New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-12-07
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
LNCOLN'S WISDOM AND TACT.


ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND MEN OF w Van p pnsiS:
Some Pers Jral Recolcctons Of War ana rqlcs
during the. Lincoln Admiuistratioh' G''X ci t
duoti'n b, ORA. G. Lambdn. By A. h. Mcclure
IL d. Up. 162. The Times Publishing Company
Philadelphia.
II ,s I'm the record OF actual contact with Lincoln
and other great men OF those days that Mr. McCurcs
hook ha. It's best chance o. survival as source OF In
formation for the future historian. He acknowledges
tim, he was allowed to discover OF the President 3
many sided mind only what the latter wished anu nc
denies that Others permitted any deeper nS's'
IIc insists that the dhculty OF understanding L'"
uas the cause OF the varied and often seemingly COZ"
n,ctinc estimates which men made OF his character.
Irc,ln sought and accepted the opinions OF Others ou
,arelv allowed his own TO escape him until 'he u'.
came for action. Sometimes he Veied MS i0"'
under show Of open hear;edness that leo an i'Ap
cncsd man to suppose that he had pehel'"''u ""
Whole secret: sometimes he frankly reiuseu u
,nouirie. Thus when Mr. Mcclure tried 10 "Ne'se
Tim mo a confession OF his purpose with respect ~
,hs Chief Jusceslip previous to the NOMINATION. "
Chase Gle discussed the question LOT iu'iS nun "
nomr named the who had been pron'i"'"'I' ,'N .,
TONED I'm connection with the appointments 'P
all Of them with apparent freedom sought au 81
nv own We've IS to the wisdom OF app"h,i"s e'''' "
w., ' ana rh,n ,h. conversation ended had no more
(a.o as to the bent OF his mind than II '"u Wv"
oonversins with the sphinx suggested " .n -,
closing the conversation that his vows OH 'hc So
vsr. very much more important thah hAno, All" w
rnild he
this characteristic answer We'll "0oi'ie' Wv
I'm shut pan On that question. ~ 49, ,,s
unm.t,ues Lincoln seems TO have dvldco up i
intent impartlng such portions Oh IL s' "o 's,.,
N different men, Wien Mr. Mcclure was ,~I
With the work of preparing for draft IN fehsy
no WAS confronted With a small rsoeN'oh III 0'"uS
Cosntv Secretary stanton gave orders loI
Tho revolt bv military force. Governor 'u'u" 49,"
Nv NcCh,re both hesitatcd, and finally app''ueu " Wv
President In cipher dispatch NO answer ,''n ,oo,.
mail or telegraph but says the author Vi "'S ,na
When entered the breakfast room % Instant Ad
,xt rnorning | saw Sea'Cd al tie taUie n.toe Army
intant General Townsend Of the United s S hechoned
knew him well n1 anu asked me to breakfast with him.
Ne we're out OF hearing of any others bt came solely
lie SUI, ~r.onal message from President LlncIin
~ fbese words: say 10 Mcclure tna' ,i II might
i,,ons 10 have the laws 1uiy eXecute1 D an With
sUns IN AN extreme emergency to he cohenU M,r
tie appearance Of e1esutnE tG eurr townsend added
II have nov fulfilled my mission uo ho' A-''" W
what it relates 49,. o,oa imam This hint
nc tho author explains in detail but IL Is 10 De w
rrod thar here the President presented Sohe"h''u
,orss osnect 10 each Of three meI-stahtoh lo"hSo"
and Mcclure Perhaps it was TO this sor. VI "'e
that Solomon alluded when he rthiarNeu ons
multitude OF counSelors there Is "isuoii Az.
uos NOT only in q position 10 see all sides OF t'e
oh,oms with which he had 10 deal but bad inc
capacity 10 see them and TO direct othe" VINO 0"N
partially cor,prehended his AIM Yet he was oouo.-
less earnest In his mood Of selfdeprecanoh' ihoe"
he seemed to Others MIR. Mcclure expresses IT. -"
master in politics" he said quantity enough IN con
s,ltatop With Pennsylvania leaders over state con
fest the issue Of which seemed doubtful; GU K'o"
7 never was much OF contriver; don't kno" H"ch
about how things done in politics. but thihK w"
gentlemen understand the Situa ion In your Satc anu
] want to learn what may be done to insure tie SUE
cess we al desire" and he was not content un,u
,he popular bearing Of every Vital question in the
clcq addresses
Int IN plain statements OF facts. II Is t. be under
stood that he never allowed himself 10 presume upon
n state OF things simply because he wished sHch
state of things 10 exist.
Doubtless II was tbs determination to see things
inst rs they were, in all the relations capable or
being graspod that led him 10 novel uticns OF many
veXatio,s questions. Mr.. NJ CnIc ILLUSTRATES this Ivy
an aison to the difficulty he MT with In getting
men mustered into the service after he had collected
them under the Pennsylvania Con c'iplon law. OILY
two companies We're mustered In dliiy. when in lbs
opinion regiment should have been nj out Of III
camp every twcnv-.our hours. A. may cues.
and rs Mr. Mcclure says. there political influence
in the affair which neither he nor the President would
have cared TO irrate Mr. Mcclure hurried TO tie
White House with his grievance
Without intmating his solution OF the problem. the
President rang hi, bell and Mstraotd his ne sang
TO bring Adjulant-Gcncim Thomas 10 the EXecutN We
and Lincoln said (.,ncra. What is the niular
rank OF The senior officer at Harris 'urg1' To whc
naming The officer. Lincoln promptly sail n reply
Bring n commssl Immediately for AleNa' de
X. Mcclure Assistant Adiuiant General Of The
tnitcG states Volunteers with the rank 81 HalO..
The Adiut.ni- General bowed himself out VII n / I'm
mcllatcly said to Lincoln that ! could not consent
be subject arbitrary Uiiiary orders that d t.
sired no compensation for the work performed fn1
! must decline the honor ne proposed to conf r on
me. In his quiet way, he replied: "Wcll Mcclure.
Try way; think II yen will take Your com
mission hack 10 Harrisburg call upon the cat1in In
mand thcre 10 muster into the scrvire OF the
United States and show him your assignment duty
there YOU win have no trouble whatever In getting
the troops organized and forwarded as rapidly rs
you wish. Now try II, won't you?'
OF course the plan worked TO rfcctlon, and when
the troops were al sent forward and the unwilling
major resigned his commission. few people be lies
the rccalCtant captain the wiser.
II Is by recording such rCmins ~'nccS as these tat
Nr. Mcclure has added valuable material t. the store
that future generations will diaw upon in creating
anew for themselves the character OF the Great
Amer lean.