Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-10-19
LEGAL TENDER NOTES.
An Interesting Anecdote of Abraham
Lincoln.


An Interesting Anecdote of Abraham
Lincoln.
The fight of legal tender had been won,
and won on the ground stated by Thad
deus Stevens in the opening sentence of
his speech: This bill is a measure of
not of choice The Act had
been passed and approved. We could
issue Sl50,000,000 in currency at once,
$50, 100000 would pay the demand notes,
leaving Sl00,000,000 to pay our soldiers
and carry on the war for some months 10
come.
We had also gained our first military
success. Grant had captured Forts Henry
and Donelson, and was pushing for Nash
vile. The clouds seemed to be breaking
away and the future to look more hopeful.
l was therefore surprised when one
afternoon late in February, 1862, Presi-
dent Lincoln entered the Registers room
with as sad look IS | ever saw upon his
careworn face. lie dropped YEARLY into
q seat he hal previously chosen, and after
Il short silence exclaimed:
"What have you TO say about this legal
tender Act? Here is a committee of great
tinanciers from the great cities who say
that, by approving this Act, have wrecked
the country. They know all about it-or
they are mistaken"
you have done nothing Of the kind" l
said. The time for argument has passed.
Legal tender is inevitable. The gentle
men you mention have made it a necessity.
The people will take our notes without the
legal tender clause. The banks and the
copperheads will not. We cannot risk the
country in their hands You have followed
your own good judgment in signing the
Act The people will sustain you and Sec
rotary Chase and Congress"
81 do not see that am exclusively ne
sponsible,' he continued. Il say to these
gentlemen, Go 10 Secretary Chase: he is
managing the finances. They persist and
have argued me almost blind. I am worse
off than Saint Paul He was in a straight
betwixt two. | am in straight betwixt
twenty, and they are bankers and finan-
ciers"
"You are right in signing the Act"
said shat point has passed debate
Now that is Just where my mind is
| troubled he continued. ave owe lot
of money which we cannot pay; we have
got to run in debt still deeper. Our credit
ors think we are honest, and will pay in
the future. They will take our notes, but
they want small notes which they can use
among themselves. So far | see no objec-
ton, but do not like to say 10 a creditor
you shall accept in payment OF your debt
something that was not money when it was
contracted. That doesn't seem honest, and
do not believe the Constitution sanctions
dishonesty"
"No more do l." replied az DO not
claim that legal tender can be upheld as
an abstract right under the Constitution.
But self-preservation is a right higher
than the Constitution. We are warranted
in making any sacrifice of property or po-
litical right to save the Union. Gold and
silver are beyond our reach; our soldiers
must be paid and fed and clothed We can
issue Treasury notes, and circulate them
as currency. 1t is right and honest that
we should give them the quality of legal
tender, provided we return to specie as
soon as the necessity has passed. | have
watched the debates.in Congress- / have
read the opinion OF your Attorney Gem
eral. There are those who hint and sug-
gest that legal tender is provided for in
the Constitution. | have read no speech
in which that right is broadly asserted. L
believe it safer to defend our position on
the ground of necessity"
Il understand that is Chase's ground,
though he does not put it so strongly. ?
shall see. We will wait to hear from the
country districts, from the people"
He again relapsed into silence, zen
did not interrupt. Then he said when
the old monks had tired themselves out in
fighting the devil, did they not have
places to which they retired for rest, which
were called retreats ?"
"They did, answered "though I'M
derstand they were for spiritual rather
than bodily recuperation."
Il think of making this Office one of my
retreats" he said. at is so quiet and
restful here. Do you never get discour-
aged?
az shall be delighted to have you," 1
said, ignoring his question. 81 only wish
l could say of it, as Father Prout sang of
the Groves of Barney;
There's gravel-walks there for speculation,
And conversation i'll sweet solitude
"Tell me more of that ballad" he ex-
claimed, cheerily. 81 like its jingle. What
an Irish conceit that it-'conversation in
sweet solitude"
II fear cannot must send you the
| BOOK. only remember;
"'There's statues grazing this noble place In,
| All heather goddesses so fair
Bold Neptune, Plutarch, aud Nicodaymus,
A-standing naked in the open air.
81 must have that book tonight" he
said "a good Irish bull is medicine for
the blues"
He left the office actually to the sound of
his own musical laugh. He sent for the
book-a copy of Crofton Cookers Pop
ular Songs Of Ireland" 1t is before ME.
now; priceless almost, when | remember
that it once gave Abraham Lincoln some
pleasure, some respite from his cares.
This story may possibly be regarded as
trivial, but it tends to show with what in
tense earnestness the President bore his
grave responsibilities, and that he seized
upon an amusing story or volume because
it diverted him for the moment, and
strengthened rather than weakened his ca
pacity for his graver duties. | think it
tends also to illustrate the simple honesty
of his mind. Had Mr.. Lincoln been pre-
served to the Republic l do not believe
that the question of legal tender would
have been carried into the Supreme Court
of the United States. The weight of his
influence, never so powerful as on the day
of his death, would have been thrown in
favor of commencing the retirement of the
legal-tender notes at the close of the war,
and the return to a specie basis at the
earliest date consistent with prudence and
discretion-L L. E. Chate,,den, in Hdrper's
Magazine.
HIS NAME TAKEN DOWN.
And the Story Doesn't Say Whether It
Was Erased or Not.
A gentleman was complaining bitterly