Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-11-24
LINCOLN AND CARL SCHURZ.
An Entertaining and Instructive Episode
of the War Period.

| MY attention has been directed by
Maj. Z. S. Bulls OF Cleveland to let
ter written by President Lincoln to
Carl Schurz. Maj. Bulls says ~it
ought to be published. | think so
myself. The other day l briefly de-
| scribed Mr.. Schurz, inasmuch as he
has again come up out of the gloom OF
| obscurity to write letters and make
| speeches for the Democratic party.
| Lincoln's estimate of this pretentious
reformer will be mighty interesting
| reading" at this time, as Greeley was
won't to put it.
SchurZ was in Spain when the War
OF the Rebellion began. where he had
been sent by Lincoln to represent thi:
government. He came home ostensi-
/ bly, to fight, but musket wasn't the
/ weapon he wanted. He sought to cut
| and slash. and a sword was put in his
hand and he was sent to the front If
he had been a soldier instead of a pol
itician he might have got high place
in the military history of this country,
especially as he began as a Brigadier-
General and not down in the ranks
where he properly belonged.
1t is well known to all. perhaps, that
he became only commonplace soldier
hardly that, in fact. However, he
had an idea that he could put down the
| war if given the chance. Instead of
fighting. for which he was hired and
paid, he stroked his beard and invent
ed policies. At 20 he considered him
self wise enough to give Germany a
new constitution and to pick out
suitable man for King. At 80, as a
Brigadier-Generali in the Federal army,
he considered Lincoln a failure, and
sought to give him advice and to in
struct him. He wrote Lincoln a letter
directly after the autumn election in
1862, and got an answer straightway.
The answer is the letter to which
Major Bulls called my attention.
Some parts of it are exceedingly breezy
and frank, and / quote them with con-
siderable satisfaction.
81 have just received and read your
letter of the Goth" (November), wrote
Lincoln. "The purport OF it is that
we lost the late elections, and the adj
ministration is falling because the war
is unsuccessful, and that | must not
tiatter myself that | am not Justly to
blame for it."
The impudence of SchurZ-and it
was surely monumental-to presume
to write letter of this description to
the President of the United States
when he himself was a stick in the
field and positive failure, is quite
enough to take ones breath away, even
now.
Il certainly know" continued Lin
cold," that if the war fails the admin
istration fails, and that will be blamed
for it whether | deserve it or not. And
| ought to be blamed if l could do bet
ter. You think | could do better;
therefore you blame me already. |
think l could not do better; therefore
l blame you for blaming me. under
stand you now to be willing to accept
the help of men who are not Repub-
lcans provided they have heart in it,
Agreed. | want no others. But who
is to be Judge of hearts or of the heart
in it? If | must discard my own
Judgment and take yours | also must
take that of others, and by the time |
should reject all | should be advised to
reject | should have none left, Repub-
hcans or others-not even yourself.
Be assured, my dear strand here
Lincoln took out his knife and cut
deep-"there are men who have heart
In 1T that think you are performing
your part as poorly as you think l am
performing mine"
Continuing, Lincoln said: "In an
swer to your question, Has it not been
publicly stated in the newspapers, and
apparently proved as fact, that from
the commencement of the war the
enemy was continually supplied with
information by some of the confiden-
tial subordinates of as important an
officer as Adjutant-General Thomas?'
must say no, so far as my knowledge
extends. And | add, that if you can
give any tangible evidence upon the