Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-06-27

| "sS" "hAA vouu W. fOTney III tile puDllcatlOn OF
the Daily and Sunday Chronicle, has vivid and
interesting recollections Of the war period in
Washington, his professional employment at
toe time having given him close acquaintance
with the affairs and the men Of the day. To a
representative of The STAR. who induced Col
Forney to tell some of his "reminiscences Col
forney said that but for the desire on the part
OF President Lincoln and Secretary Seward he
doubted If the newspaper venture with which
he was identified would have been made quite
80 early Il was obliged" said Col
Forney, "to sec many of the members
OF the cabinet almost daily. Gen. Cameron
who was then Secretary of War, was always
very anxious as to the character of the news
We printed So anxious indeed was he at that
time that regular censorship Of every class Of
news. even local item. was deemed necessary
so as 10 guard against the possibility OF infor-
NATION being sent across the lines by rebel
| sympathzers, plenty Of whom were still in the
| city, and not a few of them i'll the depart
| ments."
EARLY INSTALLATIONS.
DO you think, asked The STAR, ''that at
that time the administration had any proper
conception of the rebellion that had broken
out In the southy"
| The best answer to that question:" replied
Col; Forney. lis contained in statements made
| by air. Seward In writing to our foreign repre-
sentatives abroad. which were substantially
that the war could not last longer than sixty or
ninety days. No, the administration little
| dreamed tor the people of the north either
| what a work they then had before them There
IL no doubt that Mr.. Lincoln had much bet
ter conception OF the great magnitude Of the
Issues then involved than any member of his
! cabinet, and that 1t explains the wonderful eau
ton as well as conservatism he practiced to-
| ward public men of all classes he had to deal
with at that time. l think that when the his
tory OF Mr.. Lincoln is written by some future
historian il will be shown that the most critical
test OF his remarkable statesruanship was at
| the time l refer to.
Il doubt whethor he or even members Of his
cabinet had the slightest idea of the history
they we're then making. nor the influence il was
| IT, have on humanity the world over Mr. Lin
coln the more his character is studied the
more colossal 1t becomes, not only as compared
| with HIS contemporaries. but with almost every
other man prominent in human history. No
emergency. no sort of reverses, seem to have
embarrassed him; he appeared to have been
prepared for whatever the situation produced
when we consider the severe school in which
his early lessons OF life were learned the secret
Of his power i'll dealing with men and measures
| IL the more easily understood, rs it does also
| account FOR the remarkable control he had of
himself Toward leading men of his own party
| and his cabinet his conduct and bearing was so
| courteous and even Familiarity affectionate that
his numerous jokes had the effect of tightening
and softening the enormous responsiLilities of
their positions.
| Mr.. LIycoLN's INDIVIDUALITY
| Mr.. Lincoln was a man of the most intense
individuality, so that his capacity to stand
alone, and in measure. outside of others WAS
one Of the hidden forces Of his character. I
have often heard il remarked by those who
| held very close relations to him that one of the
| means he used To bol5 thee ,norn h;dt ,no
| forces i'm cbeck was his bo,n,, ronIt, W..
| ing aside MANY of his annnropcea w;;b ~.
Gus jokes, which also served to illustrate hi.
meaning until his convictions hacan'n -, n,o
/ fully mafured. I often sat and yatnhai MI .u
/ various exnressions Of his fac uLar ,s,.a sn1
| on ali sides NV every conceiv"bIo f;no pressed
for the prosecution of the war and viii. hi pomos
of them were in harmonv with hi. " aar, 'olie
vie,ions The .trua~e. onS WIN n ms early con;
10 keep in sight the resnonsibii,;es of e'
tion az Presient seems9 gnr tha ,; oi ans posi-.
transform the appearnnce Of the man +, ..ns
sucL times he appearel the eroataSt ~ was at
| in tbo.e moods 10 Lecam. $500, S. anu "nen
recall Az Sewsrd's ay;na a., I! ioaonauIe
| nile NJ incoln -, ", ~. one oeeasion 'iat
| Confidence. With bis aJy;sors " siaie us
| snmed more than the otbors b oa no,er an, as
Ike R;cbelien drew an nf,;c;aI ; oI'ioiau!,
him into which M man could 80 aio .I
| IL was that every member of the cai;not III
ICED that he was President These moments of
Il
hes, ~ do within the ins ~ H.; ~ ~nas ~ was
duty. 1t was a frequent remark on soma Of
| the extreme men of his party to CHARGE hin,
| with being Inconsistent with his earIv oonn;
| ton, on the slavery question simnly hscans.
| he did not at once. or Mt any time Will. pras;
dent. Weld to their special plan of disnos;nc
of H. Ii was thi, spirit of pressnre tbnt dra'Ss
| forth those memorable words. II ,xiii co.
| this Union with or witbont slovorv, ~
member we'll the various critia;sus IT,.
| word. excited and with wbat bitternass IL
trsme ubolitionists denounced them en-. =,
/ them even going SO far as 10 charge him m;th -
| re.diness TO surrender 10 the sontb on a."
| other band tbe more conseryo,;va .l,. ~. :.
The conrtry became more honeyl Of 10. oh;,;t y.
10 40 We tba linton. believe that ;rst ~ III
neriod ali parties with the excen,;on ~ hn~s
and thara there an extreme aLoiit;on;., " Sn
eama fnIiv united in their nn,sJ &c
| ia The man recall hs;rn ,.n"..e
mhen deie1at;oA hal wo;.a55 pfos SEM
| 70 nroa tha ?mmed;,ta omomc;ro.;. -" .,'
sIaxes and to snsnend ali attemnts % y, IN, one
| c;I;a,orv cbaracter (Which Won viii r.rn.~,Ion
he was then irving 10 effect tbronoh srac;ai
,;ss;ons 20 C.nads and Enr,,ess Wosr apet S.at
ne;.ber their advice nor their nrotests 81 ,ts
si;ahtest eject nnon him hi. ,pswsr hs;nn ~.
ths ,;n,s haJ rot vet come and tha. III; .na a
cou,d .Tnrd 40 wsit tbs .orth Gould ~ "H'Ae VIC
S'".N aA1 " 80 1e 49, .o".u "o'
HIS fAh-shhiNe foLicA Al ~ SLAVERY.
''The settlement OF the slavery question was
the all absorbing one of the war, and Mr. Lin