The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1886-11-05
ABRAHAM LlNCOLN'S KINDNESS.
The Only President Who Would Examine
the Real Wants of the People.

Kelley, of Pennsylvania, who is the
father of the House of Representatives
"was the most patient man iE the de-
tails of life l ever saw. He was the
only President we ever had, and prob
ably ever will have, who knew nothing
of the common autocracy of public
life. l remember an incident in con-
nection with the war which illustrates
what 1 am trying to say. 1t is not
proper for me to use names, but the
story goes: 1t was at that early period
in the rebellion when suspects and con-
spirators were being arrested and i'm
prisoned by the wholesale. A letter
written upon printed sheet of paper,
giving the business of prominent
firm of merchants in New York and
containing incendiary language toward
the Union, found it's way into the
hands of Government official in the
South. The declarations were penned
by a travelling man, who represented
the firm mentioned in the letter-head.
The result was the arrest of the princi-
pal member of that firm on the charge
of conspiracy against the Government.
The letter was signed in such way as
to not make it perfectly clear who the
author was, and, of course, suspicion
bore heavily upon the firm mentioned.
He is man well known in New York
to-day. Men were held in prison at
that time on the slightest suspicion, in
fact, more slight than this one. The
wife of the merchant came to friend
of mine in New York Immediately
after the arrest of the husband, and re-
quested him to communicate with
President Lincoln the fact that her hus-
band had been arrested for something
for which he was in no way responsible.
My friend addressed a note to the Presi-
dent, telling him that the man under
arrest was not guilty of the misde-
meanor even in a collateral or the most
remote way. The wife came to Wash
ington; it was II o'clock when she ar
rived. At the depot she told the cab
man to drive to the White House. The
driver expostulated with her, and told
her that it was of no use to call at the
White House at such late hour of the
night. She said it made no difference,
she wanted to see Mr. Lincoln, and that
he must drive her Immediately to the
Executive Mansion. When she present
ed herself at the entrance to the White
House it was midnight. Everything
was quiet. The Gordon of police, very
stormy at that time, turned out in full
force. They would not listen at first to
her entreaties to be admitted to the
White House. Finally, she prevailed
upon one of the officers to take the let
ter of introduction she had to President
Lincoln, who was then asleep. A min
ute after the President had been
awakened his voice was heard in the
corridor on the upper floor. He had
the letter in his hand, and the tremor
upon it indicated his feeling.
"' Mrs. -, this case demands imme-
date action said Mr.. Lincoln; if you
will take my arm, we will go immedi-
ately to Secretary Stanton Across the
lots at rapid pace went the President
and the lady. Stanton was aroused
from his slumbers, shown the letter by
the President and requested to release
the prisoner. lie wrote dispatch and
handed if to Mr. Lincoln and said he
would attend to the matter further in
the morning.
"Like lackey boy, the President.
with the lady, started toward the down
town hotels. 1t was 1 o'clock in the
morning. Washington was filled with
revolutionists and would-be assassins
yet Mr.. Lincoln never faltered and
seemed not to comprehend his danger
When he arrived at the hotel, with the
lady on his arm, he told her to go to
her room, sleep soundly, return to New
York in the morning, and that her hus-
band would meet her on the dock. The
lady could not believe it, but Mr.. Lin
coin assured her that such would be the
case. The President then went to the
telegraph Office, filed the message, which
demanded the unconditional release of
the prisoner, and returned to the White
House alone. Sure enough, when the
lady alighted from the ferry at New
York the next day her husband was
there to embrace her T am inclined tn