The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-05-17
ANECDOTES OF LINCOLN.
Homely Illustrations More Forceful Than
Long Arguments.
Chattanooga (Tenn) Tines

Long Arguments.
Chattanooga O~nn-) Times.
was in Washington during the day OF
the second battle of Bull Run. For sew
eral hours officials as well Es everybody
else were quite uneasy. A wire stretch
ing from field headquarters to the war
Office was kept hot. The next morning
ex Governor Bib, who was then az ex-
aminer in the patent Office. told me this
incident:
For several hours during the
day Lincoln sat with Stanton.
reading the dispatches as they
were received. Later in the evening he
returned TO the white house, a short dis
lance away, and Stanton, by the use of q
large hand bell, advised him of the nature
OF the dispatches. A single stroke was
favorable and two strokes unfavorable
news. Lincoln sat near an open window
: to hear the bell distinctly. At last a
brisk wind commenced blowing through
the adjacent shade trees, making it diff.
cult for him to hear the bell correctly.
Lincoln got up and started TO the war Of
fee, saying: "COnfound that bell | would
as soon have u felt hat with a sleeps tail
in it for e clapper.
One of the best illustrations OF Lincoln's
forceful manner of enforcing his meaning
was told me by an exmember OF the con-
federate congress. At the time Hunter,
Campbell and Ould, as a commission,
went 10 Fl Monroe 10 have a conference
with Lincoln and Seward TO see if terms
of peace were possible, A. H. Stephens,
vice president, went also at the request Of
the commission. Stephens reported what
! now refer to. saying that Lincoln's
shrewdness OF reply by illustration had
more force than long anu learned speeches
could have exerted.
Lincoln first assured the commission
that his and Mr.. Stewards meeting aud
conference with them must not be con-
strued as treating them as a commission
from a government Of the confederate
states. but only as private individuals, as
the fixed policy OF the government of the
United States had been, and was not 10
treat the rebellion as an organized gov
eminent.
To this Mr.. Hunter replied that il
ought to be enough TO decline TO treat
/ the confederate states as a government de
| jure, but that it might, for the purposes
of this conference, looking to the possible
terms OF peace. be treated as a govern
ment de facto, and cited the action Of
] Charles | as q precedent. Lincoln
! quickly replied: You'll have TO talk
10 Seward about such things as that.
! / lost his head"
Stephens said it would not be possible
/ TO conceive of a more complete ending of
! what might have been a long discussion.
| After little delay Mr.. Campbell inquired
| whether, if the confederate forces laid
/ down their arms and submitted TO the au-
thority of the federal government, the
I southern states could be restored TO their
places in the union, with rights of individ-
al property unim paired.
To this Lincoln replied: any procla-
nation of freedom TO slaves must con-
! tinue in force. Long notice of il wss
/ given as a condition of the arms of the
rebellion not being laid down. Now the
freedom it has given to the slaves must
continue"
"Well, but, Mr.. President" said Mr..
! Campbell, ARE you aware of the fact that
that would mean almost cruel death to the
southern people? The climate is too
severe for white men to work, and. not
being used to field labor, if now deprived
! of their slaves, many of them will starve."
Lincoln looked thoughtful for few
/ moments. and then said that il reminded
him of a man in Illinois who tried to
winter a large stock of hogs on turnips.
His fields of turnips were divided into lots.
and after one lot was exhausted the hogs
were turned into another. The hogs did
well until the ground froze deeply. A
neighbor came by and passed the man
sitting on the fence watching the efforts Of
the hungry hogs to get at the turnips.
The neighbOr observed: Your hogs
can't get ct these turnips. You'll have to
feed them" well. said the man, that's
ali have for them to eat, and it looks to
me like a case of root, hog. or die
Stephens said That most conclusively
| ended the conference"