Morning journal and courier., 1890-10-14
A STORY OF LINCOLN.
His Anxiety fin Regard 10 the Legal Tender Act-How He Strengthened
 

Himself for Work.
 [L- E. Chittenden in Harper's Magazinel
 The fight of legal tender had been won, and won on the ground stated by Thsd- deus Stevens in the opening sentence of his speech: ''This bill is a measure of necessity, not of choice" The act had been passed and approved. We could is- sue one hundred and fifty million dollars in currency at once, fifty million dollars would pay the demand notes, leaving one hundred million dollars to pay our sol diers and carry on the war for some months to come. We had also gained our first military success. Grant had cap tured Forts Henry and Donelson, and was pushing for Nashville. The clouds seemed to be breaking away, and the fu- ture to look more hopeful.
 was therefore surprised when one af- ternoon late in February, 1862, President Lincoln entered the registers room with as sad look as ever saw upon his care worn face. He dropped wearily into a seat he had previously chosen, and after 2 short silence exclaimed;
 "What have you to say about this legal tender act! Here is committee of great fnanciers 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, ,' said. ''The time for argument has passed Legal tender is inevitable. The gentle men you mention have made it a necessity. The people would take our notes without the legal tender clause. The banks and the copper-heads 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 Secretary Chase and Congress" 'I do not see that I am exclusively re- sponsible," !" he continued. '1 say to these gentlemen, Go to Secretary Chase; he is managing the finances They persist, and have argued me almost blind. I am worse | of than Saint Paul. He was in a straight betwixt two. I am in a staight betwixt twenty, and they are bankers and finan- ciers." "You are right in signing the act" said; ''that point has passed debate" s'Nou that is just where my mind ii | troubled, !" he continued. "We owe To of money which we cannot pay; we hay got to run in debt still deeper. Our credi tors think we are honest and will pay il the future. They will take our notes, bu they want small notes which they can us Il aIuOuR IntIustlNtc- sCO HAT see uO oOlcC | ton, but I do not like to say to a credito you shall accept in payment of your deb something that was not money when i was contracted. That doesn't seem hon est, and do not believe the Constitution sanctions dishonesty"
 'sNo more do l." replied. ''I do no claim that legal tender can be upheld al an abstract right under the Constitution But self-preservation is a right highel than the Constitution. We are warranted in making any sacrifice of property or DO itical right to save the Union. Gold ant silver are beyond our reach; our soldier must be paid and fed and clothed. w can issue treasury notes and circulat' them as currency. It is right and homes that we should give them the quality o legal tender, provided we return to speci, as soon as the necessity has passed. have watched the debates in Congress. have read the opinion of your nttorne, general. There are those who hint ana suggest that legal tender is provided for il the Constitution. I have read no speecl in which that right is broadly asserted.
 believe it safer to defend our position ol the ground of necessity"
 'I understand that is Chase's ground though he does not put it so strongly We shall see. We will wait to hear fror |
 He again relapsed into silence, which
 did not interrupt. Then he said: ''Whe the old monks had tired themselves out i
 fighting the devil, did they not have place to which they retired for rest, which wer called retreats.'
 'sThey did, answered; though ur derstand they were for spiritual rathe than bodily recuperation."
 'I think of making this office one of m retreats" he said. s'It is so quiet an
 restful here. Do you never get discoul agedf"
 'T shall be delighted to have you,"
 said, ignoring his question, 'I only wish could say of it, as Father Prout sang c
 the Groves of Blarney,
 sThere's gravel-walks there for speculation, And conversation in sweet solitude" ssTell me more of that ballad" he e,
 claimed, cheerily. Fl like its jingl' What an Irish conceit that is-'convers. | tion in sweet solitude.'"
 ! 'I fear cannot. I must send you tt book. I only remember,
 "'There's statues gracing this noble place in,
 All heather goddesses so fair, Bold Neptune. Plutarch and Nicodaymus, A-standing naked in the open air. sT must have that book tonight" | said. "A good Irish bull is medicine fc the blues.
 He left the office actually to the soun 1. of his own musical laugh. He sent fc the book-a copy of Crofton Croker's Pol
 ular Songs of Ireland. It is before n
 now; priceless almost, when I rememb,
 that it once gave Abraham Lincoln son
 pleasure, some respite from his cares. This story may possibly be regarded { l trivial, but it tends to show with what il tense earnestness the president bore h
 grave responsibilities, and that he seize ! upon an amusing story or volume becaui 7 it diverted him for the moment, an t strengthened rather than weakened his c
 pacity for his graver duties. I think f tends also to illustrate the simple honest | of his mind. Had MT. Lincoln been pr served to the republic I do not belle,
 that the question of legal tender woul
 have been carried into the supreme cou as Z of the United States. The weight of h influence, never so powerful as on the ds ]. of his death, would have been thrown ]. favor of commencing the retirement
 the legal tender notes at the close of u - war, and the return to a specie basis s the earliest date consistent with pruden' @ and discretion.
 Burial in n Strange Port.
 nnts