The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-06-27
SOME NEW LINCOLN STORIES.
An Ex-Assistant Attorney Generals Recollec-
lions of the War President.

u. ,. Coney in Philadelphia Press.
A story told of him after General Cameron's
retirement from the War Department, which |
have never seen in print. illustrates his habit OF
sending applicants away in a good humor, even
when they failed to extract a desired answer.
Everyone knows that Mr.. Iincoln's Cabinet was
chosen chiefly from his rivals for the presidential
nomination, and from considerations largely
political But the exigencies of the war de-
manded, in the opinion Of many good Hepuo
leans, reorganization of the Cabinet, based on
the special fitness of each member for the great
work in hand. OF this opinion were some OF the
heading Republican senators. After the retire
nent Of General Cameron they held caucus
and appointed committee to wait on the Presi
dent The committee represented tnat, mas
much as the Cabinet had not been CHOSEN with
reference TO the war, and had more or less lost
the confidence of the country, and, since tho
President had decided to select a new war min
lister they thought the occasion was opportune
to change the whole seven Cabinet minister's
They therefore, earnestly advised him to make
n clean sweep and select seven new men, and so
restore the waning confidence of the country.
The President listened with patient courtesy
and when the senators had concluded he said,
with characteristic CLEAN of humor in his eve:
"Hentlemen, your request for change OF the
whole Cabinet because have made one change
reminds me of story L once heard in Illinois of
n farmer who was much troubled by skunks.
They annoyed his household at night and his
wife insisted that he should take measures to
get rid of them. One moonlight night he loaded
his old shotgun and stationed himself in the
yard TO watch for the intruders, his wife remain
ing in the house. anxously awaiting the result
After some time she heard the shotgun go OH,
and in few minutes the farmer entered the
house What luck had your said she. Il hid
myself behind the woodpile,' said the old man,
with the shotgun pointed towards the hen
roost, and before long there appeared not one
skunk, but seven. 1 took aim, blazed away.
killed one, and he raised such fearful smell
shss concluded it was best to let the other six
go-'T
With hearty laugh the senator's retired, and
nothing more was heard of Cabinet reconstruc-
tion.
One day. when President Lincoln was alone
and busily engaged on an important subject, in
yolying vexation and anxiety he was, by some
mischance, disturbed by the unwarranted intru-
sion of three men, who, without apology, pro
ceeded to lay their claim before him. The
spokesman of the three reminded the President
that they were the owners of some torpedo, or
otEer warlike invention, which, II the govern
Usase would only adopt it, would soon crush the
Rebellion
snow" said the spokesman, 1--WE have been
here to see you time and again; you have re-
ferred to the Secretary of War, to the Chief
Of Ordnance and the General OF the Army, and
thsy will give US no satisfaction. We have been
kept here waiting till money and patience are
exhausted, and we now come to demand of you
n fiHal reply to our application.
Mr.. Lincoln listened quietly to this lnsolent
TRADE and at its close the old twinkle came into
his eye.
''You three gentlemen remind me of story
/ once heard" said he, of poor little boy
out West who had lost his mother His father
wanted to give him religious education and
80 placed him in the family of clergyman
whom ne directed to instruct the little fellow
carefully in the Scriptures. Each day the boy
was required to commit to memory and recte
one chapter of the Bible. Things proceeded
smoothly until they reached that chapter which
details the story of the trials of Shadrach,
Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace.
The boy got on well until he was asked to repeat
these three names. but he had forgotten them.
His teacher told him he must learn them, and
gave him another day to do so. Next day the
boy again forgot them. Now, said the teacher,
.yOa have a, ain failed to remember those names
and you &c no further until you have learned
them. l will give you. another day on this
lesson and if you don't repeat the names l will
punish you" A third time the boy came to re-
cite and got down to the stumbling block when
the clergyman said: Now tell me the names of
the men in the fiery furnace
''Oh,' said the boy here come those three
internal bores / wish the devil had them"
Having received their final answer" the three
patriots retired, and at the Cabinet meeting,
which followed directly after, the President, in
high good humor related how he had dismissed
his untimely visitors.
The humorous aspect of a subject never failed
TO strike him, and the illustrative story was as
ready for grave matter of business in his
lighter hours. Often during the United
States marshals made arrests and seizures the
legality of which would be tested by judicial
proceedings against them. For their protection
Congress appropriated 800, 600. to be expended
under the direction Of the President in defend
ing United States officers in such suits. Some
Of the marshas thus sued had been clamorous
for orders from the Attorney general to the
United States district attorneys to defend these
suits But when it became known that the
President had 100000 for this purpose, the
marshals ceased to impo-tune the Attorney
general for counsel and went" for the money.
In submitting to the President some rules for
his approval under which the fund should be
paid to the marshals / spoke of the fact that
they no longer sought the aid Of the district at
torneys, but were all anxious to get control of
the money.
Eyes, said he, ''they will now all be after the
money and be content with nothing else. They
were like man in Illinois whose cabin was
burned down, and according to the kindly Gus
tom of early days in in the West, his neighbors
ali contributed something to start him again. In
his case they had been so liberal that he soon
found himself better off than before the fire,
and he got proud. One day neighbor brought
him bag of oats. but the fellow refused it with
seOrn. No., said he. Tm not taking oats now.
take nothing but money
A friend of mind was one of a delegation who
called on Mr.. Lincoln to ask the appointment of
gentleman as commissioner to the Sandwich
Islands They presented their case as earnestly
ms possible, and beside his fitness for the place
they urged that he was in bad health and resi-
dence in that balmy climate would be of great
benefit to him. The President closed the inter
view with this discouragng remark Gentle
men, am sorry to say that there are eight
other applicants for that place, and they are all
sicIser than your man."
When Attorney general Bates resigned. late in
1854 following the resignation of Postmaster
general Blair earlier in that year,, the Cabinet
was left without Southern member. A few
days before the meeting of the Supreme Court,
which then met in December, Mr. Lincoln sent
for me and said My Cabinet has shrunk up
North and must find a Southern man. / sup
pose if the twelve Apostles were to be chosen
nowadays the shrieks of locality would have to
be needed have invited Judge Holt to be-
come Attorney general, but he seems unwilling
TO undertake the Supreme Court work. / want
you to see him, remove his objections If you can.
and bring me his answer l then had charge of
fA.n novnrn rnant cases in the Sunrema Court