Morning journal and courier., 1886-08-17
Lfnc0lnss Kindness.

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 I ever saw. He was the only President we have ever had. and probably ever will have, who knew nothing of the common autocracy of public life He was the only man we ever had at the White House who would go back of the wishes of persons and examine their real wants. I remember an incident in connec- tion with the war which illustrates what I am trying to say. It is not proper for me to use names, but the story goes: It was at that early period in the rebellion when sus- poets and conspirators were being arrested and imprisoned by the wholesale. A letter written upon printed sheet of paper, glv- ing the business of prominent firm of mer- chants in New York and containing incsndi- ary language toward the Union, found it's way into the hands of 8 government official in the South. The declarations were penned by a travelling man, who represented the firm mentioned in the letter head. The re- suit was the arrest of the principal member of that firm the charge of conspiracy against the government. The letter was signed in such way to not make it per fectly clear who the author was, and of course suspicion bore heavily upon the firm men, tioned. He is man well known in New York to-day. Men were held in prison at that time on the slightest suspicion-suspi- cion in fact more slight than this one. The wife of the merchant came to friend of mine in New York immediately after the ar rest of the husband, and requested him to communicate with President Lincoln the fact that her husband had been arrested for something for which he was in no way re- fria ronfn fn the President, telling him that the un- der arrest was not guilty of the mlsdemean- or even in collateral or the most remote way. The wife came here; it was eleven o'clock at night when she arrived. At the depot she told the cabman 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 Mir. Lincoln and that he must drive her immediately to the executive mansion. When she presented herself at the entrance to the White House it was mid night Everything was quiet. The cordon 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 letter of in- troduction she had to President Linceln, who was then asleep. A minute after the President had been awakened his voice was heard in the corridor on the upper floor. He held the letter in his hand and the tremor upon it indicated his feeling"
 snMrs. -, this case demands immediate action said Mir. Lincoln. If you will take my arm we will go immediately to Secretary Stanton Across the lots at a rapid pace went the President and the lady. Stanton was aroused from his slumbers, shown the letter by the President and requested to re- lease the prisoner. He wrote dispatch and handed it to MT. Lincoln and said he would attend to the matter further in the morning.
 ssLike a lackey boy the President with the lady started toward the downtown hotels. It was one o'clock in the morning. Wash ington was filled with revolutionists and would be assassins, yet MT. 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