual breadth
of Mr.. Lincoln's judgment and action.
In the Spring of 1864 some question
arose about affairs in that State, and,
Mr.. Stanton being absent, MIR. Lin
coin sent for me. l found Mr.. Sew
ard with him in the Presidents room.
Mr.. Lincoln entered at once upon the
subject, and Mr.. Seward said, "My
advice is to send for Aleck Mcclure. -
After few words between them on
the subject, aud the reiterated express
sion of Mr.. Stewards opinion,
Mr.. Lincoln said, eve will do it,
and asked Mr.. Seward to forward the
necessary telegram. Then he turned
to me, "What do you say, Dana?'
"Well, SIR" l replied, "Mr. Nc
Clure is very good, but 1 would sug-
gest that it would be we'll to send fol
Wayne MacVeagh also" Mr.. Sewart
thought this would not be necessary
and took my leave with the impres,
sion that my advice was not to be
needed. Next morning, however
MacVeagh came into my office.
"Did Mr.. Lincoln send for you?"
asked.
ayes, he did, was the answer, "ant
l think it will be all right )" and so i
was. The cause of anxiety proved tt
be more than half imaginary.
The relations between Mr.. Lincoln
and the members of his Cabinet were
always friendly and sincere on his part
He treated every one of them with un
varying kindness ; but, though severa
of them were men of extraordinar,
force and self-assertion-this is trut
especially of Mr.. Seward, Mr.. Chase
and Mr.. Stanton-and though there
was nothing of selfhood or domination
in his manner toward them, it was al
ways plain that he was the master anC
they the subordinates. They constant,
had to yield to his will, and if he eve
Welded to theirs it was because the,
convinced him that the course they
advised was judicious and appropriate
1 understood during the whole time o
my intimate intercourse with him an(
with them that he was always prepared
to receive the resignation of any on
of them. and, at the same time, | d'
not recollect a single occasion whel
either of the members of the Cabine
ever got his mind ready to quit hi
post from any feeling of dissatisfaction
with the orders or the conduct to thu
President.
MIR. DANA's ERRAND TO THE WILDERNESS
In the beginning of May, 1864
Grant moved the Army of the Potoma
across the Rappahannock and tough
the battle of the Wilderness. For tw
davs we had no authentic news i
Washington, and both Mr.. Lincoln an
the Secretary of War were very muc
troubled about it. That night abou
5 10 o'clock l was sent for to the Wa
r Department and on reaching the offic
t I found the President and the Secre
: tary together.
Y eve are greatly disturbed in mind,
e said Mr.. Lincoln, "because Grant ha
e been fighting two days, and we are nc
2 getting any authentic account of whs
# mas happened since he moved. W