The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-02-12

laughed and cried and sang. they threw
up their arms and danced. they touched
Ms saddie and his clothes, they kissed his
hand and called him Father Abraham"
"Aasse Lincoln" and the president un-
covered and rode bare-headed among his
colored soldiers-in Virginia.
After this Mr.. Lincoln often visited
Ten. Grant. He always slept and usually
took his meals on his steamer, but passed
many hours ct the headquarters, some
times Joining the group around the camp
hre, sometimes sitting with Grant in lis
tent, Or riding along the lines with him;
eOmetimes remaining in camp and read
ing dispatches as they came in from the
different armies. He was very accessible
to the STAN officers at such times, ready to
talk with any of them, making minute
inquiries in regard to military matters,
and even discussing political affairs on &C.
unwisely, never saying . word that he could
afterwards have wished unsaid. No man
could Be moro cautious or moro reticent
when he chose.
At one time he remained several weeks.
and got TO feel that knew . good deal
about the character Of his mind. His
sne ss8aclty - well - the wonderful
fairness Of his Judgment amounted to in
teilectuality: while his Astounding charity,
ms humility, tempered by q certain
dignified consciousness of his position
and the Importance of his decisions, his
observation-disclosures. his kindness to the
humble were remarkable. He never
spoke harshly even of the enemy: he was
merciful to criminals and deserters. He
was indeed, in his own ALMOST divine
words, full of charity for all, with malice
towards none" And when thought that
this man was the butt of every vulgar
writing north and south, that the enemy
had christened him the "baboon," and
millions Of Northerners and Europeans
maligned and affected to despise HMM
spite OF myself I was reminded of Him,
when he was reviled, reviied not again,
and when buf;eted and spit upon yet per-
United himself to be called ''King Of the
Jews"
Yet he was, As every one knows, plain
guage often betrayed his origin, his man.
ner was never artificially polished, though
1t rose into absolute dignity in emergen.
cies; but this was from the innate supe-
riority OF his nature, not the acquired
grace of society. His jokes offended the
taste of many who admitted his greatness,
and his awkward beauty was the counter
part OF ono phase familiar to his plain
features. But through the mask of plain
ness the great soul shone out at times, the
great mind perhaps more rarely, the great
heart always.
Up to this period had not formed an ex-
allied idea of Mr.. Lincoln's ability. but
when saw him in this undress of his
character, in this familiar, every day sort
of intimacy, hearing him discuss the great
est affairs with Grant for hours and chat
ting with lieutenant by turns; when I
saw him receive Sherman and Sheridan
aud Meade as we'll as Grant as their mas.
ter. meeting Seward and Stanton and
other cabinet ministers. who sometimes
attended him; men themselves of incon-
testable mark; senators, too, and foreign
minlsters-and showing himself easily the
superior of them all, not only in station.
but in that indefinable something that be-
speaks innate authority-I recognized the
fitness of this Western lawyer to sit in the
chair of Washington in an emergency
greater than Washington ever knew.
He was at City Point when Grant finally
moved'his armies out in that campaign
which ended in the capture Of Richmond
and tine surrender of Lee. remember be-
ing present when Grant handed him the
orders he had prepared for Meade and
Sheridan and Ord; and heard his inquiries
ject of that movement. He offered no
suggestion, far less order. leaving every
military matter absolutely to the COM
mander OF his armies. But his comments
were terse and showed q keen appreciation
of the situation. On the morning of the
the front. He and his staff went BY the
military railroad that led to Meade's head
quarters, and the president accompanied
us to the station. His son, Robert
Lincoln. young man Of q, was of the
company, captain on Grants staff. Mr..
Lincoln shook hands not only with his
son and Gen. Grant. but with the other
officers. God bless you, gentlemen" he
said as the train moved away; "you have
my best wishes for your success and safety
all ofyou." shall never forget the sad,
grave face, full of kindness, but vet
weighed down by responsibility. looking
out at us yearningly ard fading away in
the distance as We went on to end the war.
He did not return to Washington City,
but remained on his steamer to be near
the armies. and was at City Point when
he received the news of the victory of Five
Forks. In two days more Petersburg was
captured and Grant sent him an invita-
tion to come out by the railroad and ex-
anime the prize. They met in the porch
OF house in the captured town, before
which the armies had lain for nearly q
year. The troops were moving, news was
coming every few moments from one
corps to another, secessionist women and
negroes stared at them from the streets or
the neighboring houses, and there the
happy president ana the successful general
sat for more than an hour discussing tho
wonderful present and its effect upon the
future. How little they dreamed what
that immediate future would reveal!
Soon arrived dispatches that made IL
necessary for Grant in person to start in
pursuit Of Lee. and mounting our horses
we babe the president goodbye. He rose
to salute US a. We turned towards the
Appomattox, and i: was at this suspicious
moment took my last look at Abraham
Lincoln. wrapped in the very halo of vic
tory. Before the month was past he had
Joined the great company Of heroes and
martyrs who died for country and free
dom. ADAM BADEAU.
NM v~v.~~, AVN rn~rDuMD