The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1891-02-05

inendS. i'll rs much TO he feared that II ne
had lived, this tendency would have led
him 10 20 10 much greater lengths in re-
settling the status of the Southern people
than his own dispassonate judgment or the
public opinion Of his countrymen would
have approved. He was very wise man,
very adroit man, and a very just man,
unless to be just involved too great strain
on his natural kindness of heart This kind
nature is often illustrated by stories Of the
manner in which he set aside capital SEN
tenccs on army deserters and others Of that
stripe. His admirers, who publish such
things for the purpose Of exhibiting what
they consider an admirable trait in Mr..
Lincoln's character, fail 20 see what dreadful
injustice was committed by them upon every
faithful soldier on the field Of battle. The
absence Of these deserters occasioned the loss
Of battles and
THE DEATH OF THOUSANDS OF BETTER MEN
than they and the wounding nearly 20 death
of thousands Of Others. Their presence might
have assured victory and would certainly
have saved many lives and much suffering,
To save these deserters Of their flag and their
comrades from well-merited punishment for
the awful fate to which their act had con-
demned their felOw-sOldieTs, and which
IAuAlAN VIE lBlbhluNu 10 hNAtI bluNlc NUN
committing The same crime, was an act Of
questionable kindness, bat Of undeniable in
justice TO the country and 10 the soldiers of
our armies. Such acts are an indication not
of Mr.. Lincolns strength, but of his weak
ness, and leave him open to the suspicion
that an appeal 10 his feelings would in all
cases have overcome his sense of justice.
That some few extreme cases Of this kind
did occur is probably true, but that the nu-
merous cxtTayagant incidents OF this sort
every day published in books, magazines
and newspapers have even a foundation
OF truth is beyond the reach Of human
creduity.
In all men who possess a keen sense Of
hum0r there is always found the element of
pathos in an equal degree. When neither
Of them is in excess, they easily combine
into a harmonious whole and make up an
engaging and rounded character, but in Mr..
LineOln's case both were morbidly developed
and both &C i've 10 a wonderful degree. They
never harmonized or became fused into each
other. There were always the two men in
Mr. Lincoln, the pathetic and the humorous,
as separate and distinct from each other as
two separate persOnages could have been.
Having seen the pathetic Mr.. Lincoln, the
saddest and most s0TrOWiul Of human beings,
the very aspect of whom almost brought
tears TO ones eyes and atterward TO meet
the humorous part Of him, fnll of life and
fun, making jokes, sometimes not over deli
cate, and Laughing over them as loudly and
as long as any Of has hearers, a man seem
ingly without care or anxiety, was as strange
and startling almost rs 10 witness the trans
formations OF DIR. Jekyll and Mr.. Hyde. A
strangers or
FOREIGNERS OPINION OF HIM
depended altogether upon whether they saw
him in one or the other Of these moods; and
as he changed from one to the other easily
and quickly, il might well happen that two
strangers who had seen hiP at different
times within an hour OF two would give en-
timely opposite opinions Of him. He appar-
emily yielded to either impulse, aud was not
at any pains TO subdue the expression Of
either condition.
Certainly ] have seen him at times when
he was the saddest and most pathetic man
my eyes had ever looked on, and, knowing
the awful cares and responsibilities which
rested on him, the falling away Of political
friends and the fcT0CiOus and cruel attacks
Of political enemies, together with the inelii-
cheney and bad faith Of some Of his Generals
in the field, i could fully realize the look Of
deep detection which Oyerspread both face
and figure Ten minutes aiterward, in the
same place and under the very same cOudi-
tOns j have seen BIN the jOlliest man on
earth, laughing, swinging bis arms and
stamping about the room, wholly overcome
with mirth. III was the stTangest thing /
ever saw, and during the week OF McClel-
lan's retreat from the ChickahOminy TO the
James River, the most ol which ID was my
fortune 10 spend with him i'm Mr. Stanton's
Office, j had The opportunity 10 witness this
curious transformation many times Yet ]
do not think IL was difficult 10 determine
that the real man was the sad and pathetic
man, full Of sorrows and trials. personal and
public, the tremendous pressure Of which he
was fortunately able temporarily TO throw
of by this indulgence Of the lower and
superficial side Of his nature. Toward the
close Of The war the humorous feature Of his
character in at least open and frequent eX-
hibilions Of IL bad nearly disappeared.
People who found fault with Mr.. Lincoln
for making or enjoying Jokes whilst the
whole country was plunged in mourning
and racked by apprehension, little under
stand how essentially il is an effort Of nature
TO Tighten a burden Of care aud grief which
could not otherwise he borne, aud that ID is
the same mental or emotional feeling which
induces the soldier 10 be as gay after a
bloody battle as il he had been at a feast
But for this temperament which enabled
him 10 throw of for the moment the tfemen-
dOus cares which rested on him, Mr. Lin
coin would not have lived TO sec the end Of
the FIRST year Of his administration, and but
for relief Of exactly the same kind, no sol
dier could ever be persuaded TO 20 into bat
Tie second lime.
In his personal character Mr.. Lincoln was
faithful friend true TO those he loved aud
without malice or hatred for his enemies.
NOTHING COULD BE MORE TOUCHING
/ than his affection for his family and his de-
yotlon and forbearanoe 10 them. lie was
eminently domestic man, more fond Of his
Z home and his own freside than is consid-
cred polite in public man. lie was a de-
voted husband and father a trusty friend
and good citizen. These traits OF lis per.
sOnal character are well known Of all men
and therefore hardly worth repeating.
But be was also the greatest public man
4 IN some respects that this country has ever
/ produced. IL is strange that the general
F. public, and especially surprising that his
/ Cabinet, did not sooner discover and adaut
themselves 10 his immense superiority. in
intellectual force, in political sagaciiy and
IN adrUliness Of political management he
was 50 far beyond the members Of his Cabi-
net that be held them absolutely in the hol-
low Of hs hand. They found this out later.
and il must have been a surprise as great as
that Of Balaam. They submitted 20 il rue