St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-07-11
DAN SICKLES' STORY.
The Veteran Talks OF His Rela-
tionS with Lincoln.

NEW YORK, July 10.-General Daniel
E. Sickles was shown the dispatch from
Chicago stating that he had been sent
by President Lincoln upon a mission to
Tennessee. The general said he did not
feel at liberty to tell all the story of his
visit to Tennessee which he made just
prior to the Baltimore convention.
81 cannot 90 into these matters" he
said, "because my relations with LIN
coin were of confidential nature, and
even now | do not feel at liberty to
speak of them. 1t is true that l was in
in Tennessee for several weeks
in the spring prior to the
Baltimore convention. | went there on
a special mission from President Lin
coin, but this mission was not of the
nature suggested by the gentleman i'll
Chicago-to ascertain the sentiment or
to secure information which might af-
feet Mr.. Johnson'S standing before the
convention. My mission was not pO-
litical one. 1t was more of a diplomatic
mission. Mr.. johnson was then mill
tary governor of Tennessee, and in his
administration was very severe. His
administration was of a character which
seemed to Mr.. Lincoln too harsh. and
not calculated to meet the policy which
he believed the proper one. L had
known Gov. johnson in congress. and
we were on the most pleasant relations,
socially. was given such credentials
that | was placed on the best of terms
with him officially. spent about four
weeks in Tennessee, and. during that
time was with him very much.
Without going into details, l will
say that my object was to see if the gen.
eral character of his administration as
governor could not be modified to come
more nearly to Mr.. Lincoln's ideas.
old the work that | was sent to do to
the best of my ability, and reported di-
rect to President Lincoln, going to the
White house Immediately on my return
to Washington and telling him the stu
alton as | had found it. In all this
heard nothing of any bearing which
this might have on the possible selec-
ton of Mr.. Johnson to be candidate
for the vice presidency"
'Do you think the results of your
mission may have influenced the presi-
dent in his feeling toward Mr.. johnson,
or had any effect OH the nominating
convention?" Gen. SickleS was asked.
Il cannot say that they may not have
had some effect" he replied; "but if
they did, it was an indirect one, and
one which was not thought of, so far as
| know, when | was sent South by tine
president"
us it your opinion that President Lin
coin favored the selection of Mr.. john
son over Mr.. Hamlin?"
81 never heard the president express
himself on that question" Gen. Sickles
said. "At the time l undertook the mis-
sion to Tennessee, the president had not
even avowed that he would be candi-
date himself. He shrank from such an
aYowal, and on high grounds. He used
TO tell me that he hesitated to say that
he would be a candidate. He once said:
'Sickles, I must not do it. To avow
ones self candidate for the presidency
at this time-to step forward and ayow
ones self ready to assume the heavy
burdens which must come to the presi-
dent for four years-is something that
no man should do. And the people
might rightly look with disfavor and
suspicion upon one who openly declared
that he was ready for the next four
years to assume these burdens
With such feelings on the sub
ject Of his own candidacy. Mr..
Lincoln, | should say, would be still
more disinclined to announce his pref
erences for the second place OH the
ticket" Gen. Sickles said that he adj
vised Mr.. Lincoln emphatically that he
must be candidate. He told him that
the announcement Of his nomination
would have greater and better effects on
the Union cause than the announce
ment of three victorious battles. 1t
would mean four years more of men
and money and fighting, if necessary, to
end the war.
81 told him that his nomination was
necessary as war measure" said Gen.
Sickles. II further told him that he
was not doing right in allowing MIR.
Chase, his principal rival, to make the
appointments of special treasury agents,
as he was then doing. l told him that
each appointment was good for one del
egate to the convention, and that Chase
would get this benefit of the distribu-
ton of the plums. He replied with
a funny story. | went South on my
mission, and, in a few weeks, returned
to Washington and went at once to the
White house, as have already said. 1t
was evening. and reception was in
progress. made brief stop. and was
just coming away when the president
beckoned me to come inside the lines
where the diplomatic corps was sta
toned. | did so. and after the crowd
began to thin out the president drew a
telegram from the pocket of his dress
coat and handed it to me. 1t was from
Columbus, o., telling him that the state
convention had that day elected dele
gates to Baltimore solid for Lincoln
| said &c him: MIR. President you knew
more about those treasury appointments
than | did. When Ohio goes for you