The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1886-10-07
IlNCOLN'S STORIES,
How the Great President Managed b
COnciliate Contending Factions.

| Conciliate Contending Factions.
President Lincoln knew human
nature. Long intercourse with the
people and with politicians, practice as
. jury lawyer and experience as a
legislator. made him familiar with the
weakness and strength of men. On
one occasion the Governor of North
ern State rushed to Washington, brist-
ling with complaints against the War
Department. He had stormy inter-
view with MIR. Stanton, and then went
over to the White House to lay his
grievances before the President.
| In the course of a few hours, the
Governor was seen vending his way to
the railroad station, wearing pleasant
smile, and only anxious to go home by
| the next train
''Mr. President. how did you dispose
of the GOVERNOR" asked friend He
went to you in towering rage, and
came out smiling. suppose you found
it necessary to make large concessions
to his demands?''
so no. | didn't concede any thing"
replied the President. .sYou know how
that Illinois farmer managed the big
log which lay in the middle of his fieldp
TO the question of his neighbors as to
how he was getting along with it, he
replied, I've got rid of that logr
"'Got rid of it? How did you do itp
1t was too big to haul out. too knotty
to split, and too soggy to burn. What
did you do?'
''Well now, boys, if you won't tell the
secret III tell you how got rid of it;
l plowed around it..
| ''Now, said the President, "don't tell
anybody, but that's the way got rid
of the Governor. l plowed around
him."
| Another Governor, though able, pat
riotic and untiring in raising troops,
always wanted his own way, and was
very exacting in his intercourse with
the General Government. Once his
complaints and protests were so bitter
that it was feared he would refuse to
cooperate. The Secretary of War,
therefore, laid the dispatches before the
President.
| ''Never mind, never mind" said Mr..
Lincoln, after reading them. "These
dispatches don't mean any thing Just
60 right ahead. The Governor is like
\ a boy saw once at launching. When
everything was ready they picked out
boy and sent him under the ship to
knock. away the trigger and let her go.
| Sat the critical moment every thing
depended on the boy. He had to do
the Job by direct, vigorous blow, and
and then lie fiat and keep still while
the ship slid over him. The boy did
every thing right, but he yelled as if
he was being murdered from the time
he got under the keel until he got out.
Il thought the skin was all scraped
off his back, but he wasn't hurt at all.
The master of the yard told me that
| this boy was always chosen for. that
| job, that he did his work well, and had
never been hurt. But he would always
squeal.
That's just the way with the Gov
ernor. He only wants to make you
understand how hard his task is, and
that he is on hand performing it.
| During the war there arose conflict
OF authority between the military and
civil powers. Civil officers would grant
| permits to bring out cotton from GER
tain districts in a state of instruction.
The military officers, however, be-
lieving that the cotton spectators in.
terfered with army operations, nulli-
fed the permits issued by the Treasury
| Department The cotton spectators
brought the matter before President
Lincoln, and through one of his friends
from Illinois, asked what would be the
| probable result of the contest.
''By the way, what has become OF
our old friend. Bob Lewis?" asked the
President, referring to the clerk of the
| circuit court of DeWitt County.
"When Bob became of age" said
| the President, che found among his
| fathers papers number of Iand-war-
| rants. AS the land was located in
Northeast Missouri, he went there to
investigate, going on horseback, with
! a pair of saddle-bags.
ARRIVING at the locality, he hitched
| his horse and went into log-cabin,
standing near the road. The proprie-
tor-a lean, lanky, leathery-looking
man-was casting bullets, preparatory
to hunt.
al am looking up some lands which
belong to my father said Lewis, by
way of introducing himself. What il
the number of this sectionP'
Without waiting for the settler to
answer, Lewis exhibited his title-pa-
pers and then said:
T" That is nay title. What is yours?'
"The pioneer pointed his long finger
to the rifle, which was suspended on
two buck horns above the fireplace,
and said:
"'Young man, do you see that gun?
Well, that is my title, and if you don't
get out Of here quick you will feel the
force of it,
Lewis put his title-papers in his
saddle bags, mounted his horse and
galloped down the road.
''Now, my friend" said the Presi-
dent, ''the military authorities have
the same title against the civil authori-
ties. You must Judge what may be
the result. y Youths Companion.