The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-09-13
MIR. LINCOLN'STENDER HEART
STORIES VIEW AND OLD ~ hrs LATES r
RIUGRdpHEE.

treatment AhuDy nuu
How Il Did It-Lincoin's Belief In tho
ultimate Success OF tho Union.
Among tho many extracts from my recently
| published Rec collections OF President Lincoln"
republished by the newspaper press, by far tho
| most numerous nie those which illustrate
President Lincoln's deep sympathies aud kind
ness OF heart. Tho natural inference is that
these were tho beautiful traits in his charac-
acter which mado him SO extremely popular
whilo ho lived and OF which the American peo-
pie are now most pleased TO hear.
There are no pathetic incidents refer ed to
in the "Recollections" that were not moro or
less within my personal knowledge, AMI thsy
nro fow in number. Eut those who lived IN
Washington during the war will remember
TINT these incidents were very common. and
ultimately became 30 frequent ns carctly to
attract attention. Officers OF tho army often
complained OF him because they said he would
not permit the sentence of a court martial in n
capital case to be carried into eject until no
had himself examined the case and read every
page Of tho evidence. They also claimed that
unless the crimo proved involved depravity or
intentional wickedness on the part OF tho cu,.
prlt he Invariably committed tho sentence.
This was held to DO an improper and very
damaging interference with mill, AIRY d scipline
Casting q retrospective glance through the
mist OF nearly thirty years back TO those times
when we seemed to live ton years in one am
able to recall q number Of these Incidents
showing the kind aud gentle heat of Mr..
Lincoln, and although l cannot testify to
many OF them from personal knowledge. |
have no doubt whatever OF their au henticity.
1t is not at oil unlikely that some OF them nro
mentioned in Mr.. Carpenters Six Months in
the White House." for he was very thorough
in collecting all tho anecdotes Of Mr.. Lincoln
which at that time could be found. l write
them out in the hope that they may interest
the readers OF The SUN.
Tho first incident which remember that at
tracted attention to the peculiarly sympathetic
character OF the President. occurred in connec-
ton with the death OF Col. Ellsworth at the
first invasion OF Virginia. on tho morning OF
tho 25th of May. 1861. Ellsworth WAS an ac-
Quaintance aud III some sense n prot6g6 OF Pres.
ident Lincoln's. and think cnme 10 Washing
ton In his company. l shall not recall tho
cruel and barbarous circumstances connected
with his death, for they are q part of familiar
history. His body was brought from Alcxan-
drla to the Navy Yard in Washington early in
the morning. The excitement produced by
this invasion OF Virginia and the death Of
saw in Washington during the war. We were
on tho very threshold OF the conflict and had
KILLED aud tens OF thou sands wounded.
AS soon as The President heard Of the calam-
boasS the SsvS Yard to ,ne
EptlIe to. see it until the day OF his funeral
The President made no effort to conceal his
sorrow. Sometimes his, face was the sadd"st
that ever saw upon human being. 80 meI-
first time ever saw this melancholy express
sion WAS when he stood II strong man. shaken
| 1t made an impression upon my memory which
Will never he eifaced, dcepened II may te by
resident Of the city. who sneerInGly wanted 10
know whether or not the President vi the
| United States was woman
Not many months a,lerward, and. I think.
before the first battle of Buii Run, there was
another current story OF some interest. Alex
proud of the name OF Virginia and very con-
temptuons in their ,reatmeHt Of the northern
finding, the largest church in the city most
convenient for his purposes. had tnEen y ,sses-
and w"nnied soldiers lis net W was 81 m S1Sh
as gross outrage and pec SCI Of f' wickei
14indaism dIsesnion OF elderly ana
and in HS very shS e5 ana sd!
d-pendent manner. Informed him that tho
church was wanted for the conduct ofre, igious
orler upon tho surgeon, to surrender H.
There were not many sick soldiers there"
ing.on or II necessary placed in other build
the surgeon Z" said tna President. :" he knows
all tho facts ana IL sent here for the very ,pur-
shon4 ]. who know nothing about it Interfere
1--WE have been to the surgeon. said the
us. not even said the lady with great dignity
when we told him we should complain to the
Then" said the President, II don't SEQ
how YOU are going to got any relief. IT tho
his opinion that the Almighty has grcni or need
81 ma church as hospital ior sick sold ers
rnlo tho surge N nor oppose the Will OF Tie
Very soon after this clerk in the Treasury
loyal old farmer and his wife living near Har-
pers Ferry had son who enls ed in the hrs.
severely wounded. The old couple had found
powerless 10 procure 8 discharge. and had
ting an order Tor His discharge from iho
President; Fut they had no ;lcuIiaintances or
to watch in the PtesIisnts sntsroo ; iii in The tie
hone Of attracting ad his attention This they
ha homes 30 SF sys n aaon
them 4 TO he home ,h GU. Of charity One day tho
homsly apnearance. directed q messenger %
bring them in,o his presence. They were both
not utter word. The mother. assistei by tho
Presidents kind appearance. finally managed
this vine me see see" sae re President. s
listed in the Union army from Maryland,
that he Is, badly wounded. that YOU
wish to take him home. cure him. AMI mako
hin, strong so that he can 90 back 10 tho army
aud again fight for his country. Yes" eX-
claimed the old farmer. that's it exactly. and
4 yH Is w es p " h HS % T SS nsSs
President "ihers should be one man in every
family left at home. but you shall have your
son, and he drew and gave them, an order 10
1erT,mit them to search any hospital AMI for tho
should be found.
:, AS the war became general tn pr essura upon
the lime OF memb ers Of the Cabinet and o. hsr
officers was 30 great that it seemed n soIutnly
necessary to assign certain hours and on not
more than one day in tho week when personal
applications could he made to them. but DO
not believe that any man or woman eyer, failed
or request was one which ought 10 haze been
brought TO hi attention. the messengers and
employees Of the White House soon became
experts IN these mertorious cases, which 'hoy
always brouGh' TO tho Presiden;' g u'tontiHa.
One Of his messengers had n stock story Wh'rn
Went by the name Of Tho BABY lii it," Whlc!l
bD worth roDentiIp