Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-09-02
LINCOLN'S KINDNESS.
Judge Kelley Relates an Interesting AnecdOte
of the President.

LlNCULN' hlNDNESo.
Judoe Kelley Relates an Interesting AnecdOte
of the President.
abraham Lincoln" said Judge Kelley,
of PENNSYLVANIA, who is the father of the
house of representatives, 'was the most
patient man in the details of life [ ever
saw He was the only president we have
ever had, and probably ever will have,
who knew nothing of the common auto
cracy of public life. He was the only
man we ever had at the white house who
would 90 back of the wishes of persons
and examine their real wants. [ remem-
Der an incident in connection with the
war which illustrates what am trying to
say. 1t is not proper for me to use names,
but the story goes: 1t was at that early
period iE the rebellion when suspects and
conspirators were being arrested and i'm
prisoned by the wholesale. A letter writ
ten upon printed sheet of pa per, giving
the business of prominent firm of mer-
chants in New York, and containing in
cendIary language toward the union,
found its way into the hands of govern
ment official in the south. The declara-
tions were penned by a travelling man
who represented the firm mentioned In
the letter head. The result was the arrest
of the principal members of the firm on
the charge of conspiracy against the gov
eminent The letter was signed In such
way as to not make it perfectly clear
who the author was, and, of course, sue
picion bore heavily upon the firm men
toned. He is man we'll known in New
York to-day. Men were held in prison at
the time on the slightest suspicion-sus
picion, 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 her husband, and requested
him to communicate with President Lin
coin the fact that her husband had been
arrested for something for which he was
in no way responsible. My friend adj
dressed note to the president, telling
him that the man under arrest was not
guilty of tho misdemeanOr even in col
lateral or the most remote way The
wife came here; it was IL o'clock at night
when she arrived. At tho depot she told
the cabman to drive her 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 ex-
ecutive mansion. When she presented
herself at the entrance to the White house
it was midnight. Everything was quiet
The Gordon of police, very stormy at the
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 letter of introduction she had to
President Lincoln, who was then asleep.
minute after the president had been
wa rH in
ridOr on the upper floor. He held the let
ter in his hand, and tho tremor upon it
Indicated his feeling.
''Mrs.-, this case demands immedi-
ate action said Mr.. Lincoln. "If you
will take my arm we will go Immediately
to Secretary Stanton" Across the lots
at rapid pace went the president and
the lady. Stanton was aroused from his
siumbers, shown the letter by the presi-
dent, and requested to release the prisoner.
He wrote dispatch and handed it to Mr..
Lincoln, and said he would attend to the
matter further in the morning.
Like a lackey, the president, with the
lady, started toward the downtown hotels
tit was 1 o'clock in the morning. Wash
lngtOn was filled with revolutionists aud
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
husband would meet her on the dock. The
lady could not believe it, but Mr.. Lincoln
assured her that such would be the case.
The president thon 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 thelady alighted from
the ferry at New York the next day her
husband was there to embrace her. I am
inclined to believe the millennium will
come before We shall have another presi-
dent who would do such an act as this"