The Cecil Whig., 1886-05-29
h"n"'s. 7ns'aots. fi't'on.
"reminiscences Of Public Men
EY BEN. PERLEY POORE.

>il'ilISo IDlIhSIlS, NilGll al VI .tSilIllS-
ton carly in 1873, had rooms at Welck-
er's restaurant on Fifteenth street. He
used to walk out every fine day, ac-
companied by his friend and adviser,
Mr.. Osgood, the Boston publisher, and
NJ. Dolby, his financial agent. They
would often tramp eight or ten miles
before dinner. Simon HansCom, the
Journalist, secured him an interview
with President Johnson, who impressed
him, as he afterwards wrote, as "a man
of very remarkable appearance, indeed,
Of tremendous frmness of purpose, not
to be trifled with" The only invita-
ton to dine that he accepted was one
from Senator Sumner, on a Sunday
afternoon, when Secretary Stanton was
in the party. Dickens was delighted
with the acquaintance of the Secretary
with his works.
Sam Cox, as Minister to Austria, was
one OF President Johnson'S appoint
ments against which the abolitionists in
the Senate rebelled. Senator Sumner
told Mr.. Cox that he could only vote
for him after he had changed his name,
his record and his politics, and Senator
Wade carried about memorandum
book, in which some one had pasted a
number of extracts from Mr.. CoX's
speeches rejecting on the anti-slavery
movement.
Mr.. Lincoln's Grafton at the dcdica-
ton of the Gettysburg cemetery was
undoubtly his masterpiece. \ great
crowd stood about the platform in the
presence of the new made trenches and
graves of the patriot soldiers, patiently
listening to the elaborate and highly
polished Grafton of Edward Everett,
who, faultlessly dressed, with a modu-
lated voice and graceful action, deliv-
cred his well-rounded periods. it was
& calm, thoughtful, statesman like view
of the situation. Only two or three
times did the hearers manifest any ex-
citement. 1t was solemn occasion
and all seemed to be sadly depressed.
The North had, after bloody battle,
driven the South back to their homes
that was all =; the future was inexplca-
bic. Mr.. Everett, having at last closed
the next speaker on the programme
was Abraham Lincoln, President of the
United States. As he came forward
his presence never seemed L ore pecu-
liar, and his uDgainliness Of figure, his
slouchiness of dress and his angularity
of gesture, as contrasted with the grace,
fulness of person, speech and manner
which had distinguished Mr.. Everett
produced for the moment a feeling o.
of disappointment, and had the dou
bic effect of exciting curiosity
and sharpening anticipation. Tall
ungainly, but with every line o
his face expressive of care and grief
the President delivered his short anC
epigrammatc sentences in q sbrill, pip
ing voice, at times almost shrieking ou
that grand epic whose sentiments anc
words will resound in future ages. \.
Mr.. Lincoln proceeded, no face evel
more mistakably mirored a conviction
than did Mr.. Everctt's, that by these
few and weighty sentences the memory
OF what he said was erased. The ora
ton of Mr.. Everett, abounding il
classical references and faultless in rhe
toric, did not move the hearts of the
people as did the plain, sententiou:
speech of Mr.. Lincoln. When, at the
close of the exercise, Mr.. Everett con.
graduated the President, he remarked
laughingly, but with sense of truth
"You have said all on this occasion
that will be remembered by posterity.
The elated South indulged in rose
colored dreams of empire. Franci:
w. Pickens, of South Carolina, who
had just returned from Russia, where
he had served as minister plenipoten
tiary, wrote on the 9TH of December
1900, to Hon. John Appleton of Maine
eve are in the midst of a revolution
and | have no time to write. Grca
events are passing in the country. The
Union is gone. The South is united
the North divided. New York will bt
free city \ part Of the West will g
with the South. God bless you
Gen. Lee was one Of the few who die
not indulge in these great expecta
tons" When questioned as to The
length of time the war would probabl,
last, he replied, with a solemn and sig
nificant emphasis which the questionel