Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-07-09

I from nOstlllty TO Mr.. Seward, whom he had
long labored to defeat, than from any liking
for Lincoln.
This distrust Of Lincoln seems to have re-
| NAMED In Greeleys mind to the last. The
Century magazine has just published an adj.
dress written by him in 1868 three years after
the PRESIDENTS assassination. in which the
feeling Is plainly expressed. and the inability
10 understand or appreciate the intellectual
| greatness OF Lincoln is frankly manifested.
Il saw him for a short hour SAYS Greeley;
about fortnight after his Inauguration
and though the tidings of Gen. Twiggs'
| treacherous surrender of the larger portion
| OF our little army had been some days at hand.
| saw and heard nothing that indicated or
I threatened belligerency on our part. On the
| contrary, the President sat listening to the
| endless whine OF Office seekers and doing out
village post offices 70 importunate or lucky
partIsans, just as though we were sailing before
land breezes on smiling summer sea; and
to nay inquiry, Mr.. President. do you know
! place in which you sit? he answered
! pleasantly. but in words which in
timated his disbelief that any fighting would
transPire or be needed and firmly believe that
this logged resolution not to believe that our
country was about to be drenched in fraternal
blood is the solution of his obstinate calmness
throughout the earlier stages of the war; and
especially, his patient listening to the demand
OF deputation from the young Christians of
Baltimore, as well as of the mayor and other
biockaded in Washington, and in imminent
danger OF expulsion, that more northern
volunteers should cross the sacred soil of Mary
land IN fastening to his relief. We could not
comprehend this ct the north; many of us have
not yet seen through it; most certainly if he
had required committee of ten thousand to
Kick the bearers of this preposterous impudent
demand back TO Baltimore, the ranks of that
committee would have been filled in an hour
from any northern city or county containing
" aud ,nl,,
MIR. Lincoln was perfectly aware Of Gree
lev s hostility and reciprocated it earnestly,
though without ostentation. This appears
plainly all through Greeleys report OF their
interview which We have just quoted. Yet in
all our familiar intercourse with Mr. Lincoln
we never it betrayed but once. When
Greeley finally committed the blunder of trans
uniting to the President the letter of George
H. Sanders asking in behalf of the confederate
rulers for the appointment Of commissioners
70 meet the confederate agents at Niagara Falls,
Lincoln WAS delighted. because he thought his
enemy had ensared himself, and he hastened to
reply to Greeleys letter by making him COM
missioner to conduct the proposed negotiation.
at the same time laying down conditions which
the confederates could not agree to short of a
total surrender of their government and
armies We cannot recollect seeing Mr.. Lin
coin manifest any such feeling on any other
occasion, and the satirical smile which sub
merged the ordinary kindness and good nature
most unwonted and interesting character.
1T has always seemed to us that Mr.. Hamin
was party to this memorable cabal against
Lincoln, rath ex officio than from any spon-
taneous impulse of his own. The natural foe
of the king is always the heir apparent; and
the natural antagonist Of the President is the
Vice President Those who complained of his
administration, who accused the President of
unfaithfulness to his party obligations. or of
lncapaclty to deal with the tremendous ques-
hat h..h a.l Il, -
sorted to his official successor az tine best re-
posltory for their griefs. In the case Of Mr..
Lincoln these griefs were serious and uure-
hitting. He did not conduct the war with
sufficient energy; he did not appreciate tine
dangers that surrounded the country; he did
not strike the blows that would DESTROY the
rebellion; he favored too much the factions
and the politicians that before his advent had
supported the cause of slavery, and that under
various political DISCUSSES were believed to sup
port 1t still; he did not wisely select the gem
erals to command the armies. or quickly
enough remove them when in tie judgment of
his critics their incompetence was demon
strated- To borrow Mr.. Greeley's phrase, there
was not enough kicking back to Baltimore in
his conduct of the government.
1T is hardly necessary to add that Mr. Ham
lin s position was no secret from the President:
and while there never was a word said from the
White House that bore upon the subject the
VICE President WIS never mistaken for friend
VI the CONTAMINATION 1nlS WOuld nave made
no dlnerence IN the consideration bestowed
upon him had he been a man of much power
with any great division of the republican party
or OF the country at large. No statesman was
ever more prompt than Mr.. Lincoln to post
pone his own personal sentiments at the die
tates OF political wisdom, as witness his promo
ton of Mr.. Chase to the great Office of chief
justice; but in the case of Hamlin policy pointed
clearly in another direction. When the ques-
tion arose OF his denomination for "a second
term as Vice President he was laid aside and a
southern candidate was found, as he should
have been, in the person of Andrew johnson.
That this candidate afterward proved himself
unequal to his responsibilities affords no argu-
ment against the Propriety OF his selection by
Mr.. Lincoln
cabal were gradually suppressed by the vic
tories OF the armies in the field and by Lin
coins victories In politics. The collapse of
the rebellion ended the most bitter of them,
and the tragical death Of the President obliter-
ated the rest. That event put an end to all op-
position and placed him upon the pedestal
where he now stands, as an object for the I'M
equaled admiration of mankind Except
George Washington, it would be hard to find
his peer In all the records of history. and yet it
Is not too much to say that had he lived few
years longer he would doubtless have been
brought into collision with the republican
leaders In Congress on questions of reconstruc-
ucn. and his renOwn would certainly have
Deen dlmmed under the hood OF hostility and
detraetion that would have been poured upon
him. But now his glory remains safe and I'M
Questionable, and men may thank God for it
as for the possession of a priceless and peerless
treasure
LINCOLN, HANLIs AND JOHNSON.
lFrom the New York Sun, Today.l
To the Editor Of the Sun.
Sir: have read with interest the discussion
regarding Mr.. Lincoln's preference for johnson
or hamiin for tine vice presidency of his second
term. as it makes pertinent one of my unpub-
llshed Personal "reminiscences of President
Lincoln. 1 have several times related il to
personal friends, and now take the liberty of
contributing II TO the general fund Of informa-
ton upon this interesting question.
During the progress OF the convention at
Baltimore the Presidents private secretary
Mr.. Nicolay, kept him informed Of matters of
interest by wire to the War Department re-
ceived the message announcing Mr.. Lincoln's
nomination and rushed il over to the White
House by an orderly. shortly after it had gone
Mr.. Lincoln came into the office and congrat-
ulated him upon his denomination He re-
spOnded: Il hadn't heard of it," Explained
that had sent Mr.. Sicolays message over TO
the White House by the orderly. He said:
We'll, 1 guess he took a short cut. 1 came
around by the public highway" l then showed
him q copy of the message retained for the
office ties. He read it hastily and said: II
guess you had better send that over to the
madam she will be as much interested in il as
me-"